Paper City Article

Art Notes

Fri, 10 May 2013 11:39:05 GMT

Eight to see: Make tracks to Project Row House for Round 38, a smartly curated convergence of eight talents in seven row houses that are provocative, compelling and poignant, dealing out themes global (Rahul Mitra), local (Thomas Sayers Ellis), cosmic (Kenya Evans, M%26rsquo;kina Tapscott), architectural and iconic (Sean Shim-Boyle), nature-based (J%26uuml;rgen Tarrasch), print-related (Darin Forehand) and about the all-American pinup (Derek Cracco). PRH%26rsquo;s Ryan N. Dennis curates (through June 23).

Coolquitt Crazy: At Blaffer Art Museum, the strange sculptural mash-ups of the quotidian, the arresting and the everyday make a compelling case for the talent of Austin-based Andy Coolquitt, whom Claudia Schmuckli curates in a survey marking the artist%26rsquo;s museum debut (opening night May 17; through August 24).

Whitney Bound?: That same night, head to Art League Houston for the bold text paintings by my frenemy Devon Britt-Darby, whose work has an incandescent layer of beauty; he%26rsquo;s my bet for the Texas talent for the next Whitney Biennial. Also on view at ALH is light mistress Adela Andea%26rsquo;s latest laser-like sculptural configurations (both opening May 17; through June 21).

Bess Is Best: Have you caught our Forrest Bess obsession? The late Texas visionary, whose abstractions early on captured the eye of Dominique de Menil and Hiram Butler (the former collecting; the latter exhibiting), comes to town in a seminal show complete with installation arranged by Robert Gober (through August 18).

Kallinen%26rsquo;s Cornucopia: Last summer, I judged a wacky but wonderful juried competition at East Side hotbed of excitement Kallinen Contemporary. Fellow judges Lester Marks, aka the Art Prince, and the mythic Bert Long Jr. bestowed honors on Victor Hugo Zambrano Navarro, Jonathan Rosenstein, Christian Perkins, nature-aesthete Christy Karll, Mario Humberto Kazaz, the obsessive Solomon Kane and gallery proprietor Randall Kallinen. This trippy show is worth the trip (opening May 4; through June 15).

Buzz: Houston Fine Art Fair will announce its charity partners any day now. Save the dates: September 19 %26ndash; 22 at the George R. Brown Convention Center (houstonfineartfair.com).

Wanna Get Lucky: Head to DiverseWorks for%26nbsp; my personal fave collecting opportunity. The annual Luck of the Draw is the most democratic acquisition opportunity around, plus a really great art bash. PaperCity serves as media sponsor Thursday, May 23, while DW celebrates its 30th year by rolling out offerings by more than 200 talents, including recent headliners (Franklin Evans, Tony Feher, Liz Magic Laser and Marina Zurkow) and Houston notables (Joe Havel, Katrina Moorhead, Francesa Fuchs and Trenton Doyle Hancock), all making 7-by-9-inch treasures (tickets from $100, chances $100 each; 713.223.8346 or diverseworks.org) %26hellip; Paul Fleming, the alchemist of hydrocal and resin, returns to Barbara Davis Gallery for his first show in years. The internationally exhibited Fleming is known for his buoyant, futuristic architectural and sculptural interventions (through June 1).

The Great Vasarely: The late op-art genius Victor Vasarely is back, and the Museum of Printing History presents a look at the dizzying principles and potential of the movement, in collaboration with the Museum of Geometric Art and MADI Art in Dallas. Curating is Houston painter/printmaker Orna Feinstein, who has her own op thing going (through August 3) %26hellip; Hook-Epstein Gallery serves up the collage-based imagery of California-based Scott Gordon, who achieves a fresh take on found and often overlooked materials (through May 25).

Art Notes

Fri, 10 May 2013 11:34:18 GMT

The Instigators: We%26rsquo;re just back from the buzz of the Dallas Art Fair where %26mdash; besides the conversations, connections and visual banquet %26mdash; we were all smitten by the meaning and message of Seven at the Dallas Contemporary. Meeting legendary Seven founder Joe Amrhein of Pierogi and his artist Brian Conley was truly a highlight. In the spirit of taking the Fair + Seven energy and paying it forward, we look at the instigators. Who are the young lions in our midst? While we planned on bringing you a lineup of the new Dallas dealers in this issue, more galleries of import just opened up at press and our feature expanded and was moved forward by the promising dual arrivals of Design District denizen Read Contemporary and, in Deep Ellum, Liliana Bloch Gallery, who already represents Letitia Huckaby, seen in this issue%26rsquo;s %26ldquo;In the Studio: Ascendant Visualists%26rdquo; feature. More next month on both, plus other game-changing gallerists %26hellip; We have on our radar Circuit12 Contemporary, the Design District gallery owned and curated by Gina and Dustin Orlando; this couple, who possess brash chops and fresh eyes, are mounting some of the highest-voltage shows in town. You must see the edgy %26ldquo;Regional Quarterly, Vol. 2, Concrete Jungle,%26rdquo; starring SCAB (Socialized Contemporary Artists Bureau) members Josh Von Ammon and Eli Walker (May 19 %26ndash;%26nbsp;June 22).

Other Young Lions We Love: Jordan Roth, whose Ro2 Art rolls out an extraordinary installation by another %26ldquo;In the Studio%26rdquo; feature artist, Justin Ginsberg, involving 20,000 feet of glass fiber, liquid and ice at the gallery%26rsquo;s historic downtown space at 100 N. Akard (May 3 %26ndash; June 1).

Role Play + Greek Tragedy: In the Museum District, take in the final weeks of %26ldquo;Cindy Sherman%26rdquo; at the Dallas Museum of Art, saluting one of the most original, unsettling visualists of our time (through June 9). Then stop at the Nasher Sculpture Center%26rsquo;s garden for Nathan Mabry%26rsquo;s haunting take on bronze sculpture that recalls the tradition of Rodin cross-pollinated with Greek theater (through July 7). We%26rsquo;re also greatly anticipating the %26ldquo;Nasher XChange,%26rdquo; a citywide, local-to-international installation of 10 artists in 10 sites, commemorating 10 years of the influential museum (October 19 %26ndash; February 16).

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Groves Gone Wild

Thu, 09 May 2013 10:28:09 GMT

Houston gets its own sacred grove %26mdash; actually, a pair of sylvan sanctuaries %26mdash;%26nbsp;this spring, thanks to the Houston Arts Alliance, which tapped Melbourne-based artist Konstantin Dimopoulos to create a site-specific Temporary Art Program (TAP) for our fair town. Dimopoulos%26rsquo; project, perfectly monikered The Blue Trees, emits an environmental statement along Waugh Drive, between Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive, as two sizable stands of crape myrtles get the artist%26rsquo;s signature touch: a coat of ultramarine blue, which is nontoxic and ephemeral, fading and metamorphosing over a (predicted) period of six to 12 months until no trace of the heavenly hue remains. An ongoing participatory and ecological encounter that launched two years ago at the Vancouver Biennale in April 2011, our Blue Trees marks Dimopoulos%26rsquo; largest transformation of a treescape to date and required hundreds of volunteers to complete, including area schoolchildren from Pin Oak Middle School. Also wielding a paintbrush loaded with cerulean dye was HAA CEO Jonathon Glus. Evocative of an otherworldly Magritte canvas at the Menil, these arbols elicit responses of surprise and delight from passing motorists and have even produced some impromptu picnics. %26ldquo;They represent the idea of mystery,%26rdquo; the artist told us.

Go East, Young Man

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:36:27 GMT

Our latest discovery is the charming micro space Oolong Art, a gallery devoted to all things Asian %26mdash; especially the grand traditions of Chinese watercolor painting, jade carving and jewelry, plus the delicate celadon porcelain needed to enact the tea ceremony. Oolong is owned by Wendy and Vincent Wan; she designed the handsome, compact 600-square-foot interior, and he%26rsquo;s a descendent of the Wan family, celebrated archaeologists in the Jiangxi Province of China who discovered a cache of Tang dynasty kilns. This scholarly pair brings a welcome dose of the East to River Oaks Shopping Center, with price points ranging from immensely gift-able lotus-shaped censers for around $30 to important paintings on silk, soaring to $38,000. River Oaks Shopping Center, 2005-F West Gray St., 713.526.2100; oolongart.com.

In the Studio: Ascendant Visualists

Wed, 01 May 2013 11:10:46 GMT

%26hellip; and one always wants to know: What would a modern Georgia O%26rsquo;Keeffe wear? Or today%26rsquo;s Basquiat? Those are the questions posed to eight emerging Houston artists by PaperCity%26rsquo;s fashion editor Kate Stukenberg and arts editor Catherine D. Anspon.%26nbsp;

Portraits and places:  Allison V. Smith

Because: No one conjures the light of West%26nbsp; Texas like this Dallas-based lens lady armed with her Hasselblad. Or records the rugged visage of American master Robert Indiana while penetrating his timeworn lair in a 19th-century lodge in the remote hamlet of Vinalhaven, Maine. She shares this fascination with photography with her late grandfather, Stanley Marcus; the pair%26rsquo;s image-making prowess and eye for uncanny detail were celebrated in a show this spring at [Artspace] at Untitled, Oklahoma City.%26nbsp;

F-stop: Smith%26rsquo;s highly collectible annual zine,  releasing at press time, documents her obsessions, from the perfect platter of deviled eggs to Maine and Marfa road trips, canines and artists Mark DiSuvero and the aforementioned text-king Indiana, who deserves his own Smith volume. Up next: inclusion in a major photo show at husband Barry Whistler%26rsquo;s gallery in October and a solo at The Old Jail Art Center in Albany, Texas, next year. Represented by Barry Whistler Gallery, Dallas.%26nbsp;

Queen of photography,  purveyor of fabric laced  with history:  Letitia Huckaby

Because: She elegiacally and originally explores African-American identity and the construct of family, especially the all-powerful archetype of the black matriarch via an original media: fabric imprinted with photography, which conjures personal history and ancestral memory. Because of her installations invoking fashion and dressmaking, set in epic-scaled spaces, we predict Huckaby%26rsquo;s potent statements will soon register on curatorial consciousnesses.

Commerce Street or bust: Showing in the past 18 months at an energetic pace at art spaces from Cork City, Ireland, to New Orleans, this innovative photographer/installationist was most recently featured in a group exhibition, at the acclaimed Brandywine Workshop in Philadelphia, days before our photo shoot. But her most important exhibition is yet to come: Huckaby is readying for an impressive solo at the newly minted Liliana Bloch Gallery, unfurling January 2014. Represented by Liliana Bloch Gallery, Dallas.

Glass blast plus a side  of performance:  Shannon Brunskill

Because: After an epiphany during a museum visit, Brunskill embarked on a career in studio glass, earning BFA and MFA degrees with honors from the University of Texas at Arlington. While still a student, she established an award-garnering practice that marries cast glass with found objects to forge sculptures imbued with the past, marked by Brunskill%26rsquo;s intuitive use of reclaimed materials, from a timeworn jack-in-the-box to a vintage Radio Flyer wagon.

In the kiln: This summer, the internationally exhibited Pollock-Krasner Fellow/mistress of glass secures a coveted position at the Seattle-area Pilchuck Glass School %26mdash; the holy grail of the craft movement %26mdash; where she will serve as program assistant, kiln manager and collaborator with visiting Aussie artist Mel George. Back home, stay tuned for adventures via PoP4, a collaborative Brunskill co-founded with three other women artists to push architectural and residential glass installations in Dallas. Also upcoming is the performance Shifting, venue TBD, where this glass lady steps from behind the kiln to stage a psychological piece %26ldquo;about shifting things within your mental space.%26rdquo; Represented by Mary Thomas Gallery, Dallas and Bullseye Gallery, Portland, Oregon.

The beauty of the banal: Leigh Merrill

Because: She%26rsquo;s the Edward Hopper of the parking lot, but in lieu of a paintbrush, Merrill packs video and still cameras. Her subjects %26mdash; prosaic malls, vernacular architecture, strips of convenience stores, low-rent restaurants, colorful bodegas %26mdash; are hauntingly devoid of inhabitants,  yet imbued with messages served up via ubiquitous signage. After  snapping, she skillfully rearranges reality in her computer and recently  added the plaintive call of the mockingbird to her videos, which demand close attention.

Suites of streetscapes: Her latest, the intriguingly titled %26ldquo;Manifest Destiny,%26rdquo; was showcased at the posh Hotchkiss School%26rsquo;s Tremaine Gallery in Connecticut earlier this spring. Meanwhile, Merrill%26rsquo;s creative calendar is brimming with upcoming group exhibitions and screenings from Brussels to Milwaukee. Catch her current two-person show at Swarm Gallery in Oakland, California (through June 9), and a solo at Women and Their  Work in Austin, on the books for fall. Represented by Stafford Contemporary, Albany, New York.

Way beyond craft: Justin Ginsberg

Because: His ground-breaking interventions with glass into architectural structures %26mdash; hair-fine filaments of silica threads inserted across cavernous rooms of oft abandoned industrial buildings %26mdash; are poetic, heroic and poignant. Now, Ginsberg pushes the envelope even further by adding video, public staging, collaboration and the birth of a scintillating platform/grass-roots hybrid, Apophenia Underground, co-founded by fellow provocateur, artist Jeff Gibbons, which promises to reconfigure forever the concept of happenings in Dallas.

The open road and shop windows for all: With Apophenia Underground rolling out a robust lineup in Deep Ellum%26rsquo;s vacant storefronts this spring of avant-garde solos, group views and even a sound installation and text creations plastered down the side of a building (details apopheniaunderground.com), Ginsberg is also contemplating a two-month road trip through the continental U.S. come summer. Again pairing with Gibbons, the duo will be burying artworks everywhere they go and documenting this unorthodox, yet captivating construct. This month, RO2 Project Space rolls out %26ldquo;Mesophase,%26rdquo; featuring Ginsberg%26rsquo;s personal creations in video, glass and new installation art (May 3 %26ndash; June 1). Represented by RO2 Art, Dallas, and Hempel Design, Houston.

Roses %26lsquo;r%26rsquo; us: Angela Kallus

Because: This Texas painter%26rsquo;s MFA sojourn in the glitzy academia that is the University of Nevada at Las Vegas only upped her game upon canvas. The result: lush, 3-D acrylic paintings that dazzle with dark beauty and sculptural impact. The most recent %26mdash; clusters of densely packed roses %26mdash; demonstrate Kallus%26rsquo; successful migration from a previous, almost hallucinogenic target series to her succulent new bouquets.

Future portents: After her striking Marty Walker debut this spring, Kallus blooms in a three-person drawing show at Gallery 76102 in Fort Worth, curated by Amon Carter Museum%26rsquo;s Rebecca Lawton (through May 31). She%26rsquo;s also a finalist for the hefty $50,000 Hunting Art Prize (winner to be announced in Houston Saturday, May 4), and appears in a one-night-only happening, %26ldquo;VELVEASL!%26rdquo; at William Campbell Contemporary Art, organized by Christopher Blay (Friday, May 3). This former student of pop cultural art historian Dave Hickey is also frequently on the national fair circuit, thanks to her stalwart Dallas and L.A. dealers. Represented by Marty Walker Gallery, Dallas and Peter Mendenhall Gallery, Los Angeles.

Sour Grapes to Scope Miami: Carlos Donjuan

Because: He balances street art and the mainstream and has attracted the attention %26mdash; and been acquired by %26mdash; Latino collector of renown, the ground-breaking Cheech Marin, as well as Texas art forces Ann and Jim Harithas. Armed with an MFA from UTSA, Donjuan currently juggles a teaching gig as adjunct assistant professor at the University of Texas at Arlington with his role as a leader of Sour Grapes graffitists. He also has a career as a respected painter whose mixed-media works address the immigrant experience with true-life insight (he came to America from his parents%26rsquo; native Mexico as a child of three).

Mural-rama: On the horizon, Donjuan undertakes a pair of ambitious public projects, both in Oak Cliff: first, painting a wall next to Shepard Fairey%26rsquo;s at the Belmont Hotel; then, most impressively, a $50,000 mural for the Jefferson Street viaduct, commissioned by the City of Dallas. He%26rsquo;s also got a slew of white-cube solos planned, including Gravelmouth in San Antonio (through mid May); Iowa%26rsquo;s Grand View University in September; and at Deep Ellum denizen Kirk Hopper in December (the latter took him to Scope Miami 2012). Represented by Kirk Hopper Fine Art, Dallas.

In the Studio: Ascendant Visualists

Wed, 01 May 2013 11:05:33 GMT

Black power, an M16 in bubblegum and portraits of gravitas: Robert Pruitt

%26nbsp;Because: He carries forward the legacy of Dr. John Biggers. This Texas Southern University grad %26mdash; who holds an MFA from UT and was a Skowhegan artist in residence %26mdash; catapulted to national renown thanks to dual appearances as a member of Otabenga Jones and as an individual artist in the 2006 Whitney Biennial. Pruitt, whose bubblegum-encased M16 sums up the power and prowess of his sculpture, is alternatively best known for sensitive cont%26eacute;, charcoal and silver-leaf portraits drawn on hand-dyed paper that document the African-American experience.%26nbsp;

Stay tuned %26mdash; comic collaboration: After this spring%26rsquo;s solo at Miami project space General Audience Presents, Pruitt is readying for his September headliner at L.A. gallery Koplin Del Rio, where he%26rsquo;ll unveil new photographs, drawings and costumes for a comic-book collaboration with UH professor/graphic novelist Mat Johnson. Represented by Hooks-Epstein Gallery, Houston, and Koplin Del Rio Gallery, Los Angeles.%26nbsp;

Tomatoes, tutus and a childhood in East Texas: Nancy Douthey%26nbsp;

Because: One of the few artists who sashays into the performing arena, the fearless Douthey has enacted her haunting cathartic numbers slathered in peaches and sugar or after rolling in rotting tomatoes and flour while enrobed in a frothy tutu (the latter, seen this past January in Chicken Dinner Remix performed at Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum in San Antonio). We%26rsquo;ve also been won over by her one-person theatrical dramas that address her small-town East Texas heritage, first glimpsed at alternative Houston incubator The Joanna. A founding member of the Performance Art Lab and a collaborator with Jacinda Russell on a girls%26rsquo; photographic road trip that sized up male-artist earthworks (exhibited during FotoFest 2010 at powerhouse Texas Gallery), Douthey%26rsquo;s other obsessions include her alter ego, Tammy Faye. %26nbsp;

Next set %26mdash; center stage Lawndale: Friday, May 10, Douthey%26rsquo;s cinematic sculpture and video are highlighted at the legendary Lawndale Art Center in Round Seven, the 2012-2013 artists in residence (through June 15).

Shirt labels, library volumes and modernism in dialogue: Joe Havel%26nbsp;

Because: The man at the top of the Glassell School of Art has stacked up a respected international career as a contemporary sculptor, including a turn in the Whitney Biennial 2000. And his exhibition this past winter at Hiram Butler Gallery, with its custom-commissioned shirt-collar labels aligned in a grid and columns of antique books cast in resin or clay, referenced masters of modernism Frank Stella and Constantin Brancusi.%26nbsp;

On the horizon %26mdash; sculptures alfresco: While a suite of four drawings was just acquired by the Centre Pompidou, Havel is best known for his sculptures. Watch for two more outdoor works on the Houston landscape, including one sprouting in front of the CAMH. Represented by Hiram Butler Gallery, Houston; Talley Dunn Gallery, Dallas; Yvon Lambert Gallery, Paris; and Galerie Gabrielle Maubrie, Paris.%26nbsp;

Comic book meets personal cosmology: Trenton Doyle Hancock

Because: Just when you thought this former Core Fellow %26mdash; one of the youngest Whitney Biennial participants ever %26mdash; had done it all, the Paris, Texas-raised Hancock (alter ego: Torpedo Boy) scored another prestigious art award: the $30,000 Greenfield Prize.

Next stop %26mdash; destination CAMH: TDH%26rsquo;s master plans include a 100-foot-long mural commission for Hermann Park; a Hermitage Residency in Florida (part of the Greenfield award, capped by a 2015 show at the Ringling Museum); and hopefully a Houston restaging of his epic Cult of Color: Call to Color, originally crafted for Ballet Austin (with elaborately articulated costumes and sets). But we%26rsquo;re most excited about his April 2014 solo show at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, curated by Valerie Cassel Oliver, which begins at the beginning with Hancock%26rsquo;s extraordinary, cosmologic drawings. Represented by Talley Dunn Gallery, Dallas, and James Cohan Gallery, New York.%26nbsp;

Queen of slathered paint and not-so-cute taxidermy: Ann Wood

Because: She boldly confronts the construct of nature versus man, in decidedly nontraditional media. Wood%26rsquo;s darkly beguiling creations begin with thick-as-frosting paint slathered onto polyurethane foam animal forms used for taxidermy. In this vein, her giant pink-and-pistachio elk dripping faux blood stole the %26ldquo;Dirty Dozen%26rdquo; show at San Antonio%26rsquo;s Blue Star last December. We%26rsquo;re also enamored of her slightly sinister Baroque-style, six-foot-tall embroideries, which yet again question the domestication of flora and fauna.

Future %26mdash; embroider-ama: After being selected for %26ldquo;Seven,%26rdquo; a survey of Houston%26rsquo;s best under-known emergents, at the Art League last fall, Wood makes her Dallas debut this July at Kirk Hopper Fine Art with a showing of her over-the-top needlework, while at Box 13 in town, her latest and greatest taxidermy takes a stand May 18 %26shy;through June 22. Represented by Avis Frank Gallery, Houston.%26nbsp;

It%26rsquo;s all black and white, plus an occasional muscle car: Debra Barrera

Because: Her fresh and smart art practice, recently seen in a nearly sold-out solo at Moody Gallery and a concurrent site-specific endeavor for the Blaffer %26ldquo;Window Into Houston%26rdquo; series, begins with the basics: an outsized talent with graphite and a way with good, old-fashioned drawing. And, did we mention, Barrera%26rsquo;s ode to the Pennzoil Building, disguised as a work about shipping, stole the show at the inaugural Glasstire benefit auction.

On the drawing board %26mdash; a curatorial turn: Barrera takes the curatorial reigns this spring, organizing the beguilingly titled %26ldquo;Daytime Television%26rdquo; at Paul Middendorf%26rsquo;s newly minted Gallery Homeland (through May 26), followed by a foray into printmaking this summer at Moody, in conjunction with Print Houston. In Fall 2014, watch for another much anticipated one-person at Moody Gallery. Represented by Moody Gallery, Houston.%26nbsp;

Environments, performances and participatory experiences: Molly Gochman

Because: Her now dismantled Commune on North is fondly remembered as an enchanting Alice in Wonderland/Robert Wilson remix of French 18th-century furniture and Astroturf, into which her own sculptures and photography were inserted. And the evolving %26ldquo;The Give-away Project,%26rdquo; with its performances melded with luxury goods that the audience got to shop and take home, was another
high point in the collective memory of Houston%26rsquo;s art history as the ultimate crowd experience.

Next stop %26mdash; land art: We%26rsquo;re eagerly awaiting Gochman%26rsquo;s future proposals, especially a Braille work
for a Long Island beach that invokes the phrase %26ldquo;feel the heat,%26rdquo; rendered 80 feet long and spelled
out via metal containers and firepits to promote community and bonding. Another upcoming Braille concept involves phrases rendered in grassy berms that once were mere mounds of garbage.
Represented by Deborah Colton Gallery, Houston.%26nbsp;

The den mother of conceptualism: Thedra Cullar-Ledford

Because: Like a character on the silver screen, this flame-tressed artist has a dual identity: She is both
the creator of surprising conceptual sculptures (frosted tire, anyone, or a dress made of socialite pics from the pages of PaperCity) and also the fictive bad boy Wolfgang Fletcher, a photo-collage artist of strange identity and questionable artistic practice.

On the horizon %26mdash; hens calling: This provocateur always keeps us guessing. At her brave new dealer, Wolfgang will make his Avis Frank debut in the gallery%26rsquo;s walk-in freezer turned exhibition space on Wednesday, May 15. At the artist%26rsquo;s shipping-container compound, Independence Art Studios, Vodka Friday bashes are legendary, and a chicken coop with a live webcam is planned %26mdash; the chick stars are monikered after Houston%26rsquo;s most illustrious gala chairs. Represented by Avis Frank Gallery, Houston.

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Cover Girl

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:49:25 GMT

Since 2009, Caribbean%26ndash;born Rhode Island School of Design (BFA) and University of Houston (MFA) grad Zoya Tommy has been on a mission %26mdash;%26nbsp;to carve out a spot as one of the new crop of taste-makers in Texas. Not content to merely curate pop-up shows in borrowed locales around town, she opened in a series of micro spaces on Milam, incrementally inching up to the prime time %26mdash;%26nbsp;at the 4411 Montrose Gallery Building, where she rubs shoulders with neighboring dealers of import Barbara Davis, Anya Tish and Wade Wilson. Success in the way of a nearly sold out booth at last September%26rsquo;s Houston Fine Art Fair was Tommy%26rsquo;s ticket to 4411. Best evidence that she%26rsquo;s arrived %26mdash; exhibiting this past December an underknown Japanese-NY master, Ushio Shinohara, concurrent with the action painter%26rsquo;s group turn in MoMA%26rsquo;s %26ldquo;Tokyo 1955 %26ndash;%26nbsp;1970%26rdquo;; weeks after her opening, Shinohara appeared on ARTnews%26rsquo; cover, affirming Tommy%26rsquo;s astute eye. Now up at ZTC: Dutch-born, Houston-based Guus Kemp%26rsquo;s riotously pigmented canvases (through April 20). 4411 Montrose, 713.523.7424; pgcontemporary.com.

Art Notes

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:23:01 GMT

The Great Eight begin with Neo Geo: Jonathan Leach%26rsquo;s art is the future mixed with a dose of %26rsquo;80s neo geo, but there%26rsquo;s no arguing with the persuasion of his precisionist painting at Gallery Sonja Roesch (through April 27).

The Year of Bianconi: Sculptor, installationist and alchemical performance artist the marked-for-greatness Italian Andrea Bianconi returns to Barbara Davis Gallery in %26ldquo;Love Story%26rdquo; where he concocts an extraordinary site-specific wall drawing formed from live flowers (through April 20).

Mickey D%26rsquo;s: Just when you thought our art world was becoming market driven, there%26rsquo;s %26ldquo;Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger,%26rdquo; a Paul Horn CrackPot Production in tandem with Solomon Kane. This one-night-only happening pops up in the kid%26rsquo;s birthday party room at McDonald%26rsquo;s at North Main and 1-45 on (natch) Monday, April 1, 6 to 8 pm, with the unofficial after-party Taco Taco at Tex-Mex joint Andy%26rsquo;s in the Heights. The lineup to dates encompasses notables Sharon Engelstein, Aaron Parazette, Rachel Hecker, Brent Bruni Comiskey, Lester Marks and Whitney Biennial talent Daniel Johnston.

Pop Explosion: Texas art master Ray Phillips solos at Laura Rathe Fine Art (through April 20) with a new series of paintings with inspirations drawn from his golden American childhood. We%26rsquo;ll be there!

Twaddle%26rsquo;s Tiles: Randy Twaddle%26rsquo;s artistic practice embraces a tantalizing dose of design. Check out the Houston talent%26rsquo;s new drawings, collages and most especially a fresh series of tiles at Moody Gallery, which are manufactured here in town (though April 20).

Surrealism on the Town: It%26rsquo;s a double-header at Hooks-Epstein Gallery, which pairs a duo of Surrealists, Kelly Scott Kelley and Ross Richmond, who engage with, respectively, painting and glass (through April 20). Watch for Richmond%26rsquo;s almost Gothic figures %26mdash; so hauntingly creepy.

Palace Intrigue: Don%26rsquo;t miss the Art Palace debut for a very promising MFAH Core Fellow: Tatiana Istomina, who unveils a series of greatly anticipated paintings and conceptual creations that address the history of American modernism via a fictionalized female protagonist. The Russian-born talent, who also works in video, was a Kandinsky Prize finalist in 2012%26nbsp; (April 5 %26ndash; May 11).

A Marching Band%26rsquo;s in the House: The Mitchell Center%26rsquo;s Artist in Residence, Daniel Bernard Roumain, joins with the UH Cougar Marching Band to enact a project that spans two years and culminates with %26ldquo;En Masse,%26rdquo; an extraordinary alfresco performance at Discovery Green Saturday, April 20, 4 to 8 pm (free). Former Mitchell Center Artist in Residence, multidisciplinary artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph, directs. FYI: Roumain, who%26rsquo;s appeared on stage at Carnegie Hall, has to date collaborated with diverse impresarios from Philip Glass to Lady Gaga.

Empire State of Mind: Support Dominic Walsh Dance Theater%26rsquo;s Joyce Theater debut in Manhattan with the clever cocktail fund-raiser Empire State of Mind Thursday, May 2, at Deborah Colton Gallery, chaired by Miz Colton and Mady Kades. Manhattans and a dance performance will be served (tickets Ashley Dennis, adennis@dwdt.org).

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Let's Play Games

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:20:41 GMT

Among the most insistent design trends is its influence on the contemporary visual scene. See the intriguing results this season during the debut of Field Day at the Dallas Art Fair, which tapped exhibitor Nathalie Karg%26rsquo;s Cumulus Studios to devise a morning of games and play (Saturday, April 13, 10 am to noon; remarks 10 am; outside FIG at Henry C. Beck, Jr. Park). The works on view are drafted from the New York-based gallery%26rsquo;s stable of notables commissioned by Cumulus to create limited-edition offerings, which intersect landscape architecture, and mirror the contemporary marriage of art and design. We%26rsquo;re smitten by international Tom Burr%26rsquo;s finely honed ping-pong table formed from aluminum, rubber and paint, which is a functional sculpture that Donald Judd would be proud of. Since 2008, Karg has carved out a distinctive gallery practice that bridges her background as an art advisor and landscape designer. %26ldquo;Cumulus Studios has chosen a different path than most,%26rdquo; she notes. %26ldquo;We work solely with contemporary artists, not designers nor architects. This is why our pieces are special. Some of them are quirkier than others, and maybe less comfortable, let%26rsquo;s say, than a widely produced element of design, but this is what makes us stand out.%26rdquo; Cumulus Studios at the Dallas Art Fair, cumulus-studios.com, dallasartfair.com.

Completing Isabella Court

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:55:36 GMT

One of the most welcome transplants ever, dealer David Shelton %26mdash; whose home and collection graced these pages in our February issue %26mdash;%26nbsp;has brought the best and brightest of the San Antonio scene to his handsome Isabella Court storefront, as well as completed the hole in the Isabella lineup left when a previous gallery shuttered. But his new space is more than a mere placeholder %26mdash;%26nbsp;its HQ for action, manifesting a robust stable that shows off Texas power players such as Cruz Diaz, exhibited this March, with a nifty series of cartoon-inflected works on panel; Kelly O%26rsquo;Connor, whose girl-powered collages are utterly engaging, fresh and retro at the same time; Joey Fauerso, a mistress of video and photography; and Sara Frantz, of the chilling landscapes that appear cinematic. And arriving soon: the oh-so smart %26ldquo;Style as Substance,%26rdquo; curated by Rachel LaBine and Keith J. Varadi, both of NYC (April 5 %26ndash; May 11). 3909 Main Street, 832.538.0924; davidsheltongallery.com.

Move Over, Monet

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:35:00 GMT

While she%26rsquo;s most identified with nature photography %26mdash; locales both beguiling and exotic, from the South of France to Antarctica %26mdash; Houston artist Libbie Masterson now steps out from behind the camera and into the landscape. Head to Hermann Park this month to see Masterson%26rsquo;s new light-based creation, the site-specific intervention Illuminated Lily Blossoms, which mimics water lilies in the Mary Gibbs and Jesse H. Jones Reflecting Pool. Powered by solar lights, the floating flowers call to mind, ahem, a great who painted at Giverny. Bask in the beams of these blooms during the park%26rsquo;s Japan Festival, unveiling April 6 and on view through the end of the month. For details or to assist in the project%26rsquo;s funding (donors are eligible for a special artist-made prize, based on gifting level), visit kickstarter.com and search for %26ldquo;Libbie Masterson%26rdquo; or log onto libbiemasterson.com.

Glancing Back — Scenes from the Dallas Art Fair 2012

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 04:37:35 GMT

Gazing Forward %26mdash; Dallas Art Fair 2013%26rsquo;s Stellar Sponsors

For year five, once again a masterful canvas of sponsors steps forward to add to the composition of the Fair. At the top again as Presenting Sponsor is Ruinart, the world%26rsquo;s first established champagne house, with a provenance dating back to 1729. Is it coincidental that Ruinart has %26ldquo;art%26rdquo; in its moniker? As the luxe libation of the 2013 Fair, it%26rsquo;s what will be flowing freely at the opening-night Preview Gala, as well as during the entire art weekend to toast artists, acquisitions and our fave gallerists.

Patron Sponsors adding to the frisson of art energy include Heritage Auctions, the world%26rsquo;s third largest auction house, which is stepping up its contemporary game thanks to the presence of Frank Hettig at the helm of Modern and Contemporary Sales; Neiman Marcus, which needs no introduction and whose commitment to contemporary art and artists began with Stanley Marcus himself; The Joule Hotel, hosting out-of-towners in style and the site of the alfresco Preview Gala After Party; Wells Fargo Advisors, which provides an enhanced Fair experience for their clients; and Fashion Industry Gallery (FIG, as we like to call it) with its gleaming, welcoming 55,000-square-foot modernist interiors, which have provided the beautiful backdrop for the Fair since its beginning. Collector sponsors encompass the ultimate wheels from Classic BMW; Realtor Dave Perry-Miller, host of a private Fair luncheon; and posh jeweler Paolo Costagli.

Also stepping forward with flair are 2013 Aficionado Sponsors including Allan Knight %26amp; Associates, Arcodoro %26amp; Pomodoro, Bel Fleur, Ben E. Keith Company, Dallas Sight %26amp; Sound, Forty Five Ten, The Goss-Michael Foundation, Highland Park Village, Laree Hulshoff and Ben Fischer, Liland%26rsquo;s Special Events, Lone Star Valet, Marco French Studio, Scott + Cooner, U.S.Art and, among the media sponsors, PaperCity magazine, producer of this exclusive Special Fair Section.

The Queen of the Nonprofits

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 11:20:50 GMT

When DiverseWorks was reborn this past fall in midtown %26mdash; after more than 20 years at the edgy Warehouse District Docks bordering the East Freeway %26mdash; director Elizabeth Dunbar%26rsquo;s mission was to make the space once again relevant, balancing out developing new audiences with the desire to serve as an incubator for renegade talent. Witness the launch of the provocative dialogues DWOW, which offers a weekly showcase for performing and literary emergents, every Wednesday night, 6 to 8 pm. The mash-ups range from spoken word and artist talks to puppetry, dance and even jam sessions, a platform perfectly fitted for their cavernous space that once was home to a costume shop, and is just a parking lot away from the action of the Isabella corridor. And stay tuned for prescient performance artist Liz Magic Laser (opening Friday, April 5, 7 to 9 pm; through May 18), whose practice incorporates newsmakers and the media. Watch out %26mdash;%26nbsp;you may end up as a filmed audience member in Magic Laser%26rsquo;s piece produced for DW, %26ldquo;Tell Me What You Want To Hear%26rdquo;; its creator is also in the news herself as the 2013 Armory Show headliner.%26nbsp; 4102 Fannin, Suite 200, 713.223.8346; diverseworks.org.

%26nbsp;

The Official Calendar of the Dallas Art Fair

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 11:18:02 GMT

Wednesday, April 10%26nbsp;

5 %26ndash; 8 pm: The Power Station Exhibition Opening for provocateurs Tobias Madison, Emanuel Rossetti and Stefan Tcherpnin (3816 Commerce Street). With a VIP, Premiere Patron or Patron Pass.

6 %26ndash; 8 pm: Dallas Contemporary Preview Showing and Toast to Seven, a real working art fair within the heroic industrial spaces of the non-profit Dallas Contemporary (161 Glass Street). With a VIP, Premiere Patron or Patron Pass.%26nbsp;

8 %26ndash; 10 pm: Arcodoro %26amp; Pomodoro Patron %26amp; Exhibitor Welcome Dinner at sponsor Arcodoro %26amp; Pomodoro (100 Crescent Court, Suite 140). With a VIP, Premiere Patron or Patron Pass.

Thursday, April 11

11:30 am %26ndash; 12:30 pm: Dallas Art Fair Press Preview (Fashion Industry Gallery, 1807 Ross Avenue).

12:30 %26ndash; 1:30 pm: Dallas Art Fair Exhibitor and Collector Luncheon at Dallas Museum of Art (1717 North Harwood Street). By invitation only.

6 %26ndash; 7 pm: Dallas Art Fair Preview Reception with very first access to the 83 gallerists of the 2013 Fair (Fashion Industry Gallery). With a Premiere Patron Pass only.

7 %26ndash; 10 pm: Dallas Art Fair Preview Gala. The official Fair opening night benefits the Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center and Dallas Contemporary, offering patrons and top collectors the opportunity to preview and purchase exhibited works prior to the public opening the next day. Enjoy endless flutes of bubbly by presenting sponsor Ruinart while contemplating your next acquisitions. Preview Gala tickets available for purchase at dallasartfair.com/tickets.

10 pm %26ndash; 2 am: Official Dallas Art Fair Preview Gala After Party at The Joule Hotel (1530 Main Street). Clink cocktails and dish art from the Joule%26rsquo;s beguiling rooftop deck. With a Premiere Patron or Patron Pass.

%26nbsp;

Friday, April 12

11 am %26ndash; 7 pm: Dallas Art Fair 2013 Opening Day (Fashion Industry Gallery).

11:30 am %26ndash; 1 pm: Dave Perry-Miller Luncheon %26amp; Presentation by James Salomon of the Salomon Contemporary (FIG, Beck Imaginarium, 5th Floor). Private Event.

3 %26ndash; 4 pm: Panel Discussion %26ndash; Another sculpture, another chair%26hellip; what would Brancusi do? (FIG, Beck Imaginarium, 5th Floor). James Cope, curator (moderator) leads a design-focused panel featuring David Quadrini, gallerist; Pascal Spengemann, director, Marlborough Chelsea; Michael Corris, Ph.D., Professor of Art, Chair, Division of Art, Meadows School of Art, Southern Methodist University; and Rob Brinkley, editor in chief, FD Luxe. Topics encompass sculpture, design, furniture and artists such as Constantin Brancusi, Marcel Duchamp and Hans Arp. Open to Public.

4:30 %26ndash; 5 pm: Keith Haring, Untitled (FDR NY), 1984 (FIG, Patron Lounge). 99 Cent Fine Art presents diptych panels from Keith Haring%26rsquo;s Untitled (FDR NY); a public work created in 1984 as a performance piece and mural along the FDR Drive at Asphalt Green Park, it served as a fence before being dismantled and removed in 1985 for construction.

5 %26ndash; 7 pm: Forum Reception Organized by the Dallas Museum of Art (FIG) Members of the Dallas Museum of Art%26rsquo;s Forum are invited for a reception and tour of the Dallas Art Fair. Collectors Cindy Schwartz and Robyn Siegle will lead a highlights tour of the Fair. For more information about the Forum, please call 214.922.1272. Private Event.

5:30 %26ndash; 7:30 pm: Forty Five Ten Welcomes Viktor and Rolf at Forty Five Ten (4510 McKinney Avenue). For more information, please contact rsvp@droesepr.com. Private Event.

6 %26ndash; 8 pm: Nasher Sculpture Center Exhibition Opening: %26ldquo;Sightings: Nathan Mabry.%26rdquo; (2001 Flora Street). L.A.-based Mabry makes magic in the Nasher garden, with inspirations from archaeology and ethnology to Dada and Surrealism. Contact the Nasher Sculpture Center at 214.242.5151 or visit nashersculpturecenter.org. With a VIP, Premiere Patron or Patron Pass.

6:30 %26ndash; 8:30 pm: The Goss-Michael Foundation Exhibition Opening: %26ldquo;Dan Rees.%26rdquo; (1405 Turtle Creek Boulevard). Contact The Goss-Michael Foundation at 214.696.0555 or visit gossmichaelfoundation.org. With a VIP, Premiere Patron or Patron Pass.

8 pm %26ndash; midnight: Dallas Contemporary Exhibition Opening %26ndash; %26ldquo;Caja Dallas: A Collaboration with Seven and the Dallas Art Fair, John Pomara, Soner and Walter Van Beirendonck.%26rdquo; (161 Glass Street). The not-to-be-missed exhibition opening during Fair week. Contact Erin Cluley at 214.821.2522 or visit dallascontemporary.org. With a VIP, Premiere Patron or Patron Pass.

Saturday, April 13

10 am %26ndash; noon (remarks at 10 am): Cumulus Studios Field Day outside FIG at Henry C. Beck, Jr. Park. The Dallas Art Fair, in conjunction with Nathalie Karg%26rsquo;s Cumulus Studios, rolls out its inaugural Field Day. The public is invited to partake in lawn games, interact and play with works from ping-pong sets to swings designed by contemporary talents including Kenny Scharf, Mark Dion, Tom Burr, Massimo Bartolini and Adam McEwen.

11 am %26ndash; 7 pm: Dallas Art Fair 2013, Day Two (FIG).

12:30 %26ndash; 2 pm: Caja Dallas: A Collaboration with Seven and the Dallas Art Fair Panel Discussion %26amp; Luncheon at the Dallas Contemporary (161 Glass Street), hosted by Dallas Contemporary director Peter Doroshenko. Open to Public.

4:30 %26ndash; 5 pm: Keith Haring, Untitled (FDR NY), 1984 (FIG, Patron Lounge). 99 Cent Fine Art presents diptych
panels from Keith Haring%26rsquo;s mythic Untitled (FDR NY); a public work created in 1984 as a performance piece and
mural along the FDR Drive, NYC.

4 %26ndash; 6 pm: Junior Associates Reception Organized by the Dallas Museum of Art (FIG). Members of
the Junior Associates at the Dallas Museum of Art (the Museum%26rsquo;s young professionals%26rsquo; group) will gather for a champagne reception and tours of the Fair. For more information about the Junior Associates, please call 214.922.1272. Private Event.

Sunday, April 14

10 %26ndash; 11 am: Lisa Brown and Artist Annette Lawrence host Texas Tour of Dallas Cowboys Stadium Art Collection (925 North Collins Street, Arlington). Tour this unprece-dented world-class collection of 19 commissioned works of art, put together with the leadership of a professional art advisor. Limited availability; to RSVP, contact Kelly Coppock at 214.220.1278 or kelly.coppock@dallasartfair.com. With a VIP, Premiere Patron or Patron Pass.

Noon %26ndash; 6 pm: Dallas Art Fair 2013, Third and Final Day (FIG). Your last chance to take in the Fair%26rsquo;s fare culled from 83 dealers world-wide, featuring avant-garde and significant painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography, video and installation by modern and contemporary masters.

The Coming of Seven to the Dallas Art Fair

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 04:47:37 GMT

Behind-the-scenes tales of how Seven came to be, and how and why one of the most-talked-about grass-roots fairs of all time arrives in Dallas this April %26mdash; at Dallas Contemporary %26mdash; as a surprising, unorthodox, yet brilliant addition to the Dallas Art Fair 2013 lineup.%26nbsp;

Pierogi%26rsquo;s Joe Amrhein talks Seven with BravinLee programs%26rsquo; John Post Lee.

John, I remember you contacting me four years ago, some time after Art Basel Miami was over, wondering if BravinLee could fit into the presentation that Ronald Feldman, Hales Gallery and Pierogi had been putting together in Miami over the three previous years. At the time, it wasn%26rsquo;t Seven but a group of three galleries working without a name. Later, we were in contact with P.P.O.W, Winkleman Gallery and Postmasters Gallery, who were interested in joining forces. With you, that made seven of us, which became our name %26mdash; Seven. What was your interest in this, and why did you want to get involved? Pierogi, Hales and Feldman started the ball rolling, and the other four galleries %26mdash; Postmasters, Winkleman, P.P.O.W and BravinLee %26mdash; approached them about joining up. While I am certain that each of us would answer this question in a different way, I think we were all dissatisfied with the conventional concept of the art fair and saw the opportunity to improve and adapt the way we were doing business with our clients and general visitors. The concept of the art fair is a valuable one, and Seven is not against them, but it%26rsquo;s about enhancing the experience for us and for the visitor %26mdash; and, very importantly, it%26rsquo;s for the artists to see their work installed to its best advantage.

After we all got together in 2010, Seven%26rsquo;s first year, how do you think we stood out from the other fairs or satellite fairs? The experience of visiting any Seven installation should feel more like visiting a museum group show. It%26rsquo;s a contrast to the typical visitor experience of hopping from one ice cube to the next in the tray at an art fair. That said, I think the art fairs themselves are in the process of adapting to these same concerns that we have. We have taken over the role of being the art fair organizer. We do it all ourselves. In Miami, we rent a large vacant factory building in the Wynwood section, we install the lights, even the AC, and spread the work out over many rooms. The space has a flow, and the art has room to breath. We share all the responsibilities and look out for one another%26rsquo;s interests when someone asks a price or about the artist.

Importantly, Seven rejects the one-gallery/one-booth mentality of the art fair and prefer to share the space among the Seven participants, juxtaposing and commingling our artists with only one thing in mind: making the art look its best. Seven represents colleagues supporting one another. We appreciate and embrace the reality of the art world and art history as a competitive playing field but we recognize the potential of sharing and generosity as a model to achieve our goals. Each of the dealers in Seven would answer these questions with their own opinions and emphasis. But ultimately it isn%26rsquo;t what I say about Seven or what my partners in Seven might say, what matters is what our guests say and what our artists say.

Last year, when Frieze came to New York, we all had the same idea of presenting Seven during Frieze. How do you think staging Seven in New York worked for us? The Seven project during the time of the Frieze art fair took place at The Boiler, a large open space in Brooklyn. Though some people construed it as such, calling it anti-frieze, we didn%26rsquo;t think of it in terms of being a response to Frieze. Frieze is an amazing fair and New York City is a 24/7 art fair anyway, so what we did just added to this dialogue.

I thought that the installation at the Boiler in Brooklyn was very clear as a representation of Seven%26rsquo;s cooperation, in that each gallery presented one artist from each gallery. The size of the space focused our presentation. I think Dallas will have a similar feel. I know we%26rsquo;re all in the process of developing this idea now but what%26rsquo;s your thinking of how we%26rsquo;ll stage this at the Dallas Contemporary? The normal way we do things is to stay very fluid. The installation of the space in Miami is a give and take between the dealers %26mdash; and the final installation comes into being as a result of a polite wrestling match of possibilities, in a free-flowing exchange. For Dallas, we will figure all this out beforehand.%26nbsp;

I know we%26rsquo;re considering a concept or theme based on fiction or the influence of fiction on reality. But as you say, it%26rsquo;s a give and take where the result is a real exchange of ideas. The Seven group of galleries has changed a little from our last collaboration in Miami. At the Dallas Contemporary, we%26rsquo;ll be working with two new galleries: Catharine Clark from San Francisco and Inman Galley from Houston. For various reasons, some of the members of Seven will not be participating, and we have invited other galleries to show with us. A young or beginning collector will most certainly find things they are attracted or fascinated by. But remember that finding art that you want to own requires seeing past the art that you dislike or don%26rsquo;t understand and being willing to stay open and alert.

I know a number of galleries are still working out who they want to exhibit and how they might work into a group concept. I know that Postmasters is showing Franco Mattes, Catherine Clark was talking about Walter Robinson, and Pierogi is interested in showing Brian Conley. Have you thought of whom you%26rsquo;ll be presenting in Dallas? BravinLee Programs will be exhibiting large photographs by London artist Boo Ritson.%26nbsp; I have been showing Boo since 2007 and recently took over representing her. Boo has a mid-career survey that opened on February 25 at the Marfa Contemporary so with all of this going on, it seemed like the right match for the Dallas Contemporary.%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

Looking back to our 2010 presentation in Miami, which wasn%26rsquo;t that long ago, how has Seven changed or developed for you since then? I did a lot of business and felt that I did it in a way that was uncompromising. Dealers have very high standards for how they hang the art in their own galleries, and these standards may get thrown out the window in an art fair setting. It felt good to use the same standards in Miami as I would in my space in NY. It proved to me that you could sell well and have a great time without selling out your values %26mdash; that you can sell without selling out. The different locations now have been challenging, but I hope and pray that Seven stays the same on its most intrinsic levels.

I agree. The presentation that Seven takes changes with each venue. I never thought of this possibility when we started out in 2010. Now that we%26rsquo;re going to the Dallas Contemporary, we have a new opportunity. Do you foresee any surprises? One year, we had plumbing issues in Miami, and the bathrooms backed up %26mdash; so I hate surprises!

Oh, yeah, I%26rsquo;ll never forget that. So, now we%26rsquo;re in Dallas, which won%26rsquo;t have any of those problems since we%26rsquo;ll be at a museum. This all started with a conversation I had with Chris Byrne. He was interested in what we were doing in Miami and thought that as a concept in itself it could be presented at the Contemporary during the Dallas Art Fair. The idea of showing Seven in a museum during a nearby fair and as part of that fair but an alternative to it was very interesting; it%26rsquo;s about developing possibilities and not competition. This was presented to the group and after a little back and forth here we are. Yes, Chris Byrne%26rsquo;s vision for this was totally coherent with our own desire to have autonomy but to evolve our concept into being part of Peter Doroshenko%26rsquo;s programming at the Dallas Contemporary as well as to be an unusual stand-alone annex of the art fair. It is exciting and creative, and Chris Byrne and Peter Doroshenko deserve to be taken out for many drinks for understanding how cool, innovative and conceptually provocative and worthwhile this will be.

I%26rsquo;m very interested about who we%26rsquo;ll be meeting in Dallas in terms of the Dallas art community since this is the first time we staged this outside Miami and New York. What are you excited about in terms of the Dallas art community? I%26rsquo;m sure the Seven crew all have various different ties to the Texas art community and specifically to Dallas. I%26rsquo;m always looking forward to seeing friends in Dallas and meeting new ones. I am told by my colleagues who have been doing the fair for years to expect a great experience and that the hospitality and energy in Dallas is tremendous! I grew up in Philadelphia, am an Eagles fan, so I am not a Dallas Cowboys fan, to say the least. But I am secretly jealous of all their great teams and players over the years, starting with Captain Comeback, Roger Staubach. One of my goals for Seven at the Dallas Contemporary is to meet Mark Cuban and Jerry Jones.

Seven at the DC

BravinLee programs, New York

Catharine Clark Gallery, San Francisco

Inman Gallery, Houston

Pierogi, Brooklyn

Postmasters, New York

P.P.O.W, New York

Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, New York

%26ldquo;The idea of showing Seven in a museum during a nearby fair and as part of that fair but an alternative to it was very interesting; it%26rsquo;s about developing possibilities and not competition. This was presented to the group, and after a little back and forth here we are.%26rdquo;%26mdash; %26nbsp;Joe Amrhein, Pierogi, Brooklyn

%26ldquo;This project is an examination of how art world systems impact regional artists and how they can navigate the art world waters. Much like the Dallas Biennale, [Seven%26rsquo;s] Caja Dallas is a curatorial investigation that will only happen once and serve as an important educational platform ... since art fairs are not going to go away anytime soon, how can artist%26rsquo;s engage art fairs in different ways to benefit their careers? It%26rsquo;s all about creating options for artists.%26rdquo; %26mdash; %26nbsp;Peter Doroshenko, director, Dallas Contemporary

%26nbsp;

Is the Dallas Art Fair the Best Boutique Art Fair in America?

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 11:21:15 GMT

For the first-time ever, nearly 15 percent of the Fair participants are international: This year, 12 of 83 galleries are heading to Dallas from other countries. Expect a healthy crop of London and UK dealers, including Bischoff/Weiss, Massimo De Carlo, Workplace Gallery and Jonathan Viner (whose sold-out-by-opening-night booth last year featured a trove of spray paintings by Dan Rees, who will also have a solo opening at The Goss-Michael Foundation during the 2013 Fair weekend) and Asian notables Misako %26amp; Rosen, traveling from Tokyo and Seoul-based Gamo Gallery. Rounding out the global scene are new arrivals from Brescia (A Palazzo Gallery), Milan (Brand New Gallery) and Paris (Hussenot and New Galerie), as well as returning Drexel Galeria of Monterrey and Canadian Newzones.

Texas%26rsquo; Best

Once again, Texas gallerists make a strong showing on the Fair%26rsquo;s playing field, with a group of 13 Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston dealers participating. These include a quartet that have shown with the Dallas Art Fair since its inception %26mdash; Dallas denizens Talley Dunn Gallery and Valley House Gallery %26amp; Sculpture Garden, and Fort Worth notable William Campbell Contemporary Art, as well as Houston-based Deborah Colton Gallery, all of whom are celebrating five years as exhibitors. Also returning are Artspace 111 (Forth Worth home to the Blagg Brothers); Dallas Deep Ellum tandem Barry Whistler Gallery and Kirk Hopper Fine Art (ask to see works by Allison V. Smith and Forrest Bess, respectively); Dallas Design District majors Conduit Gallery, Cris Worley Fine Arts and Gallery Urbane (whose other location is in Marfa); and Houston%26rsquo;s incomparable Moody Gallery (whose booth is always a curatorial tour de force) and Inman Gallery (taking a stand at Seven). Rounding out the pack is Fair newcomer Laura Rathe Fine Art, who has galleries in Houston and, as of this spring, double-decker digs in the Dallas Design District (hint, watch for McKay Otto%26rsquo;s trans-dimensional canvases).

Fair Game

Also new and noteworthy, the Fair literally spills outside FIG onto Henry C. Beck, Jr. Park for fun and games. Credit Nathalie Karg%26rsquo;s Cumulus Studios, who collaborated with the Fair to produce the inaugural Field Day, debuting Saturday, April 13, 10 am to noon (don%26rsquo;t miss Karg%26rsquo;s remarks at 10 am sharp). Watch for a plethora of lawn games %26mdash; we%26rsquo;re smitten by the chance to play ping-pong on a Tom Burr set or sway in a Hare swing designed by Adam McEwen %26mdash; as well as other interactive creations designed by contemporary auteurs such as Kenny Scharf, Mark Dion and Massimo Bartolini, including a croquet set, a bocce-ball set and two swings. %26ldquo;We want to invite the public to experience these games for themselves and have fun in an unpretentious setting,%26rdquo; says Karg, who incorporated her own background as an art historian and landscape designer to launch Cumulus in 2008, which she says %26ldquo;is the only company that produces objects that are not only functional but also fabricated to withstand weather conditions %26hellip; The mission is to be able to not only enjoy art as a collector but also to be able to bring your favorite artists outdoors (or in) and live with these objects by using them.%26rdquo;

Here Come the Internationals:

A Palazzo Gallery, Brescia

Bischoff/Weiss, London%26nbsp;

Brand New Gallery, Milano

Massimo De Carlo, Milan / London

Drexel Galeria, Monterrey

Gamo Gallery, Seoul

Hussenot, Paris

Jonathan Viner, London

Misako %26amp; Rosen, Tokyo

New Galerie, Paris

Newzones, Alberta

Workplace Gallery, United Kingdom

%26ldquo;We were asked to take part for a couple of years now and recommendations from a couple of other galleries that we respect persuaded us. There are obviously some very established institutions and collections in Dallas, so we are very excited to visit first-hand and introduce our program. I think it%26rsquo;s also really important generally for us to explore different parts of the USA and show our artists. It will be the first time in Dallas for any of us from Workplace Gallery, so we are very much looking forward to it.%26rdquo; %26mdash; Miles Thurlow, Workplace Gallery, UK

%26ldquo;Dallas came naturally to us for two reasons. The first one is that we now have close relationships with lots of collectors in Texas, and the second one is that some galleries that we like really recommended the fair. The team of the fair has been incredibly welcoming, and we are very impatient to take on this new challenge.%26rdquo; %26mdash; Rapha%26euml;lle Bischoff, Bischoff/Weiss, London

Top Fare at the Dallas Art Fair 2013

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:21:02 GMT

Marking a Milestone %26mdash; Year Five

We%26rsquo;ve been covering the Dallas Art Fair since 2009, when the Fair began with a tightly curated roster of 30 gallerists and officially launched as the very first art fair in Texas. In 2010, the co-founders %26mdash; private art dealer/independent curator Chris Byrne and real estate developer/civic leader John Sughrue %26mdash; bumped it up a notch, drawing 50 exhibitors to town; that same year, PaperCity magazine began as media sponsor, producing an annual Special Section as the official guide to the Fair. Flash forward to 2013: What you now hold in your hands reflects the evolution of the Dallas Art Fair into arguably the most important boutique-size fair in America. And incontestably the most significant fair not in New York or Miami.

Carefully calibrated from Texas, the Dallas Art Fair, topping off at 80+ galleries in 2013 has achieved a milestone for year five, luring not only innovative dealers with singular vision along the lines of Thomas Solomon Gallery (progeny of legendary maven Holly Solomon), but also major players such as Marlborough Gallery and Marlborough Chelsea, as well as a fresh crop of internationals (see page 8), a hefty dose of coast to coast national exhibitors and a stalwart contingent of Texans. And then there%26rsquo;s the ground-breaking presence of a fair within a fair %26mdash; the Seven Fair, in collaboration with the Dallas Art Fair and Dallas Contemporary.

Behind the Curtain

And kudos to Byrne and Sughrue for assembling an adroit team to foster both art commerce and the art dialogue for Dallas. The Dallas Art Fair happens because of the curated efforts of many, beginning with one of Sughrue%26rsquo;s seminal partners, Lyle Burgin, whose architectural expertise includes reconfiguring Fashion Industry Gallery annually to create the spacious, elegant, non-convention-center/non-cookie-cutter layout that is the hallmark of the Fair. We%26rsquo;ve worked most closely with Beth Shapiro (deftly fielding press inquiries and coordinating details with all Fair sponsors), Kelly Coppock (our go-to for exhibitor images and gallerist connections), Tracy Moberley and Terri Stillwell (who help coordinate and organize all things Art Fair). All planned the Houston kickoff party, co-hosted by PaperCity and Patron Sponsor Neiman Marcus at The Chaney Family Collection. Lauren Christensen directs VIP Programming and Lauren Burgin works with Moberley on special sales of Premiere Patron Passes, Patron Passes and opening night Preview Gala tickets.

The Great Eighty-Three

Drumroll. The roster of 83 exhibiting Dallas Art Fair 2013 gallerists is complete. Read on. Significantly, the list is almost evenly divided between returning dealers (41) and new exhibitors (42). Who are we most excited about? Among the former, Andrew Edlin Gallery%26rsquo;s stable of visionary artists is hard to beat (we%26rsquo;re hoping for another Henry Darger masterwork), as well as the always incomparable CANADA; Monterrey, Mexico-based Drexel Galeria, which stocks a surprising array of pop surrealists; Hedge (HQ for the confluence of art and design); Howard Scott Gallery, whose stable includes the hallucinogenic texts-based Fred Stonehouse; young West Coast lion Jessica Silverman Gallery; Klemens Gasser and Tanja Grunert, Inc., whose encounter at the 2012 Fair with independent Dallas curator Cynthia Mulcahy resulted in the gallery%26rsquo;s now on view %26ldquo;Engines of War%26rdquo;; former Texan Lisa Cooley (we can%26rsquo;t get enough of the messy vitality of Andy Coolquitt, soon to appear in a solo at the Blaffer Art Museum); the aforementioned Thomas Solomon Gallery; Stewart Gallery, from the improbable place of Boise, Idaho; and ZieherSmith, whose co-owner Andrea Zieher told us, %26ldquo;We are exhibiting because of our fabulous experience in 2012. The Dallas community has a clear love of contemporary art. The collectors were friendly and engaged %26mdash; and prepared to commit to new artists. We sold work by every artist that we brought, but more importantly, we have been able to maintain ongoing relationships with these collectors. Often fairs are either chaotic or depressingly slow. The Dallas Art Fair is unique in that it is intimate and relaxed, and yet lots of good business occurs %26mdash; and by that, I mean actual sales.%26rdquo;

And among the Fair%26rsquo;s newcomers, see our online list of the preeminent internationals, including gallerists arriving from Paris, Milan, London, Tokyo and Seoul as first-time exhibitors. In the category of new national dealers, we%26rsquo;ll be most eagerly eyeing Nathalie Karg / Cumulus Studios, whose Field Day on Saturday, April 13, provides a welcome dose of play while it melds the great outdoors with design and art (ping-pong, anyone?). Speaking of games, we%26rsquo;re also enamored of a pair of L.A. game-changers:%26nbsp;Anat Ebgi and Esther Kim Varet, with their respective galleries Anat Ebgi and Various Small Fires, rolling out exhibitions for Jay Stuckey and Anna Sew Hoy, as well as New York progressive incubator, the lively Mixed Greens and Brooklyn dynamo The Journal Gallery (both a gallery and a magazine).

Dallas Art Fair 2013: The Official Lineup

A Palazzo Gallery, Brescia

Adah Rose Gallery, Kensington

Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles

Andrew Edlin Gallery, New York

Artspace 111, Fort Worth

Barry Whistler Gallery, Dallas

Benrimon Contemporary, New York

Bischoff/Weiss, London

Brand New Gallery, Milano

Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Philadelphia

C. Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore

CANADA, New York

Carrie Secrist Gallery, Chicago

CB1 Gallery, Los Angeles

Cernuda Arte, Coral Gables

Charles Bank Gallery, New York

Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles

Claire Oliver Gallery, New York

Conduit Gallery, Dallas

Cris Worley Fine Arts, Dallas

Danese, New York

David Lewis Gallery, New York

DC Moore Gallery, New York

Deborah Colton Gallery, Houston

Dodge Gallery, New York

Drexel Galer%26iacute;a, Monterrey

DTR Modern, Boston

Feature Inc., New York

Franklin Parrasch Gallery, New York

Galleri Urbane, Marfa / Dallas

Gallery Henoch, New York

GAMO Gallery, Seoul

Gerald Peters Gallery, New York

Halsey McKay Gallery, East Hampton

Hasted Kraeutler, New York

Hedge, San Francisco

Highlight Gallery, San Francisco

Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco

Howard Scott Gallery, New York

Hussenot, Paris

James Fuentes, New York

Jerald Melberg Gallery, Charlotte

Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco

Johannes Vogt Gallery, New York

Jonathan Viner Gallery, London

Kirk Hopper Fine Art, Dallas

Klemens Gasser %26amp; Tanja Grunert,Inc., New York

KM Fine Arts, Chicago

Laura Rathe Fine Art, Houston / Dallas

Lennon, Weinberg, Inc., New York

Lisa Cooley, New York

Louis B. James, New York

Luis De Jesus, Los Angeles

Luis Perez Galeria, Miami

Mark Moore Gallery, Culver City

Marlborough Chelsea, New York

Marlborough Gallery, New York

Martos Gallery, New York

Massimo De Carlo, Milan / London

MISAKO %26amp; ROSEN, Tokyo

Mixed Greens, New York

Moody Gallery, Houston

Morgan Lehman, New York

Nancy Hoffman Gallery, New York

Nathalie Karg%26nbsp; / Cumulus Studios, New York

New Galerie, Paris

Newzones, Calgary

Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, New York

Salomon Contemporary, New York

Stewart Gallery, Boise

Talley Dunn Gallery, Dallas

The Green Gallery, Milwaukee

The Journal Gallery, Brooklyn

THE MISSION, Chicago

Thomas Solomon Gallery, Los Angeles

Turner Carroll Gallery, Santa Fe

Valley House Gallery %26amp; Sculpture Garden, Dallas

Various Small Fires, Los Angeles

William Campbell Contemporary Art, Fort Worth

William Shearburn Gallery, St. Louis

Workplace Gallery, UK

Zane Bennett Contemporary Art, Santa Fe

ZieherSmith, New York

Dallas Art Fair 2013

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 04:36:18 GMT

Your exclusive first preview of the (80+!) exhibitors, the buzz, the game-changing gallerists, the tours, provocative panels, insider parties and, above all, the art stars, plus what%26rsquo;s new for 2013. Hint: We%26rsquo;re seeing Seven. Ready, Set, Collect! Let%26rsquo;s brush up by the Joseph Beuys.

Best Way to Partake of the Fair: Acquire a Patron Pass %26nbsp;

Take in the Dallas Art Fair 2013 from the privileged position of a Patron Pass holder %26mdash; or upgrade to the ultimate, a Premiere Patron Pass. The Patron Pass, $350 per person, offers access to the most exclusive Dallas Art Fair events including the Preview Gala (and its sizzling After Party at The Joule), insider perks such as tours, panels, the preview showing of Caja Dallas at the Dallas Contemporary and coveted invitations to private openings at the Power Station, Nasher Sculpture Center, The Goss-Michael Foundation and the Dallas Contemporary, as well as three-day admission to the Fair. Or snap up a Premiere Patron Pass, $650 per person, which includes all the privileges of a Patron Pass, plus one-hour early admission to the Preview Gala, offering a coveted first look (and first chance!) at the Fair%26rsquo;s fare, and enhancing your contribution to the Preview%26rsquo;s Gala three esteemed museum beneficiaries %26mdash; the Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Center and the Dallas Contemporary. (Preview Gala tickets alone, $250.) Note, a limited number of Patron Passes and Premiere Patron Passes remain. To secure yours, or a Preview Gala ticket, please visit www.dallasartfair.com/tickets or contact Lauren Burgin at 214.220.1278 or lauren.burgin@dallasartfair.com.

General-Admission Tickets:

One-Day Pass %26ndash; Adult: $25

One-Day Pass %26ndash; Seniors %26amp; Students: $20

Three-Day Pass %26ndash; Adult: $50

Three-Day Pass %26ndash; Seniors %26amp; Students: $40

To Purchase Your Fair Tickets:

Visit dallasartfair.com.

For more information, call 214.220.1278. Tickets also available at the door during the days of the Dallas Art Fair.

The Essentials:

Dallas Art Fair 2013%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

When: Preview Gala, Thursday, April 11, 7 to 10 pm; early access 6 pm for Premiere Patron Pass holders

Show Times: Please note extended evening hours on Friday and Saturday.

Friday, April 12, 11 am %26ndash; 7 pm

Saturday, April 13, 11 am %26ndash; 7 pm

Sunday, April 14, noon %26ndash; 6 pm

Where: Fashion Industry Gallery (FIG), 1807 Ross Avenue, in the Dallas Arts District

Who: Eighty-plus international, national and statewide gallerists %26mdash; from New York, L.A., San Francisco and Texas to Tokyo, London, Milan and Mexico %26mdash;%26nbsp;cull the best and brightest of their stables for Dallas Art Fair 2013.

Note: Attend one of America%26rsquo;s preeminent boutique art fairs.

%26ldquo;The breakthrough moment was year one and the amazing response from the Dallas community and faraway guests visiting the Fair multiple times over the course of the weekend. Right then and there, I knew the potential of the Fair was global not local. The past four years have exceeded my wildest expectations. The week is destined
to be a defining signature week for our City.%26rdquo; %26mdash; John Sughrue, co-founder, Dallas Art Fair

%26ldquo;Dallas Art Fair is a renowned international art fair %26hellip;%26rdquo; %26mdash; Chiara Badinella, Brand New Gallery, Milan

Dallas Art Fair 2013 | Fashion Industry Gallery (FIG), 1807 Ross AveNUE, Dallas, TX 75201 | 214.220.1278 | dallasartfair.com

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Collector's Conversation

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 10:53:23 GMT

Julia Dippelhofer and Michael Nevin, co-founders and co-owners of Brooklyn-based The Journal Gallery, field questions from Dallas-based collector Christen Wilson.

Take us to the beginning. What%26rsquo;s the story behind the start of The Journal Gallery? Where and when did you and co-founder Julia Dippelhofer meet? Which came first, the gallery or the magazine?

Michael: I started the journal in 1999, during my first year of school at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, Massachusetts. Julia was an au pair in the next town over, and we both signed up for a black-and-white photography course at the school. I had just published the first issue of the journal at Kinko%26rsquo;s and gave her a copy. The photography teacher basically set us up by suggesting Julia and I work on an assignment together. After graduating, we moved to NY and shortly after took over a large garage space on East 6th Street in the East Village, which became the journal office. The gallery grew out of having so much space and involved the people we were working with for the magazine. It was a really exciting time with so many people coming by. We never planned to have a commercial gallery; we just wanted to show art, have fun and inspire others. One day a collector came in and bought 25 drawings, which was really the start of the gallery. Up until that time, we had only really thought about the magazine, and we liked the energy and immediacy that the gallery added %26hellip; Biggest break: opening our new space. We had been in a shoebox of a space for five years after leaving the East Village, where we had been from 2004 to 2007. We were all sitting at one small desk, a little too close for comfort, and it was impossible to have any privacy. People would come in and drop off things for the editorial office, or the gallery director, not knowing that we were all right there %26hellip; We understood that in order to grow we would have to move, and we ended up with the most beautiful gallery, just steps from the old one. Julia%26rsquo;s brother, Dominik Dippelhofer, who is an architect based in Luxembourg, designed the space, and Julia oversaw the building and details, and put together and managed an incredible crew. For me, it%26rsquo;s the most beautiful gallery I%26rsquo;ve seen. I wouldn%26rsquo;t change one thing.

Julia and Michael: When it comes to Brooklyn, we found the perfect home. Artists can%26rsquo;t really afford to be in Manhattan anymore, so the majority of them are here, it%26rsquo;s like having the kitchen and the dining room under one roof; we are in studios almost every day. Williamsburg is also the fastest growing neighborhood in New York right now, and collectors enjoy that about coming out here.

What drew you to participate in the Dallas Art Fair 2013?

Julia and Michael: Word of mouth. We had heard great things from other gallerists, and people kept asking if we had heard of it and if we had been to Dallas. We had the sense that it was an interesting place to be.

How does the model of an art gallery and magazine work?

Julia and Michael: In a sense, one can support the other, meaning that content in the magazine could sometimes lead to work being shown in the gallery and vice-versa. In many ways, the magazine has inspired the growth of the gallery because it is a unique aspect of what we do. Our approach was always very organic and sincere, and a lot of it was just evolution into what it has become now. At times, the borders between gallery and magazine were a lot less defined. We take both very seriously, and while we enjoy working on both, not everything that is fit for the magazine would be something that we would consider as something that would make sense with the programming of the gallery.

Michael: We used to have a very popular blog that would cover our openings and people that would come to them at the beginning of our time in New York. We had outgrown it, but when we redesigned our website we wanted to keep that more immediate response to what was happening on a daily basis with both the magazine and the gallery. The magazine is an incredible outlet but it%26rsquo;s only released twice a year. The blog sort of supplements that schedule, and gives a look into what we are up to and working on, it also operates on a more personal level. The first blog post was video of a guy doing pushups on the Bowery, which mirrored the idea of the blog as an exercise for me. You will have to check the site to see (thejournalinc.com) %26hellip;%26nbsp; How Julia and I divide up the duties [of gallery and magazine] %26mdash; we are both very different people in a sense, I tend to think up these crazy ideas and Julia is able to edit, to form them and make them better. It%26rsquo;s a very symbiotic relationship that benefits from our differences. We both work on the magazine and the gallery which can be challenging, but it is what we are passionate about.

Can you reveal any surprises for your Dallas Art Fair booth?

Julia and Michael: We are bringing two New York painters to Dallas, Jeff Elrod and Kika Karadi. Jeff had the last show at the gallery, which was a huge success, and has a show up now at P.S.1, which is really worth seeing, and Kika we only met recently. They are both making abstract paintings, but they also share this base in technology and how work can be made from it. While Jeff%26rsquo;s paintings are derived from quick sketches made on the computer, Kika%26rsquo;s work is made by projecting old horror films onto the canvas. They share an affinity for the screen, and their paintings, although very different in a visual sense, really work together.

How would you describe your gallery%26rsquo;s aesthetic?

Julia and Michael: We tend to stay away from rigid definition, which doesn%26rsquo;t mean that we are less serious about it, but we don%26rsquo;t want to be limited by categorization. We feel very strongly about what art we want to show, and although the mediums vary, we believe that the group of artists we exhibited in the gallery share similar ideas and create work that will one day be seen as a movement. It%26rsquo;s difficult to explain what we show, but we stay clear of the decorative and the overly esoteric. We look for work that speaks to us, that causes a reaction that makes us ask questions.
%26nbsp;
Where do you find new talent?

Julia and Michael: Almost always through friends and by being curious. Once I was walking down the street, and a stranger, who recognized me, asked me to visit his studio, which happened to be right there. I think the best way to find something interesting is to be open to it %26hellip; [And it%26rsquo;s] an emotional response. We never decide based on what others are saying. Often you can make a good call not only by looking at the work but also by getting a sense how serious and committed the artist is. There are a lot of artists that can produce good-looking work, but you often have to break through the physical aspect of the work to see how it will hold up over time.

Do you have any connections to Texas in terms of curators, other gallerists or artists?

Michael: Julia and I have never been to Texas before and are excited to meet new people.

What is on your list of exhibitions and travels for 2013?

Julia and Michael: The Venice Biennale.

Do you have any must-sees while you%26rsquo;re in Dallas?

Julia and Michael: Giraffes at the zoo.

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DALLAS ART FAIR: April 12 - 14, 2013; Preview Gala April 11, 2013

www.dallasartfair.com

Pass the Popcorn

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:22:21 GMT

Cinemaniacs and casual moviegoers can share the love during this month%26rsquo;s Dallas International Film Festival. In addition to a gala honoring legendary producer Sherry Lansing (Forrest Gump, Titanic) and director William Friedkin (The French Connection, The Exorcist), the seventh annual DIFF features a something-for-everyone lineup, including a tribute to iconic Italian films, %26agrave; la Fellini%26rsquo;s 8 %26frac12;.

Riding a wave of positive buzz from its recent Sundance and South by Southwest showings is Pit Stop, a meditative exploration of love and loss directed by Yen Tan, who arrived in Dallas after emigrating from Malaysia at age 19. Telling the parallel stories of two gay men in small-town Texas, the film was inspired by Tan%26rsquo;s time spent road tripping during the making of his first feature Happy Birthday.%26nbsp; %26nbsp;

%26ldquo;I had to make a lot of stops in gas stations between Dallas and Houston, and I thought about the people who lived in those little towns, the life they had,%26rdquo; he says. %26ldquo;Thinking about if there were gay people there sparked my curiosity %26mdash; why were they there and what life did they lead?%26rdquo;%26nbsp; %26nbsp;

Pit Stop gives an intimate look at the lives of Gabe, a contractor who is getting over an ill-fated affair with a married man, and Ernesto, a Hispanic lumberyard worker in the midst of splitting up with his live-in boyfriend. Although the characters%26rsquo; connection doesn%26rsquo;t drive the plot, the possibility of a happy ending is only one of the reasons the film has resonated with audiences. %26ldquo;It%26rsquo;s my way of having a Hollywood happy ending without resorting to clich%26eacute;s,%26rdquo; says Tan. %26ldquo;We%26rsquo;re approaching it in an understated manner, and the audience is rooting for the characters to find some form of happiness.%26ldquo;

Tan assembled a Texas dream team to bring Pit Stop to life, including co-writer David Lowery (Ain%26rsquo;t Them Bodies Saints), production designer Scott Colquitt (Tree of Life) and co-producers Kelly Williams (Lone Star International Film Festival), Eric Steele (the Texas Theatre), James M. Johnston (Pioneer) and Jonathan Duffy (Austin Film Festival). Although it may seem that local filmmakers are having a moment, the Texans%26rsquo; presence on the scene is largely due to a support system based on collaboration rather than competition.

%26ldquo;They%26rsquo;re people I%26rsquo;ve known for more than 10 years already, and we were making films then and we never stopped,%26rdquo; Tan says. %26ldquo;We were never hindered by the fact we lacked connections and funding sources, and, as a result, we had a body of work that people started noticing. At Sundance, Robert Redford gave a speech and said, %26lsquo;Perseverance is everything.%26rsquo; And that%26rsquo;s a big lesson to us.%26rdquo;

Dallas Film Society director James Faust has gathered other Lone Star State talent, with planned screenings of everything from Tyler Glodt%26rsquo;s campy zombie film Buck Wild to Luke Korem%26rsquo;s colorful documentary Lord Montagu. And this year%26rsquo;s event is expanding from local art houses to include venues all over the metroplex, from Klyde Warren Park to the new Look Cinemas in Addison.

The 2013 Dallas International Film Festival runs April 4 through 14. For information, tickets and a full list of films, visit diff2013.dallasfilm.org.

%26nbsp;

Double Decker Art Stop

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:20:07 GMT

The latest frisson of activity in the Dragon Street corridor comes from the South, as respected Houston arts maven and SMU alumna Laura Rathe opens new Dallas digs, marking her second location in the state. And what an impressive entrance: The eponymous Laura Rathe Fine Art occupies pride of place on the corner of Dragon and Howell in a gleaming two-story 5,000-square-foot aerie that most recently housed an architectural practice. While the new space boasts inspiring dual views of downtown and the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, what%26rsquo;s hanging is equally as compelling. The opening show, %26ldquo;See,%26rdquo; serves up a veritable banquet of the best of her stable, with new work created by talents ranging from second-gen ab ex master Tony Magar and text-based painter Cecil Touchon, to the widely collected McKay Otto, a new arrival to Rathe representation whose ethereal canvases can only be described as cosmic portals (through March 30). After the opening showcase, catch Austin-based geometric abstractionist Roi James in a solo opening April 6 through May 11, or stop by LRFA%26rsquo;s booth at the Dallas Art Fair (April 12 %26ndash; 14; Preview Gala Thursday, April 11). Running the new destination are arts-savvy duo Janice Meyers and Courtney Feavel, recent veterans of another art space, whose joint expertise spans more than 30 years on the Dallas scene. Later this season, the gallery showcases sculptural offerings and artist furniture in its adjoining courtyard. Also, check out video master Rob Meyers of the wafting trees, as well as droll craft mistress Tara Conley during your visit. 1130 Dragon St., Suite 130, 214.761.2000; laurarathe.com.

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Art Notes

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 10:19:19 GMT

Picasso Revealed: Before there was Warhol, there was Pablo Picasso, whose talent and international celebrity defined the modern concept of an artist. It doesn%26rsquo;t get any better than this: A brilliantly conceived rethinking of the original grand master%26rsquo;s oeuvre is touching down at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The Guggenheim and the MFAH are the only American venues for this consummate blockbuster, which opens eyes to an entirely new read on the painter/sculptor/provocateur. %26ldquo;Picasso Black and White%26rdquo; summons nearly 100 works from the artist%26rsquo;s prodigious creativity, spanning 1904 to 1970, coaxed from collections near and far, including Picasso family%26rsquo;s special troves. Watch for his rendering of women, from classical and serene to expressionist and, of course, his stunning cubist visages. Other treasures include the unforgettable Head of a Horse, a 1937 sketch for Guernica, as well as a tapestry rendition of the battle that became a rallying cry to end the Spanish Civil War (through May 27).

B%26amp;W All Over: Black-and-white is decidedly in the air. Now the tables are turned, as curator Toby Kamps puts his own art to the test, showcasing an ongoing series of photographic images drawn from the street in %26ldquo;99 Cent Dreams%26rdquo; at Sharon Engelstein%26rsquo;s bungalow turned art space Front (1412 Bonnie Brae, March 2 %26shy;%26ndash; April 6).

Utterly Utterback: Works by the late Texas artist Robin Utterback always take your breath away. A chameleon of abstraction, this Rice grad%26rsquo;s estate, encompassing canvases from 1974 to 2005, is represented by %26mdash; and on view at %26mdash; Meredith Long %26amp; Company. Also up this month at the blue-chip gallery: The robust yet lyrical calligraphic landscapes of Rice professor Bas Poulos are highlighted in his %26ldquo;Arcadia Vista%26rdquo; series (opening March 7).

The Year of Bianconi: The Italian sculptor, installationist and alchemical performance artist Andrea Bianconi returns to Barbara Davis Gallery in %26ldquo;Love Story,%26rdquo; in which he concocts an extraordinary site-specific wall drawing formed from live flowers (March 22 %26ndash; April 20). Catch him next in Russia, as he is included in the Moscow Biennial, opening this fall.

Enchanted Kingdom: Houston talent Lisa Ludwig returns to her original medium %26mdash; ceramics %26mdash; and casts delicate porcelain offerings loaded with dark humor evocative of Grimm%26rsquo;s Fairy Tales at Moody Gallery. And don%26rsquo;t miss her exquisite flora and fauna %26mdash; mice in coffins, anyone? %26mdash; which win us over with their absolute beauty (through March 23) %26hellip; Speaking of porcelain, in G Gallery%26rsquo;s solo for Debra Broz, the artist unfurls her way with found ceramics, which have been altered and reconfigured in alarming ways, curated by Diane Barber (March 2 %26ndash; 31) %26hellip; Box 13 also goes ceramics crazy. In conjunction with the arrival of the National Council for Education on Ceramic Arts (NCECA) Conference in Houston, our fave East End destination mounts a quartet of exhibitions (March 9 %26shy;%26shy;%26ndash; April 13; box13artspace.com).

The Prince Is in the Palace: Don%26rsquo;t miss a show that combines multimedia and intellect to serve up a smart take on propaganda in the time of Twitter. We%26rsquo;re speaking of Charlie Morris at Art Palace %26mdash; possibly one of the most brilliant shows in the Texas art world this spring (through March 30).

Behind the Scenes with CA Scene: Patrol some of our town%26rsquo;s most celebrated collections by joining City ArtWork%26rsquo;s CA Scene, which offers cocktails and insider tours while raising funds for the nonprofit%26rsquo;s mission of providing children%26rsquo;s art classes in area schools. Learn more and peruse cool art during a lively membership bash at the casa of Debby and Alan Stanton Thursday, March 28 (info 713.681.1331; cityartworks.org). FYI: PaperCity is the sponsor of all CA Scenes this season. Onward.

Collector's Conversation — Brought to You by the Dallas Art Fair

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 10:42:13 GMT

Miles Thurlow, co-founder, co-director and co-owner of UK-based Workplace Gallery, fields questions from collector Patsy Fagadau, partner at Beckerman | Fagadau Interiors, Dallas.

What draws you to travel from the UK to Texas to participate in the Dallas Art Fair 2013? We were asked to take part for a couple of years now by Chris Byrne, and a mixture of his enthusiastic hospitality and recommendations from a couple of other galleries that we respect persuaded us. There are obviously some very established institutions and collections in Dallas, so we are very excited to visit first-hand and introduce our program. I think it%26rsquo;s also really important generally for us to explore different parts of the USA and show our artists. It will be the first time in Dallas for any of us from Workplace Gallery, so we are very much looking forward to it.

Describe your gallery%26rsquo;s aesthetic. The program has sought to investigate intersections between the object and architecture, performance, video and social commentary, painting and photography, exhibiting international artists within an increasingly dynamic art scene in the Northeast of England.

Take us to the beginning. [Co-founder] Paul [Moss] and I just missed each other at Newcastle University, as he had completed his graduate studies just before I started there as a post-graduate. It was actually a couple of years later through a studio-group research trip to Rotterdam in Holland where we got talking. We went to a small artist-run gallery called Room that had no fixed abode, surviving from one space to another %26mdash; the only constant was a table that they had made, and instead of having wine at previews, they would target art-world luminaries and invite them to bring a take-out dinner. It became a kind of collective pot-luck experience, turning up at a gallery with your pizza or Indian and Chinese food and encountering art. The idea that you could create some meaningful and focused cultural exchange with very little money was inspiring for us. I found myself standing next to Paul listening to the guy from the gallery explaining all of this, and before we knew it, we were hatching plots and trying to figure out how we could do something back home with a similar energy. When we got back, I introduced Paul to another artist, Richard Forster, who had relocated to the North [after] having had some representation in London, and the three of us started attempting to do something that addressed the sense of cultural marginalization that being an artist in an economically deprived and geographically isolated city can engender.

We started curating exhibitions together, showing ourselves and our peer group alongside internationally based artists, and we applied for and won funds from a new publishing house in the region set up to produce artists%26rsquo; monographs that we rather cheekily carved into 12 individual chapters on artists and commissioned up-and-coming curators and art writers to write an essay on each artist. We had figured out that there are two parts of an economy for the growth of an art scene and for individual artists: financial and critical. You need both, otherwise you either can%26rsquo;t survive, or your work goes unnoticed and has little resonance or is undermined by the wrong context. So, despite being far away from the art market, we felt we had to attempt to take part in it. We took a small booth at the London Art Fair in 2003 (just before the first Frieze Art Fair) and were amazed and excited to find that collectors and curators in London took us just as seriously as any super-cool new gallery in the East End of London. Pretty soon after that, Richard decided that he wanted to focus on other things, and Paul and I managed to find a derelict store beneath the iconic Brutalist concrete architecture of Trinity Court in Gateshead. If you watch the original 1971 film Get Carter starring Michael Caine, much of the film is set in that complex, and the cultural flavor of the region hasn%26rsquo;t changed all that much. We stripped out the shop and persuaded someone to donate some wallboard, and we were away. The gallery was nestled between the Pay Day Advance Cheque Centre (loans) and Girl%26rsquo;s World (a cheap makeup store), in an extremely poor and neglected part of the city, and it had a kind of unlikely energy. It is exactly the place [where], if you were thinking of setting up a commercial gallery, you would choose not to do it. Biggest break to date? Was it getting into the New Art Dealers Alliance? There are a few breaks that we%26rsquo;ve been lucky with, but I think probably the most important and unexpected thing to happen was a phone call from Soraya Rodriguez, the co-founder of Zoo Art Fair, which had opened as the satellite fair to Frieze Art Fair (and took place in London Zoo at the other side of Regent%26rsquo;s Park).

In year one, Zoo was focused entirely on London galleries, and in year two, they sought to open this up. So Paul took a call, and we were basically interviewed on the phone. We didn%26rsquo;t realize that Soraya was also talking to another artist-led space in the region, and I think she was impressed by our enthusiasm and positivity. Not long afterwards,we were in our booth opposite the bear enclosure at London Zoo, and we were selling the work of artists from the small and dingy studios of Newcastle to important collections all over the world. Which was incredibly powerful validation for the artists.

We didn%26rsquo;t know what we were doing %26mdash; we were giving out price lists and copies of our book to anyone who set foot on the booth. I think we were just pleased that anyone was interested; it was only afterwards that David Risley, who had the booth opposite, would sidle up to us and say, %26ldquo;Do you know who that was? That was %26hellip; who has this collection, or curates for the %26hellip; museum!%26rdquo; %26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

For us, Zoo Art Fair was a real wake-up call that we needed to take part in an increasingly international and booming art world. It was here that we first properly started representing artists and thinking about how we could use the structure of an art fair to grow careers. So I think that qualifies as the most important break.
How does the model of artist-owned gallery work? We note that you do not show your own work at the gallery or during fairs. How do you and Paul divide up the duties of the running an international gallery? This has always been both a difficult and important aspect of Workplace. We basically refuse to conform to a stereotypical mode of being either an artist or a dealer. For me, personally, it means good time management. My studio time is focused on a Monday when the gallery is closed and in the evenings and weekends. It%26rsquo;s amazing what you can get done if you can focus into a short and regular routine. We can%26rsquo;t and don%26rsquo;t use Workplace as a vehicle for ourselves; it doesn%26rsquo;t sit right, and I don%26rsquo;t think it works. We keep a page on the Web site in resistance to the notion that we need to comply to a certain model of gallery, but this is something that we might consider changing in the future. We%26rsquo;ll see.

We note that you show modern British sculptors, such as Eric Bainbridge, who signal new directions in contemporary sculpture. Do you represent mostly UK talents? It is very rewarding to work with an artist such as Eric Bainbridge, who is currently being considered as an increasingly important and influential British artist. It is a real privilege to work with him. Eric is from Consett, in the Northeast of England, and is professor of fine art at Sunderland University, living in London and the Northeast. I think Eric saw the potential in Workplace very early on, and [he] was extremely supportive to us, giving us some teaching work and acting as an advocate for us in some of our more challenging times. It is a natural fit, and we think he%26rsquo;s a genius.

Most of our artists are from the UK, which reflects where we come from. More recently, we have begun to work with more international artists, such as Swedish artist Jacob Dahlgren, who represented Sweden in [the] Venice [Biennale] in 2007 and [who] is one of Scandinavia%26rsquo;s most active young artists. It feels like a natural thing for us to begin to expand our outlook internationally, and I think it is very healthy for the gallery and the other artists.

When investigating new artists, how do you know who%26rsquo;s a fit for your gallery? What are you looking for? It is the constant dialogue about art between Paul and me that drives the gallery forwards. Like anyone involved in the art world, I think our interests are born from a combination of searching for something that hits the spot conceptually and aesthetically and from something that drives you forward in your thinking about what art can be. There is an element of being able to recognize or believe in something as art (beyond the known and established conventions of art) that is incredibly satisfying %26hellip; We tend to always look for artists that are able to fulfill this first and foremost, and then we begin to think about the practicalities. One thing that has become clear is that the best and most productive relationships between artist and gallery are those where there is a balanced partnership rather than one side being overly reliant on the other.

Where do you discover most of the artists for your stable? Are some artists whom you knew from university? We grew very organically out of a local scene here in the Northeast of England, and our program reflects a peer group of artists who were marked by a willingness to put down roots here rather than move to London. Many of us initially studied together, but there are three art schools in the region, so quite quickly we had to go beyond those confines. We simply were interested in what we considered to be excellent work, and I think that this has continued to be a focus.

Is this your first time to visit, or have you been to Texas often before? What connections do you have already in Texas in terms of curators, other gallerists or artists? We are very excited about visiting Texas for the first time, and I%26rsquo;m especially looking forward to getting to know the Dallas Museum of Art and the Nasher Sculpture Center. We have met some Texan collectors at previous fairs so there should be some faces that we recognize!

Can you reveal any surprises for your Dallas Art Fair booth? We will be showing some new work by Hugo Canoilas, who has our next show at the gallery. Hugo is an important young Portuguese artist based in Vienna and recently exhibited at the S%26atilde;o Paulo Bienal. Eric Bainbridge and Laura Lancaster are making some exiting new work that we plan to show, and the rest will be revealed!

What is the art climate like in Gateshead? In England as a whole? In Gateshead and the region, there are very few collectors, and the art market is in its infancy. There are some individuals who have begun to take the risk of buying work, and I have tremendous respect for them, as ours is not a wealthy region. We have an amazing history in the Northeast. Richard Hamilton (the father of Pop Art) and Victor Pasmore pretty much invented the UK model of art school education at Newcastle University and made important advances in abstraction, Pop art and installation art. Across the road at Newcastle Polytechnic, a few years later a group of artists such as Matthew Higgs, Mark Leckey, Hilary Lloyd, Jane Wilson (from Jane and Louise Wilson) and even gallerist Gavin Brown were students. So there is a sense of history. For me as a student in Newcastle, the most exiting thing was watching the formation of Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, which opened in Gateshead in 2002. Though there was some local objection to Baltic, I think it opened up a possibility to encounter a more international art world directly. Experiences that I had when working there as gallery staff %26mdash; being able to talk to artists like Chris Burden or drive Pedro Cabrita Reiss down to London and get stuck in traffic, or just chat to a director of an international kunsthalle at the bar, alongside engaging with a bewildered yet open-minded public %26mdash; were fundamental.

In England, the art-world is still incredibly centralized and focused upon London, but there are more institutions like Baltic that have grown in the last 10 years that I think, along with university fine art departments, contribute hugely to our culture and underpin a sense of possibility of existing outside of London. It is vitally important to the future of culture in the UK that they survive. There are maybe a handful of commercial galleries dealing with critically engaged contemporary art and representation outside of London in England, and I think we are very much pioneers. Of course, Scotland is a different country and has an established art scene in Glasgow, which is an important and inspirational example.

What are the challenges and advantages of being located outside of London? Connecting with the infrastructure of the international art world and avoiding provincial obscurity is the biggest and most rewarding challenge to overcome, and it is why art fairs are so important to us. The advantage of being outside of London is that you are able to make some mistakes (hopefully) unseen and are able to develop and grow in a way that makes you more robust and able to focus upon the work that people are making.

What is on your list of must-see exhibitions and travels for 2013? So far: Dallas Art Fair [and] Art Basel Hong Kong, and we are very much looking forward to the Venice Biennale!

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www.dallasartfair.com

Destination Design Miami

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:34:46 GMT

Steven Hempel and Dutch Small take us inside one of the most eagerly watched mash-ups of design and art on the planet. Tree-inspired seating for Fendi, a bench based upon birdsong, and a lust for gold. read on.

Hempel Design%26rsquo;s Steven Hempel Anoints the Best of the Fair

Design Miami, founded 2005, has unquestionably become North America%26rsquo;s showcase for both domestic and international designers, a title once held by New York-based ICFF. The expertly curated Miami Beach convergence reigns as the ultimate %26mdash;%26nbsp;and most influential %26mdash;%26nbsp;destination, drawing a top coterie of influential collectors, gallerists, designers, curators and critics who also partake of the much larger mega-attraction, Art Basel Miami Beach, located directly across the street. The action goes down every December.

No survey of Design Miami would be complete without mentioning the temporary structure Drift, which housed the fair. Designed by New York-based collaborative practice Snarkitecture, the tent used massive inflatable tubes bound together to create a floating environment. The transformation of vinyl into a topographical landscape created a contemplative space marked by ascending mountains above and an excavated cavern below. This stunning entry was the perfect introduction to this year%26rsquo;s fair, inspired by natural phenomenon and making use of humble materials.

Gone were the chrome finishes and house-sized chandeliers that dominated earlier fairs (though the high price tags still remain in force).%26nbsp;In their place, we saw a continuing trend of designers using materials such as wood, leather, brass and clay as the foundation for many of the works on view.%26nbsp;Nature remained a constant theme, as designers looked towards the natural world for inspiration.

Maarten de Ceulaer%26rsquo;s installation for Fendi, Transformations, used modernist-inspired patterns to create a series of seating elements.%26nbsp;Employing lacquered wood boards, tree stumps and handmade leather planks, the result was a soft, inviting, geometric environment both eye-catching and elegant.%26nbsp;Composed of large solid-striped leather planks forming a living pattern of seating, this creation offered a myriad of contradictions %26mdash; organic and geometric, soft and hard, luxurious and mundane.

David Wiseman%26rsquo;s latest for R Gallery continued the designer%26rsquo;s narrative of nature-infused lamps, tables and vases.%26nbsp;Wiseman meticulously crafted each piece by hand, utilizing brass, porcelain and crystal.%26nbsp;This exciting new talent, a rising star best known for his intricate bespoke installations, presented works from his first solo exhibition with the aforementioned NY-based gallery.%26nbsp;Particularly impressive was his Unique Collection side table.%26nbsp;The gleaming brass base features a lovingly rendered owl amongst twisted vines and comes across as an unexpectedly dramatic sculptural object, while remaining elegant and reserved.

Also on view was the work of provocative jewelry designer and conceptual artist Ted Noten. In recent years, Noten has expanded the scope of his oeuvre to include design projects and installations; he was represented at the fair by his U.S. dealer, Ornamentum Gallery.%26nbsp;In his new series Seven Necessities, the designer returns to jewelry with his characteristic flair for the over-the-top. For his latest, Noten explored objects that represented modern women%26rsquo;s basic needs.%26nbsp;The set included, among other things, a pair of sunglasses with removable 24K-gold ice pick, a nylon purse housing both champagne and requisite glass, as well as a 24K-gold lipstick case and small dish for holding your precious gems.%26nbsp;The works make use of rapid prototyping while mixing everyday materials such as nylon with more traditional materials such as gold and precious stones.%26nbsp;Noten, whose works are anything but subtle, has forged yet another series that stirs
the emotions.

The Leading Edge from Forma Revivo%26rsquo;s Dutch Small

This year, designers elevated process over function or aesthetics while insisting that design has ascended to join fine art in the higher plain of human expression. According to designer Sebastian Errazuriz, represented by Cristina Grajales Gallery, %26ldquo;Design is now doing for us things that were previously expected of art.%26rdquo;

A quintessential example of the mash-up between art and design was a piece by artist Florian Borkenhagen. His Asamoa table, while clearly sculptural in form, is completely functional. Crafted by hand from layers of mahogany, the Asamoa encapsulated the message which resonated through the entire fair. %26ldquo;Through the work of our gallery, we erase the lines between art, architecture and design by showing the work of creatives who demonstrate genius in more than one discipline. These people are so talented, their work should not be put into only one box,%26rdquo; said dealer Gabrielle Ammann, whose eponymous gallery represents Borkenhagen.

Many of the showcased offerings were the masterful result of designers being freed to create as artists. Carpenter%26rsquo;s Workshop Gallery of Paris highlighted the Lathe Metalwork Series by Sebastian Brajkovic. Carpenter%26rsquo;s wise approach when working with a designer is to provide an opportunity to open the frame. Instead of following a prescribed process, with its inherent limitations and parameters, they encourage creatives to push boundaries, freeing them from the limits of the production chain, costing, materials and utility.

Another crowd-pleaser was the brisk-selling Keep Walking bench by Pedro Barrail. Available through the Cristina Grajales Gallery of New York, the bench was conceived to render a visual interpretation of birdsong. The designer strolled past an estuary every day recording bird sounds for his seating unit as he loaded the sound files onto his computer and noticed the sound waves distinctive shapes appearing on his computer monitor.

Although there are many voices of dissent in the conversation surrounding the erasure of the boundaries between art and design, a sharply-dressed jet-setter at the fair said within earshot, %26ldquo;The reaction to good design is that you want to embrace it.%26rdquo;%26nbsp;Inspired by our time at Design Miami, we couldn%26rsquo;t agree more.

Fairest of the Fair

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:21:15 GMT

Dallas Art Fair reaches the five-year marker this spring. Where to begin to navigate the 80-plus booths brimming with cutting-edge fare from the must-see artists you need to know? Catherine D. Anspon engages in a national and international t%26ecirc;te-%26agrave;-t%26ecirc;te with four game-changers, whom touch down next month from Milan, Paris and L.A. Why are they coming to Dallas? Read on. (Save these Fair dates and prepare to collect: Preview Gala, Thursday, April 11; Friday through Sunday, April 12 %26ndash; 14; at Fashion Industry Gallery; dallasartfair.com.)

Esther Kim Varet
Founder, owner and director, Various Small Fires, L.A.

Take us to the beginning. After graduating from Yale University in 2004, I worked for major New York City galleries like Petzel and Paula Cooper before opening my own gallery at the age of 24 in a ground-floor space in West SoHo. While running the gallery, I was also doing a full time Ph.D. in contemporary art at Columbia University (which was a bit much, to be honest!). I sold my shares in the gallery right before the recession hit in 2008, which saved my life %26mdash; and bank account! It was an incredible learning experience. I still continued with the Ph.D. and started curating and fund-raising for biennials in New York, started a company that built corporate collections in Asia and started collecting art myself.%26nbsp; %26nbsp;

I moved to Los Angeles two years ago because all of a sudden the world started watching the young art scene in Southern California with much invested interested. And it was absolutely true %26mdash; there are so many amazing artists out here, and the city was so welcoming for ambitious new spaces that were willing to provide a fresh platform for artistic talent.%26nbsp;
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Texas connections? I born and raised in Dallas and spent K-12 (in uniform!) at Trinity Christian Academy. When I was a senior in high school, I had one summer where I interned at Pillsbury Peters Fine Art in Dallas for one month and then PaceWildenstein Gallery in New York for the other. Boy were they different! I learned invaluable experiences from both, and from then on %26mdash; I guess I always knew I would be a part of the gallery system in one way or another. Although I have not been a resident in Texas for a while, I did go back to my roots and got married at Houston%26rsquo;s Rothko Chapel and had a reception at The Menil Collection. My husband and I are also huge fans and supporters of Fairfax Dorn and Virginia Leberman of Ballroom Marfa. Because of warm art-world Texans like them, I do find more reasons to travel to the Lone Star State several times a year.

Also, a critically acclaimed performance artist I represent, Liz Magic Laser, is doing a solo commission project in Houston at DiverseWorks. She has been interviewing local Houston politicians and TV anchors as part of her project %26mdash; the final product will be unveiled at the DiverseWorks opening on April 6.
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Your gallery%26rsquo;s aesthetic, and what niche it occupies amid the art ecology of L.A? Because of my long-term affiliation with Performa, the performance art biennial in New York %26mdash; I used to chair their young patrons program, as well as occupy a Curatorial Fellow seat %26mdash; there was a lot of buzz around the gallery and the performances we hosted last year. However, I think people are also increasingly realizing that I am really out there to push the best artists working in all mediums, including painting, video, sculpture and installation.
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What drew you to participate in the Dallas Art Fair 2013? Going back to my hometown, of course! Although my parents live in Hawaii and Seoul now, I still do have close family in Dallas that I am itching to see.

Can you reveal any surprises for your Dallas Art Fair booth? Which artist(s) will you be bringing? Anna Sew Hoy, one of the most beloved California sculptors of her generation, and she possess an incredible touch. We will be bringing these incredibly beautiful %26ldquo;wall sculptures%26rdquo; that hang like paintings but double as functional objects. For example, we will have a ceramic piece that looks like a gigantic hanging charcoal plate that doubles as a place to hang your keys in your home entryway (if you choose).

When adding new artists, what are you looking for? Seeing a place for them in history. Another litmus test for me is that the artists I end up working with %26mdash; I find that I could talk about the artist endlessly. I feel so convinced and excited about the work, it never actually feels like work. It feels like I%26rsquo;m sharing an awesome discovery with the world, you know?
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Will you be expanding your roster in the future? Yes. For example, my gallery has just started working with Roy Dowell, a canonical Los Angeles artist who founded Otis%26rsquo; [College of Art and Design] graduate program in the late %26lsquo;70s. He has been making these fantastic collages and paintings since the late %26lsquo;80s that feel so fresh and relevant to a new generation of artists as well.

True tales from the art world? Running an art gallery in which every rotating exhibition poses a new challenge %26mdash; there are so many hilarious and ridiculous moments. Where do I start? I collaborate very closely with my artists, so every show seems like a totally memorable experience.

Anat Ebgi
Founder, owner and director, Anat Ebgi, L.A.

Take us to the beginning. Being a daughter of an artist who ran his own very successful art gallery has informed a lot of my choices. I grew up in Miami and moved to New York City to study at the New School. I was curating exhibitions in various galleries before receiving my master%26rsquo;s degree from the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College. I was working with a lot of artists in NYC, and when I moved to Los Angeles in 2008, I wanted to continue working with them, so I opened the gallery.

Biggest break? [Being admitted into New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA)] was a definitely a huge break. But the most memorable experience was placing Jesse Fleming%26rsquo;s video The Snail and the Razor in the Whitney Museum%26rsquo;s permanent collection.

What drew you to participate in the Dallas Art Fair 2013? I%26rsquo;m excited about Dallas! And to introduce Jay Stuckey, who%26rsquo;s as big and bold as Texas. For the Fair, I will be presenting a solo booth of Jay Stuckey%26rsquo;s recent drawings and paintings. Jay is currently working on a series of drawings of musician friends smashing their instruments.

Your gallery%26rsquo;s aesthetic: What niche does it occupy amid the art ecology of L.A.? Young and smart. For more dish with Anat Ebgi, tap papercitymag.com.

When adding new artists, what are you looking for? I am always looking at artists%26rsquo; work, visiting their studios and Web sites. The %26ldquo;fit%26rdquo; comes in working closely together, which is my style. I speak with the gallery artists almost every day, and see them on a regular basis. Because of this, I am quite slow to expand the roster, but am always open. A sense of humor is key.

How does the scene compare in L.A.%26rsquo;s Culver City versus your previous space in Chinatown? The gallery has been in Chinatown for four years, and I was ready to explore another part of this massive city. Recently moving to Culver City has made me feel closer to the wonderful community of galleries, my friends and colleagues. Moving to a more central location has created an opportunity to expose the gallery artists to a broader audience.
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Chiara Badinella
Co-founder, co-owner and sales director, Brand New Gallery, Milan

Take us to the beginning. Fabrizio [Affronti] and I met at university where we both studied the History of Art. We shared a strong passion for art and our dream was to open an art gallery %26mdash; joint efforts, and here we are!

Vision? To exhibit international artists in Italy for the first time. Our objective is to contribute to the renovation of the Italian art scenario, bringing new artists in Italy, informing and sensitizing the public.

What drew you to the Dallas Art Fair 2013? Dallas Art Fair is a renowned international art fair. Our intent at this point of our career is to build up an important audience made up of collectors, press, fans and trend followers. We are keen to grow and augment our visibility and contacts. We strongly believe Dallas Art Fair can help us carry out our mission.

Can you reveal any surprises in your booth? We cannot reveal our secrets or there will be no surprises left! I can tell you we will be bringing Ori Gersht, Folkert de Jong and Anton Henning. For more from Milan, visit papercitymag.com.

%26nbsp;When adding new artists, what are you looking for? We travel very much and try to keep up with the rapidly changing art scenario. Our objective is to be informed and always up-to date. We try to support market trends but we do look for innovation and avant-garde artists. We don%26rsquo;t want to passively chase but rather disclose trends.

How do you and Fabrizio divide up the duties of the running an international gallery? Both us work directly with the artists and follow them directly. We have divided the artists amongst us so that they have one main referent to talk to. I tend to establish and maintain relationships with international collectors, while Fabrizio deals mostly with Italian collectors.

Must-see exhibitions and travels for 2013? This is the year of the Venice Biennale, an un-miss-able appointment. I believe all [the Biennale] exhibitions should be seen because they are always enriching experiences. Similarly there are millions of places I would like to visit but I mainly travel for working purposes so I will most certainly be in Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris and Brussels.
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Who came up with the name Brand New Gallery, which reflects a welcome dose of humor and optimism amid the high seriousness of today%26rsquo;s art world? Was that your intent? It was my idea. Of course this was my intent, optimism and a good dose of humor are essential nowadays.

Corentin Hamel
Co-founder, co-owner and co-director, New Galerie, Paris and New York

Take us to the beginning. [Marion Dana] and I met 10 years ago in Rue Louise Weiss in Paris, which was then a very interesting place, where galleries like Air de Paris, Galerie Jennifer Flay, Galerie Perrotin, Art Concept were developing something all together. We developed a desire for collaboration from this time forward. Marion had been working first for museums, then for Galerie Kreo, for an important French collector and for Sotheby%26rsquo;s. I have a more curatorial and academic background.

What drew you to the Dallas Art Fair 2013? The Fair%26rsquo;s co-founder [Christopher Byrne] contacted us and explained what he wanted the Dallas Art Fair to be and to become. We found it very interesting. Our gallery friends who have already participated also told us the Fair is very good. Since we opened our new space in New York, we think it is important to discover more of the USA. In this sense, we will have participated this year to fairs in Miami, Los Angeles, New York and Dallas. It is also interesting to discover these different cities and cultures.

Can you reveal any surprises for your booth? We are going to do a solo presentation by a duo of French artists: We Are The Painters. Since the beginning of the gallery, we have only done solo or duo presentations in art fairs. It seems to us that it gives a clearer purpose to the artist and the gallery. It also offers us, we think, a more fruitful discussion with the visiting public who can approach a significant body of works. We Are The Painters are developing a specific project for the Dallas Art Fair.

Texas connections? It will be the first time we will be visiting Texas. We have, however, some clients here. We are looking forward to discovering more about the people and the city. Then Marfa, the Dallas Museum of Art and a number of private foundations are famous, but we not visited them yet.

What do you consider the role of fairs towards fostering an international art dialogue? Fairs are interesting in the sense that they create a temporary community: with the local public, with other galleries, with collectors and institutions. More than contacts, you get to spend time with people and their environment.

How do you and Marion divide up the duties of the running an international gallery? As we now have two spaces (one in Paris, one in NYC), we have decided to each spend around one month in NYC and one month in Paris. We want to balance a European and American approach and programming. It was also important for us to have a permanent presence in the USA, and we are very happy to have started to work with Franklin Melendez who is going to collaborate with us there.

Your gallery%26rsquo;s aesthetic: What niche it occupies amid the art ecology of Paris? The gallery has always had an invitation and collaboration policy. It mixes a program featuring artists it represents with invitations to curators and other structures: Francesco Stocchi in 2009, ICI in 2010, Claire Staebler in 2011, Koyo Kouoh and the Art Center she runs (Raw Material Company, Senegal) in 2012. In 2013 in NYC, the curator Chris Sharp and the artist Benoit Maire will curate for the New York space, and the curator Martha Kirszenbaum and the gallery owner Andreas Huber for the Paris space.

These questions of trying to define how a gallery works have always been at the core of the program. A certain number of other young art entities share this interest in Paris. But it is also an ongoing%26nbsp;question that the important galleries keep asking. The gallery started being hosted by a major French gallery: Galerie de France. We did one exhibition out of two there, before taking our own space. We have invited Galerie de France%26rsquo;s owner, Catherine Thieck, to do an exhibition with us in our New York space, centered around a major classical photographer: Gis%26egrave;le Freund.%26nbsp;

When adding new artists, what are you looking for? Is your stable mostly European? The artists we work with have very different styles. We try to work with artists who develop a very specific (or personal) oeuvre. There are some trends however, as most of the artists we work with tend to question the format of an artwork and what it means to be an artist nowadays (through collaboration, specific documentation, interaction with different social fields, etc.). We work in similar proportions with European and American artists.

Must-see exhibitions and travels for 2013? We will go to the Venice Biennale, which we always find interesting, because of the main exhibitions, the different national pavilions, and the major exhibitions displayed by private foundations during the time of the Biennale. Aside from major exhibitions, we tend to follow specific spaces we like or respect, like friends%26rsquo; galleries, artist-run spaces, etc. It is very interesting to see how a program unfolds with time.

The Price Is Right — and Right Now

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 09:56:06 GMT

One of the most captivating exhibitions ever of contemporary ceramics lands at the Nasher Sculpture Center this month: “Ken Price Sculpture: A Retrospective,” organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. This exhibition firmly places the late West Coast master (1935 – 2012) in the realm of contemporary sculptors eschewing a narrow decorative arts definition. Long before Chihuly broke free of the confines of craft, the L.A.–born Price was showcased in serious galleries and accepted by museum curators, including Walter Hopps, who gave the artist early exhibitions at the Ferus Gallery, then surveyed Price some 30 years later in an important traveling solo organized by The Menil Collection. A former professor of ceramics at USC, Price spent the final decade of his life in Taos, where he continued to push and probe the possibilities of fired and painted clay. This definitive retrospective encompasses nearly 100 works, spanning 1959 through 2012, and will reveal in-depth the artist’s signature, often riotously pigmented series, including rocks, geometrics, cups, eggs and the 70-layered mottled mounds and slumps. Architect Frank Gehry, a friend and fan of the ceramicist for more than 50 years, specially designs the exhibition. February 9 through May 12 at the Nasher Sculpture Center; nashersculpturecenter.org.

Art Notes

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 10:31:12 GMT

The Spaniards are Coming: At the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the greatest glories of the Prado museum %26mdash; a roll call of painters El Greco, Vel%26aacute;zquez, Zurbar%26aacute;n and Goya %26mdash; are currently served up (through March 31) with the revelatory %26ldquo;Picasso Black and White,%26ldquo; opening end of the month. The MFAH is one of only two American venues for the scholarly blockbuster that offers a fresh read of Picasso; the show is organized by the Guggenheim%26rsquo;s Carmen Gim%26eacute;nez, whose ties to the artist begin in her native land: Her family was on the loyalist side during the Spanish Civil War (February 24 %26ndash;May 27).

Stand Up: In an era of the commodification of art and artists, a significant return to content is simultaneously taking place. In that direction, Jennifer Ward organizes a peek into the politics of the border at FotoFest in %26ldquo;Cr%26oacute;nicas,%26rdquo; a searing examination of seven Mexican artists probing the drug war through their lenses. Warning: It%26rsquo;s not for the faint of heart (February 1 %26ndash;%26nbsp;March 9). FYI: the 2014 FotoFest Biennial, themed %26ldquo;Contemporary Arab Photographic Art,%26rdquo; is a mere 13 months away now.

Commerce Hearts Art: At charming Heights retail nook La Camella, you can score small-batch fashion, really cool canvases by UH BFA or MFA grads or dainty jewels by artists Claire Webb, Meredith Schaffer and Rachel Orosco (the latter gals are celebrated in La Camella%26rsquo;s trunk show Wednesday, February 6, 3 to 8 pm).

X Factor: The controversial Devon Britt-Darby (former Chronicle art scribe and a personal frenemy) unrolls his latest, an amalgamation of painting and photography that%26rsquo;s both risqu%26eacute; and topical, at recently minted Avis Frank Gallery in a Tim Gonzalez-curated (slightly X-rated) group view that also includes Alexandre Rosa and Gonzalez%26rsquo;s own work (through February 20).

East Ender to San Antone: Box13 always has something interesting to say, with San Antonio visualists presented in a group t%26ecirc;te-%26agrave;-t%26ecirc;te of import organized by SATX-gallerist Kimberly Aubuchon (through February 16). Speaking of San Antonio, Lawndale artist-in-residence Nancy Douthey%26rsquo;s remix of her performance piece Dinner Party at major Alamo City nonprofit Blue Star last month drew raves for its investigation of diversity vis-%26agrave;-vis the artist%26rsquo;s hypnotic roll in rotting tomatoes and a bed of flour. Douthey%26rsquo;s performance was commissioned for the Houston-San Antonio convergence %26ldquo;Dirty Dozen,%26rdquo; curated by yours truly (through February 16). Stay tuned for more in-depth topics come our annual March art issue. Onward.

They Must Be Giants

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:29:00 GMT

Arts %26amp; Letters Live, the literary and performing arts series hosted by the Dallas Museum of Art, has booked 30 larger-than-life authors, actors and musicians for its 22nd anniversary season, including Pulitzer Prize winners Joseph J. Ellis, Art Spiegelman, Paul Muldoon and Elizabeth Strout; Booker Prize winner Margaret Atwood; and the first female Secretary of State, Madeleine K. Albright; events run February through June 2013. Tickets and information visitdma.org.

The Baton is Passed

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 09:27:19 GMT

One of the most-watched orchestral openings in America — the position of the Houston Symphony’s new music director — is now filled. When the respected Hans Graf, 15th and longest serving conductor in the Symphony’s 99-year history, retires at the end of the 2012–2013 season, his replacement will be Andrés Orozco-Estrada, a brilliant star on the rise and the orchestra’s first-ever Hispanic director. The appointment of the Colombian-born, Vienna-trained violinist/conductor was the result of an exhaustive three-year search by a 12-person committee of musicians, board members and staff. What sealed the deal was Orozco-Estrada’s Jones Hall debut this past October as a visiting conductor, in which he, the orchestra and the audience enjoyed an instantaneous rapport. Stay tuned: Our new music man — who mirrors the new-century diversity of Houston and is fluent in Spanish, German and English — steps onto the podium and wields his baton as director designate with the 100th anniversary 2013–2014 season. houstonsymphony.org.

PC Acquire: This Takes the Cake

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 11:00:50 GMT

For this month%26rsquo;s PC Acquire headliner, we tapped upcoming Texas talent Fernando Ramirez, whose deft touch with a pen and colored inks was recently showcased in %26ldquo;Flying Solo%26rdquo; at Art League Houston. A 2009 BFA grad of the prestigious Kansas City Art Institute, Ramirez has percolated on the scene for the past several years until he was discovered by the Art League%26rsquo;s curatorial eye, Jennie Ash. Inspired by our bridal issue, the master of the inks created a special take on a modern wedding party, complete with soaring bride and groom, anthropomorphic gifts, a ring character and a towering, architectural cake. The timing is perfect: Ramirez%26rsquo;s limited-edition volume has just been released, a curated collection of 21 images, informed by cartooning and art historical precedents, published by Blurb, also available through PC Acquire. Original drawings, 9 by 12 inch, from $450; book $195. Inquiries Seth Vaughan, seth@papercitymag.com.

Cinematic Peaks

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 10:28:41 GMT

Celebrated cinematic festival Mountainfilm on Tour returns to Houston after its successful debut in Spring 2012. Chaired and sponsored by enlightened socials Shushana and Jack Castle, Mountainfilm moves to Asia Society Texas Center this month, where the Yoshio Taniguchi-designed building serves as HQ for year two. The dual-evening lineup melds documentary screenings about extreme sports with calls to action on environmental, social and cultural issues. Provocative programming includes Chasing Ice, a look at the disappearance of glaciers set to an Oscar-nominated song performed by Scarlett Johansson; My Toxic Reality, filmed in Port Arthur, Texas, and Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry that explores the life of the Chinese artist and dissident. Festival Friday, February 22, 7 to 11 pm; Saturday, February 23, 6 to 11 pm; tickets from $35 nightly, from $60 for both evenings; mountainfilm.org.

A Valentine for Bert

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 05:09:14 GMT

Texas art patriarch Bert Long Jr. gets his day %26mdash;%26nbsp;or more accurately his month: This February, the Houston scene is given over to a tribute to Long, with a film screening at The Menil Collection plus a university opening. One of the state%26rsquo;s few Prix de Rome winners, Long is also a past Texas Artist of the Year and numbers among the most exhibited of our grand masters, with a history extending back to the original Lawndale Art Center, as well as works in high and mighty permanent collections ranging from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to our own Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Long%26rsquo;s longevity is matched by his fascinating transformation from a chef presiding over the buffet stations of the booming %26rsquo;70s-era Hyatt Regency downtown to the most august walls of the international art world. This month%26rsquo;s tribute begins on Valentine%26rsquo;s Day, when The Menil Collection and the Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC) come together to screen a biopic produced and directed by patron John Guess Jr. Entitled Bert, the feature-length film interweaves interviews with seminal art world figures such as Project Row House founder Rick Lowe and is narrated by the late MFAH director Peter Marzio and fellow artist John Alexander. The 7 pm screening at the Menil is followed by a reception in Long%26rsquo;s honor. Then, on Thursday, February 28, Houston Baptist University curator Jim Edwards brings together some rarely shown Long masterworks in %26ldquo;Bert Long,%26rdquo; an astute homage to our Fifth Ward%26rsquo;s native son in the university%26rsquo;s Contemporary Art Gallery (through April 18). All events gratis; seating limited at The Menil Collection.

Collector's Conversation

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 04:34:58 GMT

Jeffrey Rosen, co-founder and co-owner of Tokyo-based gallery Misako %26amp; Rosen, takes questions from Catherine Rose, collector, philanthropist and co-chair of the Dallas Museum of Art 2013 Art Ball.

Take us to the beginning. What%26rsquo;s the story behind the start of Misako %26amp; Rosen?%26nbsp;Where and when did you and Misako meet? We met for the first time in Tokyo in 2002. We%26rsquo;d both been working for Japanese galleries for%26nbsp;10 years prior to opening our own space at the end of 2006. I%26rsquo;d first worked for the Los Angeles branch of Taka Ishii Gallery before moving to Japan, and Misako had been working for Tomio Koyama Gallery since she was 19 years old. We were both involved in the growth and development of the first generation of Tokyo contemporary galleries. Though we were helping to facilitate an original vision particular to that generation, we felt that there was a need and that the time was right to represent our own generation in Japan.

What drew you to participate in the Dallas Art Fair 2013? In 2011, following the natural disaster that struck Japan, we had the good fortune of taking a trip to Dallas as one of our artists %26mdash; the Irish Fergus Feehily %26mdash; was having an exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Art. During this visit, we were treated with unimaginably generous hospitality; we had an opportunity to visit local collections, which were astonishing in terms of breadth and quality. The atmosphere of the city and, in particular, the community associated with the museum encouraged us to return, and the fair offered us a perfect excuse! Friends from%26nbsp;galleries such as The Green Gallery, Milwaukee, and Canada from New York also provided positive feedback about the Fair.

Misako %26amp; Rosen is one of the stand-outs in a wave of%26nbsp;second-generation gallerists. How would you compare Tokyo%26rsquo;s art scene to that of New York, London, Berlin or L.A.? What is unique and what stands out? The scale of the art world in Tokyo is incredibly small. We have very little in the way of a market, and spaces are tiny and at a premium. Most artists live and make work at home; the home is the studio and this is Tokyo style. One noticeable difference between Tokyo and elsewhere is that we%26rsquo;ve adopted a highly cooperative model. There is little to no gallery infighting; rather, we are mutually supportive and are often working together to build a strong art community.

How would you describe your gallery%26rsquo;s aesthetic? Our aesthetic is extremely literal-minded. We have an interest in abstraction, which somehow manages to manifest itself in contradictorily figurative ways. We are committed to a modest aesthetic rooted in the everyday. I should also mention that we value highly a sense of humor and art that speaks to a general audience %26mdash; without compromise.

When looking at new artists, how do you know it%26rsquo;s a fit for your gallery? What are you looking for? We are interested in creating a conversation between like-minded Japanese artists and artists from abroad. So, we are looking for artists who make work that relates to the specific context in which we are situated %26mdash; Tokyo %26mdash; but which also speaks to an international audience. Again, it often helps if the work makes us both laugh.

Is this your first time to visit, or have you been to Texas often before? What connections do you have already in Texas in terms of curators, other gallerists or artists? Well, I was born and raised in Houston! Misako and I had our wedding in Houston in the Rothko Chapel, and many of our friends from the Tokyo art world visited at that time. Dallas%26rsquo; own Gabriel Ritter, curator at the DMA, is a good friend of ours from the time he spent researching Japanese art in Tokyo. The list of our friends from Texas could fill this page, so our ties are deep. Another important connection is with Yasufumi Nakamori, a curator of photography at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Misako has known Nakamori since%26nbsp;her earliest days in the Tokyo art world! Not to mention my family, still based in Houston, whom we visit every year.

Can you reveal any surprises for your Dallas Art Fair booth? We plan to exhibit a major new painting by an artist whom we represent from Los Angeles, Nathan Hylden.

Are you bringing any of Takashi Yasumura%26rsquo;s exquisitely nuanced photographs? We are happy to hear you mention Yasumura%26rsquo;s work, as we%26rsquo;re genuinely fans ourselves and feel privileged to have an opportunity to work with him. His book Domestic Scandals is a landmark within the history of Japanese photography. We%26rsquo;ve exhibited Yasumura%26rsquo;s work at other fairs recently, so this time we%26rsquo;ve decided to focus on another photographer, Josh Brand, whose photographs are not often seen outside of the museum context and whose work creates an interesting conversation with the Japanese side of our program.

What is on your bucket list of must-see exhibitions and travels for 2013? %26ldquo;Painter Painter,%26rdquo; an exhibition opening soon at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, promises to introduce a novel approach to abstract painting. The newly reopened Migros Museum in Zurich will present a major solo exhibition with Texas-born artist Stephen G. Rhodes, and we will definitely be making the trip for this. We are also excited about the second edition of the Frieze Art Fair in New York, where we%26rsquo;ll be presenting Japanese artist Kaoru Arima. Highly recommended is a visit to Tokyo in September for the next %26ldquo;Roppongi Crossing,%26rdquo; to be presented at the Mori Art Museum; this is our version of the Whitney Biennial and will provide insight into the present generation of artists working in Japan. Far from Japan but close to Dallas, J. Parker Valentine, an exceptional and challenging young artist, will be exhibiting in March at Artpace, San Antonio, as part of the International Artist-In-Residence program.

DALLAS ART FAIR

April 12 %26ndash; 14, 2013; Preview Gala April 11, 2013

www.dallasartfair.com

Matt's Music Hall

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 12:57:19 GMT

The XX, Coexist. Winter makes me reach for electronic music: Nothing goes better with crisp, cold weather like beats, textures and circuitous but elegant song structures. The XX followed up their 2009 self-titled debut with a record sleepier than its predecessor, but more subtle and mature. Gone is the simple pop format of songs such as %26ldquo;VCR,%26rdquo; and in its place is the slow, steady crawl of Coexist%26rsquo;s first single, %26ldquo;Angels%26rdquo; %26mdash; which pauses long enough for singer Romy Croft to sigh, %26ldquo;If someone believed me, they would be as in love with you as I am.%26rdquo; Jamie XX%26rsquo;s production has evolved from Timbaland mimicry into slowed-down UK-dance-inspired beats from another planet. His pop instincts coexist organically alongside his progressive vision %26mdash; something collaborations with superstars such as Drake have proved.

Various Artists, After Dark. The tight-knit electro-pop label Italians Do It Better has been on a hot streak lately, with its flagship group Chromatics commissioned by Karl Lagerfeld to choreograph brand new music for a Chanel runway and culminating with 2012%26rsquo;s release of Kill For Love. Label maestro Johnny Jewel has rereleased the 2007 compilation After Dark on the label%26rsquo;s Soundcloud page. The gorgeous sampler draws on Italian disco as its primary influence but also lifts a Kraftwerk riff here and there for a late-%26rsquo;70s krautrock twist. At nearly 80 minutes, the compilation manages to never wear out its welcome, going down as smoothly as Italian liqueur. Free at soundcloud.com/johnnyjewel/after-dark-remastered.

DJ Sun, One Hundred. DJ Sun is a Houston institution, hosting a weekly all-vinyl show on 90.1 FM for almost two decades now; he can also often be seen behind the tables at many of this city%26rsquo;s trendiest, most fashionable social events. But DJ Sun is also a professional musician, crafting two solid EPs in recent years and now releasing his first full-length, One Hundred. The all-genres-in-a-blender approach works, skillfully throwing funk, drum and bass, instrumental hip-hop and a dash of bossanova into the kitchen sink for the adventurous listener.

Nicolas Jaar, BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix. A popular online phenomenon is artist-curated mixes, usually for outlets such as BBC Radio or Fact Magazine, which serve as a modern manifestation of the DJ set. Some take their turn to showcase and premiere their own music; others dig deep and unearth lost but inspired tracks. Bbut my favorite kind of mix is a little of both %26mdash; a skillfully assembled collage of sounds both recognizable and not. Jaar, a notable electronic musician in his own right, blends everyone from Jay-Z to Ricardo Villalobos into a surprisingly coherent two-hour set. This isn%26rsquo;t Girl Talk; it%26rsquo;s not a sloppy chop and paste, but a stripping down of this music to its core, then rebuilding it from the ground up. Jaar delivers a set as textured and intricate as his own music, parts of it suitable for the dance floor or the chill-out room, and all of it appropriate for winter. Free at soundcloud.com/selftitledmag/Nicolas-jaar-essential-mix.

Matthew Ramirez is PaperCity%26rsquo;s resident playlist savant.

The Blanton Goes for Gold

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 10:28:47 GMT

On Saturday, February 16, the Blanton Museum of Art at University of Texas in Austin marks a milestone. The country%26rsquo;s largest university museum hits a half-century and celebrates with both an exhibition and a black-tie bash (PaperCity is media sponsor). The museum is the site of the big-ticket f%26ecirc;te, as well as a Gold a Go-Go After Party. Tapped as honorary gala chairs are retired UT prez Larry Faulkner and former Blanton director Jessie Hite %26mdash; two influencers who shaped the reborn Blanton%26rsquo;s $83.5 million building (unveiled 2006) and its holdings, such as the Italian Old Master canvases and works on paper that comprise the Suida-Manning Collection of Renaissance and Baroque art. Twenty-two regional chairs have stepped forward,%26nbsp;including mega-collectors Cindy and Howard Rachofsky; fellow Dallas denizens Patty and James Huffines; Austin%26rsquo;s astute Jeanne and Mickey Klein; and Suzanne Deal Booth (who gifted the James Turrell skyspace that graces Rice University) and husband David Booth. With tables of 10 priced from $10,000 to $100,000 and sponsorship tickets at $1,500, this soir%26eacute;e, mounted in the Blanton%26rsquo;s 124,000-square-foot Michener Building, will lure the big boys and girls of the art contingent to support the museum%26rsquo;s ever-expanding mission. (Its 17,000 artworks include the Suida-Manning cache; American gems such as Jerry Bywaters%26rsquo; Oil Field Girls, acquired by a bequest from late scribe James A. Michener and wife Mari; modernist and contemporary Latin American holdings; and the only encyclopedic print collection in Texas.) The party includes an exclusive preview of %26ldquo;Through the Eyes of Texas: Masterworks from Alumni Collections,%26rdquo; organized by Blanton curator Annette DiMeo Carlozzi %26mdash; a look at the acquisition acumen of UT grads. The exhibition boasts art across the millennia, from Monet to pre-Raphaelite canvases, the Egyptians, Mayans and Romans to Rauschenberg, plus Janine Antoni%26rsquo;s portrait busts in soap and chocolate that riff on antiquity. (Public opening February 24, through May 19.) Blanton Museum of Art Golden Anniversary Gala in Austin, Saturday, February 16; tickets 512.475.6013; gala@blantonmuseum.org.

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Art Notes

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 12:51:58 GMT

Four game-changers in the international art firmament take place here %26mdash; all in 2013. First up, the Dallas Museum of Art%26rsquo;s extraordinarily inclusive new Friends %26amp; Partners initiative provides both free general admission and free membership promises to eradicate the concept of elitism in the museum world. Will other institutions follow, once the DMA opens up its doors gratis on Monday, January 21? Bravo to Eugene McDermott director Maxwell Anderson for doing it first %26mdash; and here %26hellip; Come April, a homegrown fair (not a production by outsiders) proves that it has staying power, can lure visionary gallerists to town and can provide a smartly curated boutique fair experience while fostering a broad, community-wide dialogue and provocative programming %26mdash; plus some really great art parties. Bring on the Dallas Art Fair, year five %26hellip; New Dallas galleries are stirring the scene, with more than a half-dozen recently minted spaces redefining the concept of dealer. Tune in soon for our lineup, with portraits by photographer James Bland %26hellip; Finally, we are holding on breath for the end-of-year unveil of the Kimbell Museum of Art addition. Will Renzo Piano measure up to the immortal Louis Kahn? All eyes will be on Texas.

Art Notes

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 10:32:47 GMT

Ten to see in %26rsquo;13. At the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Valerie Cassel Oliver%26rsquo;s adroit curation of %26ldquo;Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art%26rdquo; culls more than three dozen provocateurs across three generations, from Benjamin Patterson to Houston%26rsquo;s own two-time Whitney Biennial talent, Trenton Doyle Hancock, who reprises his 1998 %26ldquo;Mound%26rdquo; performance of Off-Colored at the CAMH on Thursday, January 31, at 6:30 pm (gratis; watch out for Hancock in a high chair, as well as reportedly partaking of Jell-O while spewing balloons out the back end; through February 15). We%26rsquo;re also enamored of feminist statements by ahead-of-their-time Adrian Piper and Lorraine O%26rsquo;Grady, as well as the Gothic futurism costuming of Basquiat pal Rammellzee. In an era of the commodification of art and artists, this is a refreshing, significant return to art taking a stance %26hellip; In the same direction, Jennifer Ward organizes a peek into the politics of the border at FotoFest in %26ldquo;Cr%26oacute;nicas,%26rdquo; a searing examination of six Mexican artists probing the drug war through their lenses. It%26rsquo;s not for the faint of heart (January 17 %26ndash; February 23) %26hellip; Leap into pure painting with Laura Rathe Fine Art%26rsquo;s dual survey for ab-ex master Tony Magar, paired with Houston%26rsquo;s own Mel DeWees in a lively intergenerational dialogue (January 12 %26ndash; February 9) %26hellip; International it-girl Mie Olise, who is already collected by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, returns to town for a solo at Barbara Davis Gallery. Discover the Scandinavian painter%26rsquo;s interweaving of memory, myth and architecture in %26ldquo;Crystal Bites of Dust (January 11 %26ndash; March 9) %26hellip; Another international it-girl, Weihong, returns home to reprise her tea ceremony, which has been enjoyed by everyone from Walters Hopps and Giorgio Armani to yours truly. Now it%26rsquo;s performed at Houston Arts Alliance%26rsquo;s gallery (through January 20; call for your own teatime, 832.660.3243) %26hellip; Zoya Tommy%26rsquo;s rise as a dealer and her move to 4411 Montrose offer a game-changing gallery story (watch these pages for a profile this spring). At her new PG Contemporary space this month, catch Japanese painting/performance master Ushio Shinohara, concurrent with his inclusion in the major MoMA group show about the post-war Tokyo avant-garde; this may be one of the most significant views of the spring season (opening January 11). Meanwhile, Tommy says goodbye with an overlapping exhibition at her Milam digs for the controversial, talented Devon Britt-Darby (former Chronicle art scribe and a personal frenemy), whose amalgamation of painting and photography are risqu%26eacute;, tantalizing and fresh (opening January 12). We also have Britt-Darby on our sights for when he opens later this month at Avis Frank in a Tim Gonzalez-curated group view (January 25 %26ndash; February 20) %26hellip; Over on the East Side, Box13 always has something interested to say, with San Antonio visualists presented in a group t%26ecirc;te -%26agrave;-t%26ecirc;te of import (January 12 %26ndash; 16). While you%26rsquo;re in the %26lsquo;hood, head over to say hi to Randall Kallinen, a crusading civil rights attorney whose entry into the Houston art world as painter, performance artist, personality and gallerist of Kallinen Contemporary is one of our fave stories from 2012. (Randy, thanks for my sweet roll hat). Onward.

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Lynn Steps on Stage

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 10:19:07 GMT

The illustrious Lynn Wyatt has chaired or been honored at innumerable Houston Grand Opera f%26ecirc;tes and even presided over the 50th anniversary festivities, which brought Elton John to town. Now she takes on a different role %26mdash; on stage. She%26rsquo;s been tapped by HGO for its latest, Francesca Zambello%26rsquo;s brilliant new staging of Show Boat, the beloved musical by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II, based on the Edna Ferber novel. Watch for Wyatt%26rsquo;s cameo as the Lady on the Levee in the final act, where she trades her signature Valentino and Chanel for 19th-century elegance. At the Wortham Theater Center, January 18 %26ndash; February 9; tickets houstongrandopera.org.

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Under Their Thumb

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 04:33:34 GMT

Mick Jagger, arguably the greatest front man of the greatest rock %26rsquo;n%26rsquo; roll band of all time, rocks us into the New Year. On December 15, he and his Rolling Stones played their final show in Newark, New Jersey. This is meant to be their last show ever, but rumor has it they may extend their %26ldquo;50 and Counting%26rdquo; tour into 2013. Stay tuned. We%26rsquo;ll be on the front row. Let us take you back to how it all began %26hellip; On July 12, 1962, these genii played their first live gig, in London at The Marquee Club. It was a smoky, intimate, underground bar where up-and-coming bands such as Pink Floyd, The Who and Led Zeppelin performed for decades. Flash forward: The Stones have been pretty busy in the last six months. Since toasting their 50th, they%26rsquo;ve played a surprise show in Paris, released a documentary (Crossfire Hurricane directed by Brett Morgan) and debuted a new single, %26ldquo;Doom and Gloom.%26rdquo; Joshua Siegel, associate curator at the Museum of Modern Art, Department of Film, also culled through the museum%26rsquo;s archives to mount %26ldquo;The Rolling Stones: 50 Years on Film,%26rdquo; which screened at MoMA late last year. There%26rsquo;s even a Rolling Stones app, where you can watch performances, read up on the latest Stones news and listen to their music. Their Web site offers the ultimate fix, including shopping %26mdash; from collectible lithos to rock-royalty tees emblazoned with Mick%26rsquo;s visage (rollingstones.com). And, for our cover, who better to document Sir Mick than musician and lensman Bryan Adams, whose portraits of the famous and infamous %26mdash;%26nbsp;including head-turners Victoria Beckham, Lindsay Lohan and Lana Del Ray %26mdash; have appeared on pages and covers from Tatler to Esquire and are showcased (and for sale) this month in Dallas at The Goss-Michael Foundation in the %26ldquo;Exposed%26rdquo; exhibition, based on Adams%26rsquo; volume of the same name (through February 8). His portrait of Sir Mick rocks our January cover, continuing a tradition of artists collaborating with PaperCity, from The Art Guys to William Wegman. We can only say, %26ldquo;Rock on!%26rdquo; On the cover: Bryan Adams%26rsquo; Sir Mick Jagger, New York, 2008. Archival pigment print, edition 1/7, 41 3/8 x 55 1/8 inches; $10,000. %26copy;Bryan Adams. BryanAdams.com.%26nbsp; Photographs in limited editions of seven, $6,000 to $20,000, at The Goss-Michael Foundation, 1405 Turtle Creek Blvd., Dallas, 214.696.0555; gossmichaelfoundation.org.

Collector's Conversation

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 01:00:29 GMT

Rapha%26euml;lle Bischoff, co-founder and co-owner of London-based gallery Bischoff/Weiss, fields questions from Kenny Goss, the man at the top of The Goss-Michael Foundation, Dallas.

Describe your trajectory as a gallerist, and how you and Paola Weiss came to found the gallery. Paola and I met in 2004, and after curating a few projects together we decided to open a gallery. We found a little space in the East End just behind Hoxton Square. The rent was low, and our location was perfect at the time.
The area was really buzzing with lots of other young galleries around us.

Why are you exhibiting in the Dallas Art Fair 2013? Dallas came naturally to us for two reasons. The first one is that we now have close relationships with lots of collectors in Texas, and the second one is that some galleries that we like really recommended the fair. The team of the fair has been incredibly welcoming, and we are very impatient to take on this new challenge.

Who will the headliners be in your booth? Rana Begum, Nathaniel Rackowe and Michael Reisch. Begum does sculpture, and she comes from Bangladesh. Rackowe is from the UK and also does sculpture that involve light. Reisch comes from Germany and does very large-scale photographs.

What is your personal background? Paola%26rsquo;s? What strengths do you both bring to running a gallery, and what roles do each of you play? Paola and I come from very different backgrounds. Although we started with different roles at the gallery, I would say that through time we have really merged, and we always take all the decisions together. Our tastes have become more similar with time, and if we both go around an art fair separately, chances are that we will like the same works. I see this as a real strength, as we have a very clear vision of the gallery%26rsquo;s program, and we are a very strong team.

Most significant break to date as a gallerist? Where and when? After four years in the East End, we moved to an amazing space in Mayfair in January 2010. We also showed a very large-scale sculpture of Nathaniel Rackowe in Positions at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2009. Both were big turning points and really put our gallery on the map.

What%26rsquo;s the London art scene like at the moment? Current art talk of the town? What led to your decision to move from East London to Mayfair? The London art scene is really booming. From major American galleries like Pace or David Zwirner (who has just opened on our street) to major UK players like White Cube, everyone wants to be in Mayfair. Our move was carefully planned. After almost five years in the East End, we felt that it was time to offer more visibility to our program. We have a beautiful space with a large window on the street. Our neighbors are very important galleries such as Spruth Magers or Simon Lee, but we are also walking distance from Sotheby%26rsquo;s and Christie%26rsquo;s. As we are the youngest gallery in the area, we have benefitted from a real support from the more established dealers, who often come and visit us.

How has being a participant in international art fairs fostered opportunities for your artists? Most significant fair experience to date? Anecdotes to share about your Fair experiences, be it NADA Miami Beach or Art Dubai? All the art fairs we did have been shaping us. Of course, participating in major ones like Frieze London, Fiac in Paris or Art Basel Miami were definitely turning points for our visibility. But we also love small and focused ones like Dubai, and we hope that Dallas will have this intimate feeling, too.

Where do you discover rising talent? Will you be expanding your stable from its tightly curated roster of eight? The gallery%26rsquo;s program grew from two or three artists we were representing when we were in the East End to eight now. We have always been very selective about whom we want to work with. Next year, we will be adding one more artist: Sheree Hovsepian. We are very, very happy to be starting this new relationship and very much look forward to her first solo show with us that will open in May.

Is there a particular aesthetic or point of view that your artists share? I would say that we have grown a lot with the artists we work with and have learned from them %26mdash; like Nathaniel Rackowe, who has been with us since we opened in 2005. His work is very strong and present visually, and people associated us a lot with him at the beginning. Our love for sculpture is still very present, and we will be presenting the work of another sculptor at the fair: Rana Begum. But we have also opened up to photography since 2011 with Michael Reisch, and he has been a fantastic addition to our program.

What are you most excited about for 2013? Shows you%26rsquo;ll be seeing? Books? Films? What will you be checking out in the Dallas scene? Regarding the Dallas scene, we are relying on friends from Texas and American curators we work with to get a list of all the places that we should discover. Paola and I travel a lot to different parts of the world for work, and we can, within a few weeks, go from Dubai to Hong Kong or Berlin to New York, so we are very used to absorbing rapidly cultural differences. We try each time to adapt, and we try to stay with friends who live locally to avoid staying in hotels, as they can be quite sterile. As I am French, I always keep an eye on what is happening in the galleries and in the institutions in Paris. I love the programs of the Palais de Tokyo (palaisdetokyo.com/en/palais-de-tokyo) and Le Plateau (fracidf-leplateau.com/en). Paola will for sure be following closely what%26rsquo;s happening at the Sharjah Biennial, as we are very much involved in the Middle East.

Curatorial Coup: The Show to End All War

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 10:30:54 GMT

After a decade of research, reviewing more than one million photographs and traveling to 17 countries, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, opens an exhibition that is more than an art show. When %26ldquo;War/Photography%26rdquo; unveiled on Veteran%26rsquo;s Day, November 11, it was a battle cry to end all wars. The vast, broad-ranging tour de force is spearheaded by a curatorial team led by Anne Wilkes Tucker, the MFAH%26rsquo;s world-recognized Gus and Lyndall Wortham Curator of Photography, who is joined by photographer and Glassell School of Art instructor Will Michels and MFAH curatorial assistant for photography Natalie Zeit. Presented for analysis and impact are nearly 500 objects (photographs, albums, magazines, books and vintage camera equipment) culled from 280 photographers (photojournalists, military photographers, artists and amateurs) spanning 28 nations, conflicts on six continents and more than 165 years. The searing, poignant and heroic images range from the Mexican-American War and the Crimean War to today%26rsquo;s hot spots of global combat. The ground-breaking exhibition is organized not chronologically but by nuanced themes. From the classic and iconic (the American flag raised over Iwo Jima, a portrait of Winston Churchill and the photographs of the late Tim Hetherington, who was killed in Eastern Afghanistan in 2011) to the newly timeless Marlboro Marine of 2004, snapped in Fallujah, Iraq, and the always powerful Civil War lensman Matthew Brady. Through February 3, 2013, at the MFAH, Law Building, 1001 Bissonnet, 713.639.7300; mfah.org/wp.

Italian Intrigue

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 10:10:04 GMT

With the arrival of one remarkable study of Florentine creation, Houston is having an Italian moment. The Houston Museum of Natural Science%26rsquo;s %26ldquo;Gems of the Medici%26rdquo; exhibit (through March 31) presents striking engraved and carved gems from the House of Medici%26rsquo;s vaults. The Florence-based Medici family had a penchant for collecting objects that had previously belonged to sovereigns and members of the church. Extraordinary items on display include a 17th-century bust of a female Moor rendered in luscious baroque pearls, enamel, agate and diamonds (pictured); an early-15th-century carnelian creation, carved in the negative, that hauntingly depicts a Dominican friar known for his cautionary homilies; and a late-17th-century touchstone vase showing an intimate embrace between a gilt bronze cupid and a silver swan. Houston Museum of Natural Science, 5555 Hermann Park Dr., 713.639.4629; hmns.org.

It's Only Natural

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 09:50:12 GMT

The average person accidentally eats 430 bugs each year of his or her life, according to the city%26rsquo;s newest cultural coup. While that fact may be a little hard to swallow, it%26rsquo;s The Perot Museum of Nature and Science that causes most to gasp. Instead of creating a structure designed to merely house exhibits, Thom Mayne (2005 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate) and his California-based firm Morphosis Architects worked in tandem with Dallas-based landscape architects Talley Associates to create something alive and kinetic. Described as a floating cube with an undulating roofscape and landscaped base, the 180,000-square-foot museum boasts five floors, 11 permanent exhibits, a 3-D theater, an iconic escalator and enough environmental integrity to make it a sustainable standout %26mdash; it is one of only a handful of buildings in the U.S. to qualify for three green certifications: LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), Green Globes and Sustainable Sites Initiative. Every angle was thoughtfully conceived to convey a sense of connectivity, blurring the building%26rsquo;s boundaries so that elements such as the %26ldquo;living%26rdquo; roof, cars passing on the freeway, the Dallas skyline and a 35-foot dinosaur can all be seen from the main lobby alone. You (and/or the kids) can shake, rattle and hopefully not roll atop an earthquake simulator; compare a slew of sports skills against those of pro athletes; and nosh on gourmet edibles at The Caf%26eacute;, operated by Wolfgang Puck%26rsquo;s Restaurant Associates. Named in honor of Margot and Ross Perot (thanks to a substantial gift from their five children), the $185 million museum came to life with the help of many talented individuals, including some of Texas%26rsquo; most prominent philanthropic foundations (think Hoglund, Moody, Hunt, Hill and T. Boone Pickens) %26mdash; it%26rsquo;s also remarkable to note that this project was built without public funding or debt. When asked to reflect on his vision, Mayne said, %26ldquo;I resist the urge to tell people what it%26rsquo;s about because we hope it leads to many conversations and perspectives. It was designed to engage. I suppose you could say it%26rsquo;s a cultural artifact.%26rdquo; We suggest you make tracks and explore it yourself. 2201 N. Field St, 214.428.5555; perotmuseum.org.

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Art Notes

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 10:07:46 GMT

A New Piano Under the Tree: This time next year, you should be reading here about the architectural angles and compelling green roof of the Kimbell Art Museum%26rsquo;s expansion, designed by Renzo Piano and set to complete late 2013. Besides Texas art audiences, the entire world will be watching as one of the jewels of the museum world gets an addition.

Meanwhile, bask in the marvels of the Kimbell%26rsquo;s mythic collection celebrated in a 40th anniversary show that is as good as it gets. Make tracks to revel in fabled works, from Caravaggio%26rsquo;s Cardsharps to a fabulous Matisse and Michelangelo%26rsquo;s very first painting, plus some under-known non-Western treasures (through December 30) %26hellip; Speaking of architecture, the Arlington Museum of Art mounts one of the most extraordinary exhibitions in its history with %26ldquo;Frank Lloyd Wright%26rsquo;s Samara: A Mid-Century Dream Home.%26rdquo;%26nbsp;Highlighting architectural fragments, original furniture, archival photos and tantalizing documents about the creation of this unique Usonian home (Samara house, the John E. Christian House, 1954 %26ndash; 1956, West Lafayette, Indiana), the show is organized by Scott W. Perkins, curator at the Wright-designed Price Tower Arts Center in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.%26nbsp;

We%26rsquo;ll be bringing you more details in our January Art + House issue (December 1 %26ndash;%26nbsp;February 17). Bodega or Bust: After the Kimbell%26rsquo;s classicism, venture to Deep Ellum for The Public Trust%26rsquo;s cool little bodega of collectible and extremely affordable art offerings curated by aerosol types, the Dallas collective Sour Grapes (opening December 15 with a big bang of a party, through January 12; peruse our gift guide for some idea of the Bodegas under $100 offerings) %26hellip;

While you are in Deep Ellum, drop by Kirk Hopper Fine Art for the ultimate obsessive of the Texas firmament, H.J. Bott, whose latest pinstriped canvases are utterly wild, over-the-top and the best of his more than half-century career (through December 15). At the McKinney Avenue Contemporary, we never miss the Blue Yule, a heck of a f%26ecirc;te featuring some very wonderful artist-created ornaments (December 1, tickets the-mac.org).

Curatorial Coup: Gina and Dustin Orlando%26rsquo;s Design District newbie Circuit 12 Contemporary serves up another smart offering with %26ldquo;White Noise,%26rdquo; a show layered with content with a intriguing dose of conceptualism, about the meaning of modern painting as an information highway. Catch works by Andrew Falkowski, Ron Ewert, Josh Reames and Adam Scott (Design District Gallery Walk opening Saturday, December 1, through January 12). And stay tuned on more on Circuit 12, alongside other new Dallas game-changing art spaces, coming next month.

%26nbsp;

Art Notes

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 11:36:17 GMT

Good Gifting: As we wrap the year, we’re giving thanks for Houston Arts Alliance, whose innovative Web site power2gift.org makes donating to your fave arts nonprofit a breeze … Speaking of HAA, we’ll be following more stories in 2013, including the continuing impact of The Creative Economy Study, commissioned by HAA and the University of Houston in tandem with the Greater Houston Partnership. The numbers reveal there are more jobs (146,000 plus) in our creative economy than at the Medical Center, while our creative sector fuels a staggering $21.93 billion annually in sales … Jewelers shine in dual shows this season: Raphaele’s dramatic bijoux creations, many from found objets, at Darke Gallery (through December 22). Then visit Goldesberry Gallery’s final show: an over-the-top jewelry showcase including works by Edward Lane McCartney (through December 24).

Return of the Prodigal Son: Angelbert Metoyer touches down at Deborah Colton Gallery to unveil a new series of drawings, continuing his cosmic babies and interest in time travel. Alongside Metoyer, it’s an enticing array, including emerging video talent Brent Bruni Comiskey, PC Acquire headliner Deborah Treviño Porter, as well as Soody Sharifi‘s updates on Persian miniatures (through January 19).

Super Eight/Dirty Dozen: Our hometown talents are celebrated here and on the road. At the Station Museum of Contemporary Art, the “HX8” [Houston Time Eight] presents our best and brightest including respected senior masters Forrest Prince, Lynn Randolph and Floyd Newsum, as well as Whitney Biennial-shown Robert Pruitt (through February 17) … Hit the highway and head to the rebranded Blue Star in San Antonio for “The Dirty Dozen,” which pairs Houston and San Antonio artists side-by-side; representing our burg are Susan Plum, Liza Littlefield, Nancy Douthey (with a new performance), Jonathan Leach and Ann Wood. Yours truly curates (December 6 –%26nbsp;February 16).

Alternative Wows: Some of the strongest exhibitions are mounted by Lawndale Art Center, Art League Houston and at the new midtown digs of DiverseWorks (more coming in our January issue). Check out, respectively, a show all about boredom at Lawndale (through January 12), Art League’s really major “Stacks” curated by Robert Pruitt that examines the black experience (through January 4), and DW’s talk of the town, a wild installation by Franklin Evans (through January 5).

Moving On Up: PG Contemporary moves to 4411 Montrose, come January. Meanwhile, at PG’s Milam digs, Japanese action painter and performer Ushio Shinohara headlines concurrently with his show at MoMA (through December 5, reopening at 4411 January 12) … See late Houston color-field great Dorothy Hood at Thom Andriola/New Gallery (through December) … We also love the sublime and simple splendor of Joe Havel’s cast book stacks and minimalist shirt-label wall pieces at Hiram Butler Gallery (through January 26) … “The Realist Impulse” at Rudolph Blume/ArtScan presents a disquieting take on realism (through January 12); and Barbara Davis’ round up includes Jay Shinn, who trips the light fantastic, and Paul Fleming of the fabulous futuristic resin (through January 5).

Noteworthy Doubleheader: Laura Rathe’s dual solos for Erik Gonzales and Tamara Robertson (December 1 – January 5). See you in 2013.

Matt's Music Hall

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 11:40:35 GMT

Serge Gainsbourg/Jane Birkin, Jane Birkin et Serge Gainsbourg. Gainsbourg is great year-round, but fall and winter feel especially appropriate for his ruminations on love and sex. Everyone knows the classic Histoire de Melody Nelson, but almost as good (and just reissued on CD and LP in 2010) is the sole album he cut with Jane Birkin, the French actress and his long-time lover(and Herm%26egrave;s bag namesake). The record%26rsquo;s most popular track, %26ldquo;Je T%26rsquo;Aime%26hellip;Moi Non Plus,%26rdquo; was banned all over Europe for Birkin%26rsquo;s convincing ad-libs during the song%26rsquo;s very literal climax. The 35-minute song cycle is short enough to rifle through several times in a day; it%26rsquo;s addicting, timeless pop music.

Jessie Ware, Devotion. The 27-year-old British singer made her name by adding vocals to songs for producers like SBTRKT, but her recently released collection is a throwback to the great records from singers like Sade and Aaliyah. Ware smartly blends her adaptable, impossibly smooth voice over tracks that mix early-2000s R%26amp;B production with a contemporary flair inspired by artists such as James Blake, the xx and Jamie Woon. The result is a cut like %26ldquo;Sweet Talk,%26rdquo; a sultry whisper of a song that wanders through noticeable reference points (Prince, even Mariah Carey) while sounding totally unique. Put it on and clean your house with sophistication.
%26nbsp;
Kendrick Lamar, good kid, m.A.A.d. city. Lamar%26rsquo;s official debut album, on the heels of a great independent mixtape in 2011, is a marvel: 12 songs that build a narrative of the younger Lamar%26rsquo;s self emerging into the violent and ruthless world of inner-city Compton. He%26rsquo;s subtitled the record %26ldquo;A Short Film by Kendrick Lamar,%26rdquo; and while this would normally emit skepticism, he pulls it off. The record is as immersive as a film, as textured and nuanced as a Teju Cole novel, smart and progressive in equal measure. A record that already sounds classic.

Tame Impala, Lonerism. The Australian band follows up its pretty great 2010 debut, Innerspeaker, with a record that does everything sophomore outings are supposed to do: Expand their sound, build on themes, go deeper and wider. They sound like the Beatles, sure, but that actually means something here %26mdash; songwriter Kevin Parker channels Lennon%26rsquo;s self-deprecating lyrics (and voice) with a McCartney ear for melodies, all wrapped up in psychedelics, simultaneously as warm as a summer car seat and comforting and cool as a favorite sweater. Headphone music,
for sure.

The Smiths, The Queen is Dead. What would be winter without a now-traditional jaunt through one of the bleakest yet most life-affirming records ever made? The band is at its most pitiful, their most persnickety, and their most memorable. Morrissey never sounded so wistful, Johnny Marr%26rsquo;s guitar tone never sounded so crisp. A timeless piece of Manchester rock that has proven to be immeasurably influential all these years later.

Matthew Ramirez is PaperCity%26rsquo;s resident playlist savant.

The Other Romney

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 10:37:53 GMT

Having trouble imagining any other Romneys in the wake of the presidential election? Then let us introduce you to preeminent British painter George Romney (1734 %26ndash; 1802). One of the leading English artists of his day, Romney is known for his stately and elegant portraits of late 18th-century nobles and members of London%26rsquo;s fashionable society. Explore Romney%26rsquo;s oeuvre in %26ldquo;Visions of Fancy: George Romney, 18th-Century Paintings and Drawings,%26rdquo; through January 20 at Rienzi, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston%26rsquo;s house museum. Works range from striking portraits of army officers on a towering scale to Romney%26rsquo;s 1783 sketchbook, which has never before been on view at Rienzi. 1406 Kirby Dr., 713.639.7800; mfah.org.

Collector's Conversation — Brought to You by the Dallas Art Fair

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 04:33:55 GMT

Nathalie Karg, founder and owner of New York-based Cumulus Studios, fields questions from Jeremy Strick, director of Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas.

Describe Cumulus Studios, and your mission, which merges art, design and nature. Cumulus Studios is a fairly young company that invites contemporary artists of our choice to create a functional object for the outdoors. Cumulus Studios is a company unique in its genre. It is the only company that produces objects that are not only functional but also fabricated to withstand weather conditions. The mission is to be able to not only enjoy art as a collector but also to be able to bring your favorite artists outdoors (or in) and live with these objects by using them. We are often invited by art galleries to mount exhibitions, that either incorporate Cumulus%26rsquo; designs, or one-man shows of Cumulus%26rsquo; latest collection.

Why are you exhibiting at the Dallas Art Fair 2013? What other fairs do you do as an exhibitor? How does the Dallas Art Fair stand out? Cumulus Studios has done a few art fairs since its inception (NADA Miami and New York, Armory, Design Miami/Basel). We are always exhibiting at the NADA art fair in Miami; we usually want to show our collections in strong, dynamic and serious venues. NADA has grown to become a substantial and internationally recognized fair. We think that Dallas is also a very young and dynamic venue, supported by major benefactors to the art world in general. Dallas has a strong coalition of collectors and museums. It is a perfect location for us, as many houses have outdoor spaces. Cumulus stands out as a different kind of gallery and we are always looking for fairs that would showcase our particularities.

Personal background? Where did you grow up? Education? How did you segue from life as a landscape designer to your current role as a gallerist? I grew up in Paris, France, and have a background in art history and landscape design. I worked for many years in the art world, first by having my own company that advised four collectors on their collections ranging from Pre-Columbian and Cycladic art to contemporary art and photography. I worked for many years in collaboration with my former husband, building his gallery and after spending seven years as a landscape designer, I finally decided to create Cumulus Studios, and merged my two areas of expertise.

Biggest break to date? We are proud to say that most of our pieces end up in wonderful collections. The most defining moment for us is when we continuously have the support and interest from our small stable of collectors that are always excited to see our new pieces. We are also very grateful and humbled by the generosity of our artists that are always excited in collaborating with us.

Describe the aesthetic of what Cumulus does. Why is design important in the contemporary art mix? Many of your artists seem to share a sense of wit, humor and interest in beauty. Can you elaborate? Cumulus Studios has chosen a different path than most. We work solely with contemporary artists, not designers nor architects. This is why our pieces are special. Some of them are quirkier than others, and maybe less comfortable, let%26rsquo;s say, than a widely produced element of design, but this is what makes us stand out. Nevertheless, all artists involved have a beautiful sense of aesthetics and taste, and our production level is of the highest quality. Design has taken a big share of the market lately, because collectors have widened their approach to what collecting art means. It is natural to want to complement your home and garden with something beautiful, especially if you have walls adorned with great art and grounds with sculpture.

Your next collaboration? What are you unfurling on the lawn of the FIG building at the Dallas Art Fair? We understand a game of ping pong is involved? We thought that we could use the lawn of the FIG building with our Games Line. We have produced two Ping-Pong tables with different artists, a croquet set, a bocce ball set and two swings. We want to invite the public to experience these games for themselves and have fun in an unpretentious setting. We will also show on our booth our latest pieces, notably a screen by Stefano Arienti, our new I.O.U. benches by Rirkrit Tiravanija, our birdbath by Ugo Rondinone. We are working hard on our Italian Collection (Stefano Arienti, Diego Perrone, Massimo Bartolini) and hope to be ready for you. We will also show our new textile line.

Who or what are your personal inspiration? What books, films or travel destinations are in your planner for Spring 2013? I am always inspired by the modernist designers and their aesthetics. The Lina Bo Bardi house in S%26atilde;o Paolo in its simplicity and astute design is a perfect example of creative thinking. Her Glass House she built for herself and her husband allows nature to be in perfect communion with industrial design. Nature is also a constant inspiration for me.%26nbsp;My bedside table is splattered with books that range from fiction to the New Yorker, to food writing and quirky architectural books (my latest being, [an interest in] pre-fab design)

Most challenging/intriguing collaboration to date? Any stories to share ? Where and who fabricates the creations or does that depend on the individual artists? Are they all limited editions? How many in each edition usually? All our artists have been incredibly interesting to work with; and because of the nature of our business, it is a constant challenge and a close and continuous collaboration has to exist between the artists and Cumulus. We are in a very different process than let%26rsquo;s say, a regular gallery, that is awaiting the artist%26rsquo;s next show. Producing pieces that would withstand weather conditions is a constant puzzle, and a fair amount of communication is necessary. We have to fabricate pieces that can withstand heat or freezing conditions, sun and ice. When we have a final product, of course, the satisfaction is immense. %26nbsp;For example, it took us two years and many prototypes to fabricate Jim Lambie%26rsquo;s Flip Flop table; it first started in Glasgow and ended up in Los Angeles. Rirkrit%26rsquo;s [Tiravanija] mirror- polished stainless steel objects (weathervane, benches) started in Thailand and also ended up in California, after a short passage in Germany.

We are currently working on a very exciting project that will hopefully be completed by 2015. One of our artist is creating a painting that will be adorning the floor and the walls of a yacht swimming pool. There are many technical issues to be resolved yet (vibrations, weight etc.) but the whole team (from artist to client, shipyard, designers, technical crew) is immensely involved and striving for a beautiful result. We also need to take into consideration the price level of these objects; sometimes, fabrication costs are prohibitive as these are always editions. Our editions range from unique to 20. The edition size is mostly decided upon the cost of fabrication and the complexity of it. We have now a fairly good address book of fabricators and we are daily trying new and more cost effective ways to fabricate.

How does the process work when you select an artist? Timeline to completion? Do you have input during the collaboration? Do you suggest the idea of what type of object the artist will design? I have been collecting art since I was 18 years old. Saving for months and paying in installments. Art has always been part of my life; I choose an artist as I would curate a collection. Sometimes, I choose to invite an artist thinking it would be a challenge for them to work with us, as their philosophy and work is miles away from %26ldquo;design%26rdquo; or %26ldquo;functional.%26rdquo; It is interesting to me to wait and see what they will come up with. Often, I am asked to give my input, which I am glad to help with, but in general, they know what they want and we just discuss fabrication procedures, costs and if we find that the project cannot be realized, we think of something else. Sometimes, I am bold or tipsy enough to ask straight out for a particular element I would like to have by a specific artist.

Who is on your wish list for future artists? Are your Cumulus Projects in museum collections? And which ones to date? Next goal for Cumulus 2013? The 21c Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, has purchased Adam McEwen%26rsquo;s Hare Swing as well as a private museum in Lugano, Switzerland. We are in the process of finalizing a close collaboration with the Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach, Florida. Our wish list is very ambitious and large, we would love to do a project with Richard Prince and Cindy Sherman, Sarah Lucas and many more. We hope that by 2013 we will be working on projects around the world.

Twenty-Five at 25

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 02:54:42 GMT

Catherine D. Anspon looks back at the most memorable exhibition milestones in the history of the institution forged by the late Dominique and John de Menil %26mdash; and examines why The Menil Collection still remains the gold standard, a place for serious art pilgrims and a Mecca among the world%26rsquo;s museums. Plus, the latest on the Drawing Center, coming circa 2017.

Decoding Mecca

What is it about The Menil Collection? Is it the Renzo Piano-designed building, which has been hailed as one of the top two most significant works of international architecture in the last 30 years? The collection of%26nbsp;17,000 masterpieces including 70 Rauschenbergs, 51 Twomblys, 135 Ernsts and a huge Flavin that gets its own grocery-store building? Or the campus %26mdash;%26nbsp;a leafy, bungalow-lined inner-city neighborhood that also boasts the Rothko Chapel, the Cy Twombly Gallery. Richmond Hall (the home of the aforementioned luminous riches of light pioneer Dan Flavin) and the waiting-for-its-next-incarnation Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum? To truly understand the vapor surrounding the Menil, the clue lies in the exhibitions that for 25 years have served up a perfect mirror of the extraordinary collection. Never grandiose, the antitheses of blockbusters %26mdash; even though their significance is potent %26mdash;%26nbsp;the Menil%26rsquo;s shows have paralleled and illuminated the four collecting areas of the museum: antiquities, Byzantine and medieval, tribal (including the famed African galleries), and the 20th and 21st centuries (shaped always by a trove of hypnotic Surrealism holdings). Here is a recounting of 25 touchstone exhibitions mounted at the Menil %26mdash; and why they mattered.

A Glance Back at 25 (or so) that Defined the Decades

%26ldquo;Silence%26rdquo; (July 27 %26shy;%26ndash; October 21, 2012). Curator Toby Kamps%26rsquo; most extensive exhibition to date interwove spiritual to political aspects on the absence of noise and included mid-century masterworks by Rauschenberg, John Cage and Robert Morris.

%26ldquo;Richard Serra Drawing: A Retrospective%26rdquo; (March 2 %26shy;%26ndash; June 10, 2012). The heroic, almost apocalyptic drawings of Serra, room-sized installations of dense blackness, suggested the heart of outer space. Curator Michelle White worked with the artist on this retrospective, which forever changed our concept of drawing.

%26ldquo;Upside Down: Arctic Realities%26rdquo; (April 15 %26shy;%26ndash; July 17, 2011). Showcasing the ancient art of the Arctic people from the storied collection of Adelaide de Menil%26rsquo;s anthropologist husband Edmund Carpenter, this white-light exhibition futuristically installed by L.A. artist Doug Wheeler was one of the most sublime moments in the museum%26rsquo;s history.

%26ldquo;Maurizio Cattelan%26rdquo; (February 12 %26ndash; August 15, 2010). Before Cattelan had his Guggenheim moment, former chief curator Franklin Sirmans brought him to the Menil. The results were at turns sacred and almost profane, as well as tinged with Surrealism and Dada.

%26ldquo;Vivid Vernacular: William Christenberry, William Eggleston, and Walker Evans%26rdquo; (January 11 %26ndash; April 20, 2008.%26rdquo; This intimately scaled show, which coincided with FotoFest, highlighted the strange beauty of the American South through the eye of its three lensman who captured it best.

%26ldquo;NeoHooDoo: Art for a Forgotten Faith%26rdquo; (June 27 %26ndash; September 21, 2008). Another Sirmans coup, %26ldquo;NeoHooDoo%26rdquo; probed questions of faith, religion and spirituality. And who can forget Felix Gonzalez-Torres%26rsquo; platform for a silver-lam%26eacute;-clad go-go dancer or the fragrant altar of Amalia Mesa-Bains.

%26ldquo;Robert Rauschenberg: Cardboards and Related Pieces%26rdquo; (February 23 %26ndash; May 13, 2007). Organized by director Joseph Helfenstein, this look at the inventive master%26rsquo;s work with cardboard and ceramics that mimicked cardboard was packed with revelations, including some about our country and the era that produced
all the packaging.

%26ldquo;Lessons from Below: Otabenga Jones %26amp; Associates%26rdquo; (September 14 %26ndash; December 9, 2007). Continuing a tradition begun with Warhol of having artists %26ldquo;raid%26rdquo; the collection, the Houston-based, Whitney-exhibited collaborative paired objects from the museum%26rsquo;s African and Native American collections with works by Calder, Cartier-Bresson and noteworthy outsider artists including hometown visionary Henry Ray Clark.

%26ldquo;Chance Encounters: The Formation of the de Menil%26rsquo;s African Collection%26rdquo; (May 26 %26ndash; September 10, 2006). Kristina Van Dyke adroitly curated this exploration into the DNA of the museum%26rsquo;s extraordinary holdings in African art and the modern and contemporary talents who inspired the collection.

%26ldquo;Bill Traylor, William Edmondson and the Modernist Impulse%26rdquo; (July 22 %26ndash; October 2, 2005.%26rdquo; Director Josef Helfenstein curated this jewel-box presentation on two visionary artists, alongside peeks into their studio, by photographers Edward Weston, Louise Dahl-Wolfe and Charles Shannon.

%26ldquo;Robert Gober: The Meat Wagon%26rdquo; (October 28, 2005 %26ndash; January 22, 2006). We still have creepy memories of the delicious Surrealism of Gober, who interwove his own startling moments (from a fireplace burning with children%26rsquo;s legs in lieu of logs and a hunk of cheese sprouting human hair) along with surprising art historical juxtapositions with Degas, Delacroix, William Eggleston, Mark Rothko and more.

%26ldquo;Joseph Beuys: Actions, Vitrines, Environments%26rdquo; (October 8, 2004 %26ndash; January 2, 2005). Who can forget the extraordinary power of Beuys, who influenced generations %26mdash; the monumental splendor of the vitrines bursting with large boulders, his primordial coal-dust creations and the famous felt suit.

%26ldquo;Tabletki: Russian Icons from The Menil Collection%26rdquo; (October 3, 2003 %26ndash; January 25, 2004). This exhibition, concurrently mounted with %26ldquo;Kazimir Malevich: Suprematism%26rdquo; (October 3, 2003 %26ndash; January 11, 2004), curated by Matthew Drutt, underscored the spiritual in Russian art, from the days of the icon painters to the the mystical Malevich.

%26ldquo;James Rosenquist: A Retrospective%26rdquo; (May 17 %26ndash; August 17, 2003). The last of the great living seminal Pop painters, billboard-scaled Rosenquist had his due in a dual museum mounting shared by the Menil and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, organized by the Menil%26rsquo;s mythic founding director, Walter Hopps.

%26ldquo;Agnes Martin: The Nineties and Beyond%26rdquo; (February 1 %26ndash; May 26, 2002). The ethereal Martin came to town along with her works that echo the museum%26rsquo;s aesthetic, in an exhibition organized by the director at that time, Ned Rifkin.

%26ldquo;Mineko Grimmer: Remembering Plato%26rdquo; (September 26, 2001 %26ndash; February 3, 2002). Who can forget the gentle plop, plop, plop as Grimmer%26rsquo;s sculpture melted and stones descended into a waiting reflecting pool. Zen and eternal.

%26ldquo;Yves Tanguy Retrospective%26rdquo; (June 1 %26ndash; September 30, 2001). The under-known Tanguy was given his day %26mdash; and was shown to be worthy of the limelight. His lunar-landscape-like canvases hint at planetary voyages.

%26ldquo;Pop Art: U.S./U.K. Connections, 1956 %26ndash; 1966%26rdquo; (January 26 %26ndash; May 13, 2001). Outsiders of the art world, curatorial duo David Brauer and Jim Edwards organized a survey of the mighty Pop movement that cracked open a window for its British proponents. Richard Hamilton, Clive Barker and R. B. Kitaj rubbed shoulders with Warhol and the American gang.

%26ldquo;Cy Twombly: The Sculpture%26rdquo; (September 20, 2000 %26ndash; January 7, 2001). This internationally touring exhibition touched down at the Menil, revealing Twombly%26rsquo;s sensitive melding of the antique and contemporary, translated into the media of sculpture.

%26ldquo;Sharon Kopriva: Work 1986 %26ndash; 1998%26rdquo; (June 9 %26ndash; August 20, 2000). Organized by the late Walter Hopps, this survey underscored the potent archetypes of the Houston sculptor and painter, as well as the museum%26rsquo;s long-standing support and collecting of Texas artists.

%26ldquo;Surrealism + Witnesses: A Surrealist Wunderkammer%26rdquo; (August 4, 1999 %26ndash; ongoing). Curated by Edmund Carpenter and former director Paul Winkler, this permanently on view Wunderkammer distills the mysterious objects from world cultures and natural history that moved the Surrealists.

%26ldquo;Robert Rauschenberg: A Retrospective%26rdquo; (February 13 %26ndash; May 17, 1998). One of most brilliant, influential
and wide-ranging artists of the 20th century was showcased at this retrospective organized by Walter Hopps, which spilled over into and was shared by the MFAH and the CAMH.

%26ldquo;Joseph Cornell%26rdquo; (October 3, 1997 %26ndash; January 4, 1998). The exquisite assemblages and rare and refined sensibility of Cornell%26rsquo;s fabled boxes mirrored the Menil%26rsquo;s aesthetic.

%26ldquo;Cy Twombly: A Retrospective%26rdquo; (February 12 %26ndash; March 19, 1995). The retrospective coincided with and took place at the newly unveiled Cy Twombly Gallery, designed by Renzo Piano, which marked another architectural and art destination on the museum%26rsquo;s campus.

%26ldquo;Magritte%26rdquo; (December 19, 1992 %26ndash; February 21, 1993). Besides Cornell, perhaps no Surrealist is more identified with the Menil than Magritte (his La Clef de Verre canvas graces the catalog cover). This international traveling survey of 150 of his compelling canvases was among the high points of 1990s programming.

%26ldquo;Viewpoints: Mel Chin%26rdquo; (April 28 %26ndash; August 25, 1991). Once a preparator when the de Menils organized exhibitions at Rice University, Mel Chin was singled out for his own show years later. His amalgamation of art, activism and nature, as unfurled in his Revival Field, still resonates.

%26ldquo;James Reaben%26rdquo; (December 1, 1990 %26ndash; January 20, 1991). This explosive sleeper of the work of the late Reaben, a Houston artist who succumbed to AIDS early on, interwove dream imagery with political content and signaled that this museum would never be about the art market or merely the big names.

%26ldquo;John Chamberlain%26rdquo; (June 7, 1987 %26ndash; April 3, 1988). The museum%26rsquo;s inaugural show of Chamberlain%26rsquo;s crunched-metal sculpture (resembling totems from Easter Island, yet strangely modern) remains a benchmark. Walter Hopps curated.

And Upcoming: Two to Grow On

%26ldquo;The Progress of Love%26rdquo; (December 2, 2012 %26ndash; March 17, 2013). Former Menil curator Kristina Van Dyke co-organizes an unexpected exhibition that looks at the African continent%26rsquo;s response to Western notions of love.%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

%26ldquo;Forrest Bess: Seeing Things Invisible%26rdquo; (April 19 %26ndash; August 18, 2013). Coming Spring 2013, assistant curator Clare Elliott mounts a show for this late Bay City, Texas, visionary, whose energetic abstractions escaped their creator%26rsquo;s reclusive life to inspire and impact artists throughout the state and beyond, including his installation compiled by Robert Gober for the 2012 Whitney Biennial and recreated here.

Coming Circa 2017
The Menil Drawing Institute, to be designed by L.A. iconoclastic architects Johnston Marklee, will add square footage to the museum%26rsquo;s master plan via a serene one-story structure set amidst a trio of courtyards. The addition will showcase a collection, guided by chief curator Bernice Rose, that has burgeoned to more than 1,200 holdings after beginning modestly in 1945 with a single C%26eacute;zanne watercolor.%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

Karen Farber Pushes the Performing and Visual Arts

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 02:48:36 GMT

Hair by Ashley Scroggins for Cutloose. Makeup Teri Sullivan. Interior Design Martha Baxter Interior Design.

She reigns over a yearly budget of $800,000 and annually brings to town up to 10 avant-garde artists who are seen by an audience of tens of thousands. Sits on four boards and two committees. Chaired the board of the Fresh Arts Coalition during its most pivotal years. And that%26rsquo;s just her nine-to-five. Karen Farber and husband, Merrill Lynch exec Stephan Farber, are also patrons of the art they promulgate. At their home, alongside two bright and lively toddlers, you%26rsquo;ll find a trove of priceless mandolins, a grand piano that actually gets played and a cutting-edge, often surprising collection of works by important international artists with Whitney Biennial and Venice Biennale cred. While a flock of Margarita Cabrera butterflies circles overhead.

The World According to Ms. Farber

Stats. Director of the University of Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts, since December 2005.

Why this is your dream job. To me, art and artists inspire a sense of adventure; they motivate us to communicate and challenge the status quo. They can change minds, illuminate things about everyday life and remind us that we are human. They bring us together. They can predict the future and maybe even change it. Not only do I have the chance to work with the artists I have always admired, I get to support them in what might be their most adventurous, vulnerable moments %26mdash; when they decide to explore new territory, take new risks and engage audiences in new ways. Also, I have an amazing staff, and University of Houston is a thrilling place to work. It%26rsquo;s global, smart and scrappy.

First brush with the stage and studio. I was born in New York and lived in Greenwich Village near Washington Square Park until I was 10. Then we moved to Hollywood. My mother was a sculptor, working mainly in stone. I spent countless hours with her in her studio on the Lower East Side. She started offering sculpting classes to my friends out of our apartment. A bunch of five- and six-year-olds, sitting around our dining-room table, with chisels in hand. My mother is incredibly creative in absolutely everything she does and always a risk taker. As soon as I was old enough to return to New York from L.A., I did. I went to undergrad and grad school at NYU%26rsquo;s Tisch School, studying experimental theater and performance studies.

On how Philip Glass played cupid.%26nbsp; Stephan and I have been married nine years, and we have been together for about 14. When we met in New York, he was working in the music business. He had been a violinist and composer, and had worked for Philip Glass for many years in various roles. I was just out of college, not yet in graduate school, and he helped me get a job working for a company called International Production Associates, which produced and managed projects by Philip, as well as Robert Wilson, Twyla Tharp, Spalding Gray, Diamanda Gal%26aacute;s and others. I used to stay late in the office, watching VHS tapes of their performances. I was in heaven there. I remain friends with everyone I worked with. Stephan moved to Philadelphia and got his MBA at The Wharton School, we got engaged, I moved to D.C. to do a year-long arts-management fellowship at the Kennedy Center and then we got married. Soon after, we moved to Houston and were finally settled together in 2004.

Courtroom to chemical plants: a typical day. I most enjoy the projects that take us out of our comfort zones and into surprising locations. Boating down the Buffalo Bayou and touring chemical plants with the Center for Land Use Interpretation. Driving down the freeway in search of Karyn Olivier%26rsquo;s 13 billboards for her project %26ldquo;Inbound: Houston%26rdquo; while listening to the musical score we commissioned for the drive. Visiting a courtroom in Southeast Houston to participate in an artist-rendered City Council Meeting. I also loved Stephen Montague%26rsquo;s Horn Concerto, a 10-minute symphony for car horns, the Houston performance of which we did with Art Cars. These events were all thrilling surprises, and each of them was only possible because of partnerships with other great Houston arts organizations.

Spring 2013: What%26rsquo;s in your planner. A huge avant-garde spectacle at Discovery Green this April featuring the UH Cougar Marching Band and a visiting composer from New York. A joint artist residency with The Menil Collection (to be announced). We have a big surprise celebrity coming in next fall for a performance. We cannot wait to announce all this soon! I am also really looking forward to the Blaffer Art Museum exhibition %26ldquo;Feast: Radical Hospitality in Contemporary Art%26rdquo; next fall. There will be lots of strange food, drinks and conversation in and around the museum. Can%26rsquo;t wait!

Houston tables. A power lunch: Pondicheri. Family meal: Raven Grill. Date night: Divino.

House music. Stephan is in charge of music at our house. He chooses radio stations (he prefers obscure college radio) and can pick up any instrument and play a bit. He plays piano, violin and mandolin with the children. Sometimes he will break out a gypsy song, other times he plays Bach. The children compose their own music, complete with lyrics. It%26rsquo;s funny and great.

Wardrobe staples. I get inspired when I shop in Nolita in New York. For shoes, I love Sigerson Morrison. For clothes, anything goes. For board meetings, my favorite item is a vintage %26lsquo;80s Chanel skirt that was a hand-me-down. I have yet to find anything modern that fits as well as that skirt.

Splurges. Home design: Kuhl-Linscomb. Fashion: Leap, Laboratoria and The Little Bird, an incredible consignment shop in an improbable location by the Galleria. Art: Texas Gallery.

Your %26lsquo;hood and casa. My neighborhood is Southampton. The house was built in 1940. We have lived here almost two and a half years. We moved in just before Stella was born, and we never really finished setting up and unpacking. When you have young children, function always overrides form. Stephan and I have moved numerous times over the years, and my strategy is always simple: Paint everything white and go from there. We didn%26rsquo;t renovate, but we did paint, and my biggest splurge was on wallpaper. We have some of the most wonderful wall coverings in the house, my favorite of which is the custom wallpaper with images of matchsticks by Este Lewis that we used in the bar: http://soyeste.com.

Latest acquisition. Nearly everything in our collection riffs off another artistic medium %26mdash; music, dance, text. I love work that traces something live %26mdash; a contemporary version of action-based art. One of my favorite pieces is a charcoal drawing by Trisha Brown that she made with her body. There is a line from her shin and toe prints in the upper right corner.

Our most recent acquisition. Two pieces by Dario Robleto that include a series of Polaroids taken by fans at music concerts. The photos are apparently accidental shots that only capture a blur or a light source, rather than the intended subject: the performer onstage. This idea of showcasing the margins or illuminating the accidental really interests me.

Fave blogs. I never have time to look at blogs, but my little sister (a Hollywood stylist) often directs me to beautiful ones, none of which I can remember anymore.

Off hours. Project Row Houses, The Menil Collection and my neighborhood, adjacent to the Rice University campus.

Boards you serve on (past, present or future). Boards: Fresh Arts, Catastrophic Theatre, Blaffer Art Museum. Program Committee Chair and Advisory Board Member: Houston Cinema Arts Society

Personal heroes. Anne Pasternak of Creative Time. Ruby Lerner of Creative Capital Foundation. Ella Baff of Jacob%26rsquo;s Pillow Dance Festival. Ann Stock, who was my mentor at the Kennedy Center and former Social Secretary in the Clinton White House. These women are true arts impresarios. You rarely hear that word associated with women, but I think it is a more familiar idea in Houston because of the legacy of Dominique de Menil. They are models of vision. They are not afraid to speak their minds, and they are tireless in championing the artists they support.
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Art jaunts. Last trip: Portland TBA festival. Upcoming: New York, every January, for the Under the Radar Festival, and as often as I can go.

On my encounter with Willem Dafoe. I have been fortunate to meet so many extraordinary artists but one of the most exciting moments was back in my college years when I was an intern at the legendary New York theatre company The Wooster Group. On my first day there in walked Willem Dafoe, who is a long time member of the company there. I was in awe, speechless, I worshipped him. Many people don%26rsquo;t know about that company%26rsquo;s star-studded history but they have had so many great actors in their performances: Steve Buscemi, Frances McDormand, but ... Willem was always my favorite.. %26nbsp;

Your kids as critics: their fave moment from the Mitchell Center. Hands down, the Stephan Koplowitz dance performance at the Williams Tower Waterwall, presented by DiverseWorks during our Insight-Out festival last year. Everyone who attended knows that I had to restrain my kids from joining in. We attended all four performances.

Signature dishes. We cook fresh healthy food at our house, but I really love baking. I copy my mother%26rsquo;s recipes for flourless chocolate cake, lemon tart, almond cookies, Mandelbrot. She never writes her recipes down so I make her stay on the phone with me while I measure the ingredients.

Collector's Conversation Brought to You by the Dallas Art Fair

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 10:06:48 GMT

Andrea Zieher, co-founder and co-owner of New York%26ndash;based ZieherSmith and past president of NADA, takes questions from NYC-based painter and Huffington Post contributor Liz Markus.%26nbsp;

What was your big break to date as a dealer? It%26rsquo;s more like lots of little breaks along the way. Each first time we got a review in a publication was a victory, most especially our first big review in The New York Times, which now covers us regularly. Or the first time we sold something to a museum %26mdash; I think it was the Whitney. We are thrilled that our 2011 group show %26ldquo;Sculpture in So Many Words%26rdquo; has traveled to the Nasher Sculpture Center, where it is on view through January. It is rare that a museum will exhibit a gallery show, so this is a huge compliment. We are big believers in the idea that you create your own luck.

Why are you exhibiting at the Dallas Art Fair 2013? Do you do other fairs as an exhibitor?%26nbsp;What makes the
Fair in Dallas stand out? We are exhibiting at the Dallas Art Fair next year because of our fabulous experience in 2012 (we originally tried it out on another dealer%26rsquo;s recommendation). The Dallas community has a clear love of contemporary art. The collectors were friendly and engaged %26mdash; and prepared to commit to new artists. We sold work by every artist that we brought, but more importantly, we have been able to maintain ongoing relationships with these collectors. Often fairs are either chaotic or depressingly slow. The Dallas Art Fair is unique in that it is intimate and relaxed, and yet lots of good business occurs %26mdash; and by that, I mean actual sales. We have slowed down on art fair participation as we transition from a %26ldquo;young%26rdquo; gallery into our mid-career. Therefore, we have stopped participating in young fairs and have started looking to the bigger fairs, such as Art Basel Miami Beach and Art Hong Kong, though this year we are going to take a break from the craziness of the Miami scene.%26nbsp;

What made you want to open up a gallery? Can you give us a brief history? I was working at an American paintings gallery (late 19th/early 20th century) and doing quite well when September 11 happened. Like many people, it made me really examine my life and what I was doing. I realized that my true love was contemporary art and that I wanted to dedicate my life to working with it. Artists made up the bulk of my social circle (we spent Saturday nights drinking beer on the rooftops of studio buildings in Brooklyn), and most were unrepresented. Scott and I realized that we had a stable of artists right in front of our eyes, and they were the inspiration to go for it.

What were your experiences with art growing up? My parents and grandparents encouraged me %26mdash; and provided the resources %26mdash; to travel a lot, and this was very influential. A high school trip to Italy was mind-blowing and the catalyst to my studying art history at Duke University. In terms of contemporary art, my first exposure was actually high school parties in Kansas City at a friend%26rsquo;s house %26mdash; her parents were and are great collectors. I was amazed and inspired to see people actually lived with these seemingly wild things. At Duke, Kristine Stiles teaches an excellent course in contemporary art. She got us access to things like a Matthew Barney Cremaster film at a time when they just weren%26rsquo;t lent out. Before I went to visit New York in the spring of 1998, she had me bring her a copy of The New Yorker and she circled all the galleries I had to visit %26mdash; hence, my first visit to Chelsea when it was still quite raw.

How would you describe ZieherSmith%26rsquo;s aesthetic? There are threads that connect the aesthetics of the artists in our program, but we also try to mix it up to keep it interesting, for us as much as anyone. We like work that speaks aesthetically but has an interesting story or concept behind it as well. We think great art is able to be appreciated on different levels. As history buffs, it%26rsquo;s no surprise that many of our artists directly reference their influences and inspirations, such as you, Liz, and your series of Kenneth Noland%26ndash;inspired %26ldquo;Failed Targets%26rdquo; or Jason Brinkerhoff%26rsquo;s women, some of which are direct plays off Picasso. However, this historical interest is manifested quite differently by Mike Womack, who makes incredible kinetic installations that relate to vintage technologies as a way to talk about how we see. We also have a soft spot for old paper; several of our artists work on old paper, and, on a related note, we%26rsquo;ve had several shows of vintage, vernacular photography. This thread also relates to the aforementioned %26ldquo;Sculpture in So Many Words%26rdquo; exhibition. This sculpture show actually features documentation of conceptual sculpture from the 1960 %26ndash; 1970s and, as a result, is made up of lots of fascinating and often beautiful old paper.
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What are you personally most excited about in the contemporary art world upcoming this spring? Blockbuster shows you%26rsquo;ll be seeing? Travel plans for art jaunts? Now that we have a two-year-old at home, we really have to be efficient and meaningful about our travel. We%26rsquo;re hoping to take him to Europe this summer to see his second Venice Biennale. Two artists that we debuted in New York will be representing their countries (for Scotland, Corin Sworn, who has had two exhibitions at the gallery, and for Canada, Shary Boyle, who was in a group show back in 2004). Otherwise, we%26rsquo;ll catch shows in cities where our artists have projects, so we%26rsquo;ll go to the L.A. area in February for Allison Schulnik%26rsquo;s show at the Laguna Art Museum; in March to my family%26rsquo;s home base of Nashville, where Rachel Owens is installing a major sculpture at the Frist Center; and in May to Denver, where Tucker Nichols will have completed a commission for the Denver Art Museum.

How will you be curating your booth for the Dallas Art Fair 2013? Which artists will you show? How do you curate for the Texas audience versus other fairs you may exhibit in? Now that we know how ambitious Dallas collectors can be, we can continue to convince our top-selling artists to make work directly for the fair. Paintings by artists like Allison Schulnik are very hard to get. She made us two great works last year, an obviously gorgeous flowers and a very challenging nude piece. The latter is not the most decorative, but it is very important, and the fact that both types of works found homes means she%26rsquo;ll be willing to make more work for next year%26rsquo;s fair. We%26rsquo;ll bring a piece from Chuck Webster%26rsquo;s new series of paintings that got incredible reviews last May and have been totally sold out. His work recently entered the Dallas Museum [of Art] collection as well. Actually, the one thing we won%26rsquo;t bring is art with a Western flavor. Last year, we brought an excellent steer sculpture for the fair %26mdash; the last piece from Rachel Owens%26rsquo; popular series of cow skulls covered in broken glass. These works are the very first to go at European art fairs, but I think for the Texan crowd, the imagery was just too familiar.

Where and how do you discover new talent? Any cool stories to share? We have found great artists in different ways, though probably most often it is a recommendation from another artist we love %26mdash; which is, of course, how we met you, Liz. However, recently we have had some unusual situations. This summer, we showed an artist named Sasha Sokolov from Liverpool, who emailed us out of the blue. It is very rare for an unsolicited submission to work, and even more so because he had never shown anywhere. In fact, we still have yet to meet him! But most importantly, we were utterly compelled by his drawings, which are alternately sweet, emotionally evocative and even perverse. Our current show is by Jason Brinkerhoff, who is another amazing untrained artist and atypical story. We met him in Miami several years when he was admiring our booth as a collector. He also had no exhibition history when we put him in a group show a year ago, and he was immediately a huge hit. In addition, Brinkerhoff won the Vogel Award at the Dallas Art Fair, and the Dallas Museum acquired three drawings. Our next debut will be Paul Anthony Smith, a Jamaican-American artist who lives in Kansas City. I saw his work in several places on a recent visit there and made contact upon my return. In another unusual case, we offered the show after a %26ldquo;studio visit%26rdquo; over the phone, while looking at images online.

Hero or heroine in the art world? Who or what inspires you? As a dealer, I am inspired by outstanding ethical dealers, like the partners at Luhring Augstine, but, of course, I look to female inspirations like the incomparable Paula Cooper. I am inspired by artists who stay with the dealers who discovered them, like Cindy Sherman and Metro Pictures. Some exhibitions that I loved over the years include the late Picasso show at Gagosian, Louise Bourgeois at the Tate Modern in 2007, Soci%26eacute;t%26eacute; Anonyme at the Hammer Museum in 2006. And a couple shows at the Met really stand out including %26ldquo;Glitter and Doom,%26rdquo; a 2008 exhibition of Weimer Republic-era painting and their 2005 presentation of work by Fra Angelico. I am inevitably influenced by my time spent in the American paintings field, and some favorites are Marsden Hartley, Charles Burchfield, Joseph Cornell and the wonderfully weird paintings by Grant Wood.

You and your husband, Scott Zieher, have been cited as a power couple in the contemporary arena. How did you meet?%26nbsp;What are the rewards and challenges of owning a gallery together? How do you make it work? Scott and I met doing a nine-month-long course in American Art at Sotheby%26rsquo;s Institute. We were both looking for ways to access the art world as outsiders with little business knowledge and no contacts, and the course exceeded our expectations. We became a couple shortly after the course ended, and we worked at different uptown galleries. For a while, we often joked about the gallery we would have one day. Scott is more of the dreamer and so when in March 2002, I said let%26rsquo;s go for it, he knew I was serious. We opened exactly a year later. We wanted to take the risk while we had little to lose (before kids, etc.). The situation works really well for us. We are able to sneak little vacations into business travels together, especially when we go to Europe. We do make sure we have our alone time %26mdash; we sit on opposite sides of the gallery, and we do not walk to work together %26mdash; but we love that we are able to truly share in all the triumphs and the disappointments. And, frankly, it%26rsquo;s often a relief to come home and not to feel obligated to ask, %26ldquo;How was your day, honey?%26rdquo;

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PC Acquire

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 02:20:06 GMT

Like Andy Warhol, our talent for this month%26rsquo;s PC Acquire, Deborah Trevi%26ntilde;o Porter, juggles the realms of commercial and fine art. With nearly a quarter century of image-making as a lensman of cover and feature stories (including ones for PaperCity magazine), Porter knows her way around a Leica and Hasselblad. Beginning in 2011, she turned her camera on fine art, unveiling a series of fashionable, uncanny skeletons in the latest designer garb. Next up: For PaperCity, she debuts %26ldquo;Three Minutes in Mexico,%26rdquo; a series that hovers between abstraction and reality, snapped on a cruise ship from the upper deck %26ldquo;with a Leica point and shoot.%26rdquo; The photographer reveals, %26ldquo;I have now determined that after 25 years of working with the best equipment, an unconventional method can create%26nbsp;some original art if you fear not. I%26rsquo;m intrigued by the characters in the shadows and the %26lsquo;What is it?%26rsquo; factor.%26rdquo; Peruse the original image and the seven vignettes sampled from it at papercitymag.com, or see the actual prints in person at Deborah Colton Gallery ((November 17 %26ndash;%26nbsp;January 19). %26ldquo;There are moments in time when the unpredictable will happen, you have to seize the moment,%26rdquo; Porter says. %26ldquo;The trip was a gift from my daughter, and the image was a gift from the universe.%26rdquo; %26ldquo;Three Minutes in Mexico,%26rdquo; a photographic series of eight images, editions of 11 per image printed with pigment inks on watercolor paper; 16 by 16 inches, framed $1,250, unframed $975; 16 by 41.5 inches, framed $1,850, unframed $1,500. Inquiries/orders Seth Vaughan, seth@papercitymag.com.

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The Oracle of the Lens

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 03:18:58 GMT

The first Prix de Rome recipient for photography, MoMa artist, double Guggenheim winner and miner of visions, renowned photographer George Krause irrationally lands in Texas %26mdash; Wimberley, to be exact %26mdash; and opens his ranch house and studio.

A drape of diaphanous fabric swished in a graceful arc over the back of a beautiful nude, a girl in an old-fashioned dress and straw hat ascending a flight of steps, a young African-American boy luxuriating in a column of cascading water, an old crooked woman who casts an ominous shadow against a white stone wall, European grave markers bearing photographs imprinted with the spirit of the deceased, a man grasping a gargantuan tortoise with only his hairy legs and bare feet visible, a sculpture of a saint that you swear blinked peeking from a cathedral portal, large-format portraits where the sitter is enveloped in a white light that makes their features resemble a topological map and, finally, three-dimensional figures that channel saints and martyrs and exist in our time as well as the distant, distant past. %26nbsp;

These are just a few of George Krause%26rsquo;s most seminal images %26mdash; photographs that crawl into our subconscious and are as indelible and haunting for all who know them as the Mona Lisa or Night Hawks are for audiences of great paintings. Founder of the department of photography at the University of Houston (1975), Krause%26rsquo;s five-plus decades career began with a big break in 1964, when he was exhibited at MoMA in a five-person show at the tender age of 26. Fame, fortune, a Prix de Rome (the first ever awarded to a photographer), two Guggenheims, three NEA grants and a Texas Artist of the Year followed for this fearless, evocative and bold photographer who can summon both emotion and the inexplicable with a lens and viewfinder. Best of all, this talent resides in our midst. Enter the kingdom of Krause, sited on a hillside in Wimberley, Texas.

In the beginning %26hellip; The George Krause Hardware Store, 1833 to 1967. My father, George the IV, was a wanderer and an artist. The family business, the George Krause Hardware Store in Lebanon, Pennsylvania %26mdash; where one could buy almost anything from guns to toys and electric refrigerators to boats (a prototype of the department stores that were to follow) %26mdash; celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1933. It was assumed and expected that young George IV would continue the royal line. Instead of attending Brown University, as had the other George Krauses one through three, he rode the rails in boxcars with fellow hobos, down to Mexico. There he managed to survive by drawing/sketching the natives in exchange for something to eat and a place to sleep. Then ill and exhausted, he would pull himself onto a train headed north and appear at the door of Red Gables, the family mansion, an unrecognizable stranger, to be nursed back to health.%26nbsp;The last hardware store still stands empty in the heart of Lebanon, and I have a copy of the 1933 Lebanon Daily News with 20 pages devoted to the history of the George Krause Hardware Company, including tributes from many other companies, among them DuPont and JC Penney.

How I came to be in Houston, before Wimberley. My first wife, Patsy, was from Darlington, South Carolina.%26nbsp;After my two-year tour of duty in the army, I returned to Philadelphia, where she joined me.%26nbsp;She was not happy there or in Yardley, a small lovely town in Bucks County. She wanted desperately to return to the South. As I had recently begun teaching photography in and around Philadelphia, I put the word out that I was looking for a teaching position in the South. There were many offers, and amazingly two were for positions in North Carolina. When I told my wife the good news, she became very depressed. She explained to me that North Carolina was not the South. Angered, I asked what in her mind was the South.%26nbsp;%26ldquo;San Antonio and New Orleans%26rdquo; was her quick response. She had served as a WAF and had been stationed at two bases in those cities. A few months later at party in Philadelphia, I met up with a former teacher from my days at the Philadelphia College of Art. When he asked how things were going, I told him the above sad story. He informed me that he was now the chair of the art department at the University of Houston and that Houston was halfway between San Antonio and New Orleans. Would I be interested in coming to Houston to create a photography program? Yes, I said. Patsy, our two young children and I moved to Houston in 1975. Houston at the time was a crazy and difficult place to live, especially for a family with two youngsters.%26nbsp;In an attempt to escape, I applied for the Prix de Rome fellowship and to the Guggenheim Foundation (I had received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1967). A year passed, and just as we were beginning to find our way around this new kind of city, I received word that I was a recipient for both grants. We set off for a year in Italy, looking forward to coming back home to Houston.

On my night table. The last book I read, I think, was Phillip Lopate%26rsquo;s The Art of the Personal Essay.

Film that inspired me and the actor who would play me. It is impossible to have one favorite film. But if I%26rsquo;m pressured, I would have to say Marcel Carn%26eacute;%26rsquo;s 1945 The Children of Paradise (Les Enfants du Paradis). All about love and art. Since I no longer have to wear eyeglasses, many people have told me I remind them of Bruce Willis. I don%26rsquo;t know what to make of that.

How I ended up in Wimberley. A Houston friend and Sunday football buddy, Louis Parks, told me he had bought some land in Wimberley, where he and his wife, Susan, planned to build a house and eventually retire. He raved about the beauty of the Hill Country and hinted that I would be wise to follow his lead. The next Sunday, Tammy and I were enjoying a Mexican breakfast, and Tammy checked out, as she always did, the homes for sale in the classified section of the Houston Chronicle. There among the many listings was one for a property in Wimberley. After breakfast, we set out for Wimberley, and there in a magnificent setting we found Louis%26rsquo; future home site. The day was still young, and we decided to check out the house for sale. As we pulled up to the driveway, I noticed the number 291 on the mailbox. The hairs rose up on my neck as I thought of the historic 291 Gallery in New York, where Alfred Stieglitz had exhibited many of the great American artists in the early 1900s. It was a nice ranch-type house set on two acres with a stable for the owner%26rsquo;s Tennessee walking horses. I thought, %26lsquo;What a great studio this barn could become.%26rsquo; When I casually asked the couple what price they were asking, I was stunned to hear myself say, %26ldquo;Sold.%26rdquo;%26nbsp;In that split second in the early spring of 1999, my life changed drastically.

A mean game of pool. The pool table doubles as a workspace, especially for the large (44%26rdquo; by 80%26rdquo;) Sfumato Nudes. Tuesday evenings, friends come over, and it becomes a pool table again. We generally play eight ball, cut-throat or a game I learned at the American Academy in Rome called cowboy. I spent two wonderful years there as the recipient of the first Prix de Rome ever awarded to a photographer. My poolroom is a replica of the one at the Academy, with a fireplace and walls that are covered with art created by my family and friends.

Why I%26rsquo;m turned on by saints. In small village churches, I%26rsquo;ve witnessed men and women cry and plead with a figure of Christ or read a love letter to the Virgin of Hope. The santos%26rsquo; robes are covered with the photographs of their sick and dying loved ones. Often the heads of these figures are covered with wigs of real hair and have eyes of hand-blown glass. The parishioners regard these statues as alive and able to hear and answer their prayers. These sculptures were mostly carved by anonymous 18th- and 19th-century artists/artisans in wood and then polychromed. As many of the ancient churches they inhabit are restored to their pristine state, these santos are disappearing. I find many of these figures to be among the most powerful and beautiful works of art ever created. The modern religious statues found in many churches today strike me as sad rip-offs of great contemporary artists and sculptors such as Alberto Giacometti and Henry Moore. These drippy crucifixions and pseudo abstractions do not allow the average parishioner a chance to transcend into the spiritual world. And so I have decided to see if I can reinvent the art of the santos, using some of the ideas and techniques I%26rsquo;ve learned from the past.

What%26rsquo;s next. Last January on my birthday, I went to visit friends in the lovely town of San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. I taught at the art school there one summer long ago. The success of my Sfumato Nudes exhibit in Austin a month earlier was still fresh in my mind. %26ldquo;Why not bring the show to Mexico?%26rdquo; asked my friends. [Krause%26rsquo;s exhibit opens next spring in San Miguel and marks nearly 90 solo exhibitions in a career that began in 1960.]

House music. I listen mostly to classical music, from medieval to contemporary. Ethnic music, especially true flamenco and fado, touches me.

My secret pasta sauce. I enjoy cooking, and I%26rsquo;m thinking of taking a class or two. I grew up in Philly%26rsquo;s Little Italy, and the mothers of my friends took pity on my widowed mother and me and shared their meals with us. Most of these Italian/American families had recently come to America. In Italy they were poor and their meals plain and simple, but now they could afford the best ingredients to prepare their dinners. My favorite dish was a pasta sauce (they prefer the word %26ldquo;gravy%26rdquo;) that once consisted of just tomatoes and spices but now included every type and kind of meat. Beef, pork, lamb in big chunks as well as ground, sausage, etc. I make a variation of this New World recipe, much to the delight of my family and friends.

George Krause is represented by Harris Gallery, Houston. His next solo, Sfumato Nudes, opens March 2, 2013 in San Miguel de Allende (venue TBD), Mexico. For more info, georgekrause.com.

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Image Makers: Icon Shapers

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 02:11:45 GMT

This month%26rsquo;s PaperCity features the indelible imagery of Markus + Indrani, the celebrity-and-fashion-photography duo whose portrait of international style icon Daphne Guinness graces our November cover. The global, New York%26ndash;based power couple %26mdash; Swiss-born Markus Klinko and Indian-born Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri %26mdash; have collaborated for almost two decades. Like Helmut Newton, a talent they admire, they%26rsquo;ve infiltrated the fine art world and now the kingdom of cinema. This fall, they celebrate the launch of their first photography book, fittingly titled Icons, with a public art exhibition opening Wednesday, November 7, at New York%26rsquo;s Lincoln Center %26mdash; as well as the release of a short film on the remarkable Miz Guinness, The Legend of Lady White Snake. Their award-winning photography has appeared on unforgettable album covers, from Beyonc%26eacute; and David Bowie to Mary J. Blige and Mariah Carey; in ad campaigns for Pepsi, Nike, L%26rsquo;Or%26eacute;al Paris, Lanc%26ocirc;me and De Beers; on the covers and pages of Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Harper%26rsquo;s Bazaar, Vogue and The New York Times; and in more than 20 exhibitions worldwide. Hempel Design%26rsquo;s Steven Hempel sits down with the image-makers to probe two talents at the intersection of art, fashion, fame and photography.

Markus Klinko

In the beginning. I grew up in Switzerland, studied in Paris and was a classically trained harpist. I actually lived in Dallas for a short period in the late 1980s, around 1987/1988. I have fond memories of Texas; it was a wonderful place to live.

The work. I admire the photography of Helmut Newton and Herb Ritts. They produced celebrity photography with a classic aesthetic that is really visually driven. For me, I want to produce work that has an %26ldquo;iconic%26rdquo; effect. To create images that show the emotional connection between the camera and the subject. To convey the force and strength in the people I shoot and capture the magic inside them. To forget about everything else and just create an image that captures the moment.%26nbsp;

How you traded the harp for the camera. It%26rsquo;s something I decided I would do based strictly on faith. After a hand injury forced me to abandon my music career, I decided to become a photographer at age 33. I just decided to do it. I wasn%26rsquo;t scared, but rather 100 percent committed to it. I hadn%26rsquo;t really led a normal life and perhaps had become a bit spoiled because of the success of my music career. So it was all a bit eye-opening. Suddenly I was one photographer among millions, where I had become used to being catered to, driven to events, being photographed. I believe it was something that was good for me.
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The shoot. Our approach has changed; I believe the changes are reflective of the changes in me. When I began, I was overzealous. I had a lot to prove. We constructed large sets with lots of equipment. We had more people involved in the shoots. Now we work smaller, the shoots are carefully planned, but there is more room for spontaneity in the process. It keeps us open to new opportunities and better able to take advantage of things that larger, more involved shoots are unable to do. We used to depend much more on technical tools; this is not the case now.
%26nbsp;
The big break. Really, it was three or four things that happened all around the same time. In early 2000, Isabella Blow asked us to shoot several covers for the London Sunday Times. Around the same time, Interview Magazine asked us to begin shooting celebrities for them. We were then asked by Iman to shoot the cover of her book, which was a tremendous honor. David Bowie liked the work so much he asked us to shoot the cover for his album Heathen, which became very successful. We then did the shoot for GQ%26rsquo;s Man of the Year and were asked to shoot for L%26rsquo;Or%26eacute;al Paris, all in a short period of time. These events really conspired to launch our career and form the core of the material in Icons. Another true milestone was the album cover for Beyonc%26eacute;%26rsquo;s debut album, Dangerously in Love, in early 2003.
%26nbsp;
Destiny and Indrani. Perhaps %26hellip; It was really all by chance. Indrani was a successful model that really would have never photographed with me at the time. But I happened to be there in the right place at the right time. Soon after taking up photography, I was at Wilhelmina, where we met. She had just arrived to the city, and there was a need to have her shot immediately. I was there and given the opportunity. That was the beginning.

Signature style. I would like to think it is like the title of our book, that our style is iconic. I feel it%26rsquo;s sophisticated and glamorous. We always want to produce work that is as fresh today as when it was shot, even if that was 15 years ago. I would like to think our work has a bit of a classic appeal to it.
%26nbsp;
You and Indrani. Well, we are completely opposite. We have very different backgrounds; she has a more intellectual point of view. My upbringing was much different. I grew up completely focused on music. While we are very different, there is strength in the creative tension between us. And we have no barriers. We each speak our minds and work very well together. Any differences we have are always settled, and the process and our team help to create amazing work.

The book. We%26rsquo;ve been solicited by many publishers over time, but we wanted to make the right book with the right people. We%26rsquo;ve done that and been able to create something that%26rsquo;s accessible to everyone. It%26rsquo;s a worldwide release, and we%26rsquo;ve created something wonderful that is beautifully produced, is 224 pages and will cost only $16.

Why now. Because it is a way to tell our story. To focus on our work and make a statement. Following the TV show [Double Exposure, which ran on Bravo in 2010], I felt it was necessary to show that we take our work seriously. Also, perhaps it%26rsquo;s the beginning of a new chapter for our work.

Dream shoot. The more you photograph, the more you realize there are so many amazing people that you haven%26rsquo;t shot. I would love to shoot Madonna, the Obamas, Brad [Pitt] and Angelina [Jolie], Nicki Minaj,
to name a few.

Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri

India as muse. I think a lot of my influence comes from my background. Being Indian, where our culture celebrates women as the iconic feminine idea, has definitely influenced my aesthetic approach.

End game. My goal is to bring out the divine spark in the subject I%26rsquo;m photographing %26mdash; the thing that transcends the physical being. It%26rsquo;s about getting to know the subject, finding what makes them extraordinary. We tend to know the things that make them famous. I look for something that is unknown and try to bring it to light.

You and the subject. I want to let them be comfortable, let them breathe, let them laugh, let them dance. Find ways that capture the essence of who they are.

You and the camera. I%26rsquo;ve always loved photography. I began as a model but always wanted to be the one taking the pictures. I%26rsquo;m fascinated by storytelling and making films; it was always a goal of mine to create images. I also love the people we meet, seeing different parts of the world, learning new things.
%26nbsp;
Fashion versus art. I guess you could say I am an artist, but I%26rsquo;m not sure that is really the right word. I%26rsquo;m constantly redefining myself. I love directing. Film is a huge passion of mine. I guess you could say I%26rsquo;m a creator.

Why you%26rsquo;re not an accountant. Well, I grew up in a traditional home. Both parents were accountants. They kept waiting for me to become an accountant or something more traditional. But I%26rsquo;ve always wanted to create art and things that help transform people.

Cinema calling. I would really like to make a feature film. I will definitely continue with photography. But I have several projects that I%26rsquo;d like to make happen. I would like to explore taking some of my photography into the realm of fine art %26hellip; an interesting intersection of pop culture and art.

On your collaboration. It has changed quite a bit over time. When I began, I was very shy. Markus was always confident, and I would whisper to him that we should do this or that. As we%26rsquo;ve grown over time, you could really say that we%26rsquo;ve almost switched roles. We both definitely have our voices heard now, but it%26rsquo;s a creative process, really, involving our entire team, and it works very well. When I met Markus, I went home and told my friends that I had just met the man who would be my best friend. We do come from different viewpoints, but we%26rsquo;re both connected with the same spirit. We are very different. He%26rsquo;s Swiss %26mdash; very precise, orderly. I come from a very different background; I believe that chaos is a natural part of the world, that there are multiple truths to many things, and that you must embrace the journey that life takes you on. But we%26rsquo;re a kind of strange organism that works so well together, almost like a monster with two heads (laughs). We truly appreciate one another.

Key to success. I think it%26rsquo;s about passion. Giving 1,000 percent all the time, making sure everyone is happy. The team helps us create a vision, and then we find the sparks from the people we photograph.

Behind the lens. There have really been dramatic changes in the photography world. There are millions of amateur photographers now as equipment has become so widely available. In addition, the magazine industry went through a decline, with the Web taking over, so it seems like there has been a shift to of quantity over quality. We%26rsquo;ve responded by really focusing on what we do. Creating production value without the need for a big budget. Being more flexible and creating sets that are less complex. We really are a team that comes together to produce spectacular images.

Fame game. Yes, celebrity can be a dirty word. Everyone wants to be a celebrity now. It doesn%26rsquo;t matter what business you%26rsquo;re in. I think there is a new appreciation for being famous, even being famous for being famous. But it%26rsquo;s not as easy as it seems. In fact, being famous for being famous is one of the hardest things you can do. What we do is look for the special qualities in celebrities, and that%26rsquo;s what we try to capture.

On Icons. Why now. To me, it%26rsquo;s so interesting to see the similarities and differences in the images we%26rsquo;ve produced. We%26rsquo;ve been working for almost 20 years, so there are so many intriguing people we%26rsquo;ve photographed. And I really think it just makes sense for us now. We want to give fans who%26rsquo;ve been exposed around the world to our work a chance to see more.

Cause that matters. I created a school in India to help underprivileged children. I%26rsquo;m really focused on education and women%26rsquo;s empowerment, which I believe go hand in hand.

Casting Daphne. I worked with Daphne on a photo shoot for Keep a Child Alive, a nonprofit that serves those affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. We had a great connection, and I felt she would be perfect embodiment of the character for my film, The Legend of Lady White Snake.
%26nbsp;
Photography and charity. For me, charity always comes first. I use the money and the notoriety of my work to fuel what we do with my charitable school in India (seeschool.org) and for other causes.
%26nbsp;
On Rembrandt and Man Ray. I get excited by Eastern philosophy, stories and myths. I studied anthropology at Princeton and have a real interest in people and culture. I love the work of Rembrandt, the way he portrayed the depth and emotion of his subjects and the details and richness of his work. And I like the work of Man Ray, as well as the surrealist filmmakers of the %26rsquo;20s.

%26nbsp;
Styling/production design by GK Reid for Genghis Khan. For commercial direction, representation by Aero Film.

%26nbsp;

PC Acquire

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 03:20:17 GMT

This month%26rsquo;s PaperCity Acquire taps Texas native Aimee Jones, whose high-octane canvases have us scrambling for adjectives: neo-geo, ab-ex mated with expressionism plus touches of fractiles and cubism, overlaid with a net of riotous neon, joined by a proliferation of found objects, assemblage and some pretty fine drawing. In other words, mind-blowing. If Timothy Leary still walked the earth, Jones%26rsquo; creations would grace his walls. Her aesthetic also incorporates a sly fashion component, with a wink and a nod to %26lsquo;80s acid-washed bravura. Jones%26rsquo; credentials include a BFA in painting from the University of Houston (2003) and a decade spent as a catalyst and provocateur, exhibiting in some of Texas%26rsquo; most celebrated art spaces. She%26rsquo;s also shown in Miami, Chicago, Kansas City and Monterrey, Mexico. For her PC project, Jones created four new canvases, which we%26rsquo;ve curated with 10 more of her greatest hits %26mdash; offerings that range from $600 to $6,000. About her latest art-making, the on-the-top-of-her-game talent told us: %26ldquo;My current work wrestles between painting, drawing and installation. Each piece demonstrates the everyday struggle of trying to keep it together. A controlled chaos of sorts, recording the internal battles of the good, the bad and the ugly.%26rdquo; Inquiries Seth Vaughan, seth@papercitymag.com.

%26nbsp;

How the West Was Won

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 03:14:40 GMT

Just in: Heritage Auction%26rsquo;s Modern and Contemporary Art Signature Auction %26mdash; curated by department head and art historian Frank Hettig %26mdash; is brimming with rare pop treasures. Among the highlights are a suite of understated black-and-white Lichtenstein drawings (well-timed with the late artist%26rsquo;s worldwide traveling retrospective), and from 1986, Andy Warhol%26rsquo;s take on the wild west, an Annie Oakley color screenprint (estimate $15,000 %26ndash; $25,000), perfect for a modern cowgirl. Also starring on the block at Heritage%26rsquo;s Slocum Street Dallas locale are a rediscovered, newly authenticated Richard Diebenkorn and a very droll Marcel Dzama, joined by offerings by avant-gardist Vik Muniz, Robert Longo and Tim Eitel. Modern %26amp; Contemporary Art Signature Auction, Tuesday, October 23, 10 am (Previews October 20 %26ndash;%26nbsp;23); Heritage Auctions, 1518 Slocum St., 214.409.1444; ha.com.

Ready, Set, Auction!

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 02:01:23 GMT

Chairmen Lindsay and Chuck Jacaman are ensuring that Art+Advocacy equals two seriously art-filled evenings. A team of art powerhouses has united behind this benefit for The Dallas Children%26rsquo;s Advocacy Center: honorary chairs Marlene and John Sughrue (he, a co-founder of The Dallas Art Fair, and she, director of communications at Brook Partners), art chairs Laura Green and Jordan Roth, honorary art chair Patricia B. Meadows, art guide Gail Sachson and underwriting chairs Ginny and Mark Fein. The auction evening is Thursday, November 1, 7 pm to midnight, with cocktails and bites, tunes by DJ Lucy Wrubel, and live and silent auctions of works by 100 emerging and established artists, including the photographic reconstruction Pegasus by Dallasite Rusty Scruby and an exhibit created by students of the art therapy program at Dallas Children%26rsquo;s Advocacy Center. Want to be ready to bid? On Tuesday, October 30, get a sneak peek at the Art Preview, and learn the stats on the artists and participating galleries from art guide Gail Sachson, complete with beer, bubbly and dessert. We%26rsquo;re getting our paddles ready for Helen Altman%26rsquo;s torch drawing on paper, Waving Polar4, and David Bates%26rsquo; Bowl of Cherries (both are represented by Talley Dunn Gallery); Gabriel Dawe%26rsquo;s Pain Series no. 26, made from a shirt collar, sequins and pins, represented by Conduit; and Lance Jones%26rsquo; haunting digital metallic C-print mounted on Plexi from his series %26ldquo;and%26shy;_there_was.%26rdquo; Preview tickets $50 ($25 Alliance members); combined Preview and Auction tickets $175 ($100 Alliance members). For information and tickets, contact Alexis O%26rsquo;Connell, aoconnell@dcac.org; dcac.org.

Art Notes

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 01:54:55 GMT

Diversity and riches abound in the heart of the season, spanning epochs, artists and styles. First up, head to the Dallas Museum of Art for the glorious works that comprise %26ldquo;Posters of Paris: Toulouse-Lautrec and His Contemporaries%26rdquo; (October 14 %26ndash; January 20). One of our favorite discoveries from our Special Section preview you%26rsquo;ll find in this issue is Jules Ch%26eacute;ret, the roi of the affiche artistique in fin-de-si%26egrave;cle Paris, whose saucy, frothy belles took over every surface of the City of Light%26rsquo;s Belle %26Eacute;poque boulevards. Besides being beautiful, these works set the craze for street art that has led to today%26rsquo;s sticker brigade and proponents of mass art communication such as Shepard Fairey ... Speaking of Monsieur Fairey, do not miss his final weeks of editioned works at Deep Ellum denizen Brian Gibbs%26rsquo; The Public Trust (though October 20) ... Over at The McKinney Avenue Contemporary, the king of Dallas painting and his disciples are celebrated. Catch illustrious SMU professor Roger Winter in %26ldquo;Lost Highway %26ndash; A Painter%26rsquo;s Journey,%26rdquo; an impressive 40-year career retrospective, alongside renowned past students %26mdash; John Alexander, David Bates, Brian Cobble, Dan Rizzie and Lilian Garcia-Roig %26mdash; in %26ldquo;Under the Influence%26rdquo; (both shows through October 20). Concurrently, Kirk Hopper Fine Art presents a showcase of Winter%26rsquo;s classics (through October 6) ... Another Texas art destination, this one unexpected, is PDNB Gallery. In lieu of photographic prints, the granite abstractions of internationally exhibited Texan Jes%26uacute;s Moroles will hold court %26mdash; from 11-inch-tall desktop creations to nearly four-feet-in-diameter rings dramatically suspended from the ceiling (through November 24) ... Meanwhile, Over at SMU, the Meadows Museum unfurls an art historical coup: %26ldquo;Diego Vel%26aacute;zquez: The Early Court Portraits,%26rdquo; including a grand canvas of imposing monarch Philip IV, one of the most important royals of the 17th century, as the Meadows continues its partnership with the extraordinary Prado (through January 13) ... Finally, parting news sighted on the Glasstire site: sculptor Fred Villanueva takes fair fever into his own hands and is showcased in Art Fair of Texas a cavernous space adjoining Exposition Park (facebook.com/artfairoftexas). We can%26rsquo;t wait to go; we love this new model of artist-incubated commercial endeavors. See you art and about.

Pass the Glass

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 12:25:45 GMT

From the vivid colored-glass delicacies of Kentuckian Stephen Rolfe Powell %26mdash;%26nbsp;opening Saturday, October 20 at Hooks-Epstein Gallery%26rsquo;s annual glass show %26mdash; to the black-and-white allure of %26ldquo;Glass Graphica%26rdquo; headliners Moshe Bursuker and Miguel Unson at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft through mid-October, this month serves up a showcase for glorious glass. While their techniques and resulting creations are wildly disparate, all three glassmakers share a devotion to their silica material and an emphasis on perfection. Glass Group Show, opening Saturday, October 20, 6 to 8 pm (through November 21), at Hooks-Epstein Galleries, 2631 Colquitt St., 713.522.0718; hooksepsteingalleries.com. %26ldquo;Glass Graphica,%26rdquo; through October 14 at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, 4848 Main St., 713.529.4848; crafthouston.org.

%26nbsp;

Op on the Block

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 12:21:28 GMT

Just in: The recently rebranded Morton Auctioneers %26amp; Appraisers%26nbsp;%26mdash; partner Tricia Kuehnert-Gillespy has retired, hence %26ldquo;Kuehnert%26rdquo; is no longer in the auction house%26rsquo;s moniker %26mdash; is in full swing on its season, continuing Morton%26rsquo;s emphasis on modern and contemporary art. Top lots that caught our eye for the upcoming October 25 sale: a specifically commissioned 3-D work on paper from the late 80%26rsquo;s by wild op art master Yaacov Agam, whose career has undergone a resurgence as a pioneering provocateur of geometric abstraction. Never offered to the market before, the Agam joins a jaunty Alexander Calder work on paper of psychedelic butterflies from 1975, sumptuous Boulle furniture and even a vintage Rolls-Royce on the block. Gentlemen and ladies, prepare your paddles. Fine Art %26amp; Antiques Auction, Thursday, October 25, 7 pm; Morton Auctioneers %26amp; Appraisers, 4901 Richmond Ave., 713.827.7835; mortonkuehnert.com.

Birds %26 Butterflies

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 12:20:17 GMT

Prolific neo-expressionistic painter of flora and fauna extraordinaire (plus a few telling portraits) Hunt Slonem returns to Houston this month for an eagerly awaited exhibition. Slonem%26rsquo;s%26nbsp; style and talent have been celebrated by two major volumes, countless exhibitions, TV segments%26nbsp; and representation in more than 100 museums. On Wednesday, October 11, he unfurls a new suite of canvases while making his Gremillion %26amp; Co. Fine Art debut. With his inimitable personality and rapid-fire talent, this dandy of the contemporary art world promises to set the town abuzz with his birds, bunnies, butterflies and a new series based upon hypnotic monkey eyes. We%26rsquo;re intrigued. Opening Thursday, October 11, 6 to 8 pm (through November 11), at Gremillion %26amp; Co. Fine Art, 2501 Sunset, 713.522.2701; gremillion.com.

Valley of the Dolls

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 12:18:24 GMT

Not since Tony Oursler and William Wegman was honored at the early Aurora Picture Show Awards Dinner in 2001 and 2002 have we been so excited about an APS honoree%26rsquo;s personal appearance. This month, we%26rsquo;ve saved the date and secured a seat for the ultimate evening for the celebrated mistress of dolls and dollhouses, Laurie Simmons. Miz Simmons will be f%26ecirc;ted at this swell cocktail and dinner party, then presented with an award by Texas artist/former Core Fellow Gabriel Martinez while her contributions to cinema are screened. Gallerist Allison Ayers and collectress Leigh Smith chair this not-to-be-missed night %26mdash; limited to just 80 guests %26mdash; with PaperCity as media sponsor. We know one thing for sure: Everyone will be very dolled up. 12th Annual Aurora Picture Show Award Dinner, Tuesday, October 16, 6:30 pm; Aurora Picture Show, 2442 Bartlett St., 713.868.2101; tickets from $350; contact Rachel Blackney Tepper, blackney@aurorapictureshow.org.

The Cat's Meow

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 06:09:36 GMT

We%26rsquo;ve seen animals immortalized in the art world %26mdash; most memorably, a cat sarcophagus in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston%26rsquo;s Tut blockbuster last fall %26mdash; and we%26rsquo;ve covered myriad animal benefits in town. But rarely have fine art, literary prose and feline causes melded. Until now. Enter the compelling, lyrical volume Cat Lady Chronicles (Officina Libraria, Milan, Italy, $21.99), penned by MFAH publications director Diane Lovejoy. This book pairs the true-life tale of a love affair with cats with images of felines in art throughout the ages %26mdash; lithographs, photographs and paintings culled from the collections of venerable institutions from the Tate to the MFAH, by talents including Frida Kahlo, Brassa%26iuml;, Winslow Homer, Joseph Wright of Derby and Paul Klee. Proceeds of this gem of a book benefit Cat Rescue Fund at The Cat Doctor, Houston, and Friends for Life. Available at area booksellers The MFAH Shop, River Oaks Bookstore, Barnes %26amp; Noble, as well as Amazon, where it%26rsquo;s listed as a hot new release in the cat category. Meow!

Aperitifs at Asia Society

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 05:58:24 GMT

When Asia Society launched its monthly mixer last month, termed Leo Bar, we took note. Held on the first Thursday of every month, its goal is to foster connections amongst the Asian-inclined and allow everyone a chance to enjoy the institution%26rsquo;s unique programming. Hors d%26rsquo;oeuvres are served; the inspiring Taniguchi%26ndash;designed building is open until 9 pm, allowing one to get intimate with its art; and each month has its own themed cocktail, inspired by one of the continent%26rsquo;s many countries (last month%26rsquo;s was India, its drink a Bombay Blast). We%26rsquo;ll see you next month %26mdash; Singapore Sling in hand! 1370 Southmore Blvd. 713.496.9901; asiasociety.org/texas.

No More Disaster Balls

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 05:52:31 GMT

After a decade of wild gala making, Glasstire, Texas%26rsquo; bold and authoritative arts Web site %26mdash; and one of the best online art magazines in America %26mdash; has spun off from its party partner, Fresh Arts Coalition, to strike out on its own. The result is%26nbsp;a newly minted and more collector-focused fund-raiser. This month, Glasstire: The Auction Texas is born, with a preview party Wednesday, October 3, at Pennzoil Plaza Lobby, in anticipation of the main event Friday, November 2, again at Pennzoil. Christie%26rsquo;s VP Sara Friedlander arrives from NY to conduct the live bidding. On the block: a curated collection of 15 top Texas talents culled by eminent art eyes: consultant Julie Kinzelman of Houston, DFW-based Christina Rees, Austin gallerist Lora Reynolds and former San Antonio gallerist/now Houston dealer David Shelton. The lots encompass offerings created during the past decade, including a beautiful but disturbing Robyn O%26rsquo;Neil drawing donated by Jeanne and Mickey Klein; a gem from Trenton Doyle Hancock%26rsquo;s personal trove; Alejandro Diaz%26rsquo;s neon affirmation Happiness Is Expensive; a haunting animal vignette by Erick Swenson; and a Sharon Engelstein biomorphic ceramic %26ldquo;cookie jar.%26rdquo; Best of all, the artists selected %26mdash; whose prices vary to appeal from beginning to Basel-type collectors %26mdash; receive half of the proceeds. The winning bidders support both the makers and the promoters of Texas art. Glasstire: The Auction Texas, Wednesday, October 3 Preview Party, Pennzoil Plaza Lobby, 6 pm (free); Auction Night, Friday, November 2, Pennzoil Plaza Lobby, 6 pm, %26lsquo;70s-theme %26ldquo;Glory Days,%26rdquo; cocktails and dinner, tickets from $100; PaperCity as media sponsor; for info, artist list, tickets and advance bidding, glasstireauction.com.

Art Notes, Take Ten

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 05:48:20 GMT

1. Our annual October art issue coincides perfectly with a big architecture story that amplifies the art energy emitting from Houston: Blaffer Art Museum%26rsquo;s redux, an innovative reimagining of the original %26rsquo;70s-era structure into a futuristic kunsthalle. WORKac, New York%26ndash;based architects whose other clients include Roman Abramovich and Dasha Zhukova, do the razzle-dazzle, at a modest $2.25 million budget that breathes light and air into the University of Houston art destination. Take in the new Blaffer at the Tony Feher opening, come October 12 (through March 17). Gaze upon this American sculptor whose fave substances range from plastic water bottles filled will colored liquids to all manner of extruded polystyrene.

2. Pop is top, but how many know the Brit kingpins of this movement? See who was there in the beginning and get a view from the other side of the pond when brilliant Glassell School of Art teacher/MFAH lecturer David Brauer presents a slice of his personal trove of Pop prints, collected from artist pals from back in the day. This rare view at The Jung Center (October 2 %26ndash;%26nbsp;29; lecture at The Jung, Saturday, October 6, 6:30 pm) promises revelations from the same eye who co-curated The Menil Collection%26rsquo;s intriguing U.S./U.K. survey in 2001.

3. Don%26rsquo;t you love %26ldquo;Simple Machines and Simple Dreams,%26rdquo; the title of Ariane Roesch%26rsquo;s next solo at Redbud Gallery? It proves that emerging hipster-innovator Roesch and Gus Kopriva, a stalwart gallerist/patron since the %26ldquo;Fresh Paint%26rdquo; days, can concoct a very compelling show (October 6 %26ndash; 27).

4. Rudolph Blume Fine Art/ArtScan Gallery deserves to be on every collector%26rsquo;s path of perusal. Its latest, %26ldquo;On Walden Pond,%26rdquo; brings together four painters/installationists %26mdash;%26nbsp;Martin Amorous, Joanne Brigham, Tudor Mitroi and Seth Mittag %26mdash; who share a penchant for the hallucinogenic or the macabre regarding landscape, but in a good, creepy way (through October 27).

5. Speaking of fresh talent, investigate Regina Agu%26rsquo;s %26ldquo;Visible Unseen%26rdquo; at the Fresh Arts ARC (Artist Resource Center, 2101 Winter Street, B11). Self-taught Agu%26rsquo;s vision has been honed on travels throughout Africa and Europe, and study at Cornell, from which she holds an undergraduate degree (through October 26). We%26rsquo;re eager to check out her graphite, collage and pen and ink works on paper, which put forth a dainty, deconstructed, almost scientific stance.

6. Australia calling: Pick up the transmission about aboriginal art. First up, Booker-Lowe Gallery celebrates its 10th anniversary with mixed-media paintings by aboriginal visualist Karen Mills (through November 3). Late month, Vaughan Christopher Gallery presents %26ldquo;My Country,%26rdquo; a survey that examines aboriginal talents from the desert to the reef (opening Thursday, October 25).

7. After seeing Richard Stout at the Houston Fine Art Fair, we%26rsquo;re determined to make tracks to William Reaves Fine Art, where Stout shines in a group view detailing %26ldquo;Texas Expressionism%26rdquo; and those who shaped the state of our art scene (through October 13).

8. Who could possibly be better than Dorothy Hood? Thom Andriola/New Gallery rolls out a series of the late Houston artist%26rsquo;s canvases filled with deep space and luminous color that can only be described as transcendental (through October 27).

9. %26ldquo;Paper Work%26rdquo; at Darke Gallery frames sublime creative types who mine works on paper to memorable effect. Seven Texans are in the mix: Wendy Wagner, whom we can%26rsquo;t wait to see well again, and her fantastical creatures; Lillian Warren of the epic traffic-scapes; twiggy beauty by pen man John Adelman; Kia Neill, whose rocksrimmed with glitter are extraordinary (what will her works on paper be like?); Rabea Ballin of the revealing drawings of braided hairstyles as identity pieces; Lovie Olivia; and Steven J. Miller.%26nbsp;

10. A parting accolade to Houston Arts Alliance for doing good with its power2give.org initiative fueled by founding sponsors Bank of America and the Anchorage Foundation of Texas. Check it out to make a difference for one of our town%26rsquo;s cool and important arts nonprofits. Speaking of notable diverse arts groups, savor the riches of Indian Film Festival at Studio Movie Grill, CityCenter, October 3 through 6, capped by a black-tie (or Indian chic) f%26ecirc;te Sunday, October 7, at Hotel Sorella, celebrating Indian cinema%26rsquo;s centennial (tickets iffhinc.org).

See you art and about.

Fair Game, Take Two

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 01:23:47 GMT

The Texas Contemporary Art Fair rolls into Houston this month. Who are the players? The important artists? Catherine D. Anspon investigates year two of the acclaimed Fair, which pulls in 70 galleries worldwide and a coterie of collectors.%26nbsp; Here’s an insider preview of all the action — including a side of controversy — come October 18 through 21.

Two Fairs Are Better Than One
Once again this fall, Texas art audiences — big-name collectors, coveted artists, powerful museum types and our most eminent gallerists, all manner of media and the merely curious — are treated to back-to-back art fairs. Is Houston an art capital, or what? For the second year in a row, the Texas Contemporary Art Fair%26nbsp; (the TC, as we like to call it) takes place in October (weeks after the Houston Fine Art Fair). Showcasing nearly 70 exhibitors and once again returning to the George R. Brown Convention Center, the Texas Contemporary strikes a bold, brash and important stance. Read on.%26nbsp;

The Vibe
Last year’s TC was distinguished by a playful, messy vitality — sprawling aisles laid out on a horizontal grid, encircled by shipping containers like stage coaches around an art encampment. At its center, installations spilled over into walkways, capped by Austinite Andy Coolquitt’s fantastic and strange assemblage of materials (from worn pants to Warholian consumer packaging). This year, we have the promise of more art interventions — don’t miss Agnes Denes’ teepees (or are they pyramids) as environmental statements at the nonprofit Ballroom Marfa; Austin-based collaborative Okay Mountain’s performance sponsored by Mark Moore Gallery; Ariane Roesch’s Unit shopping experience stocked with affordable, collectible multiples; and Glasstire’s booth, which we hope promises another watering hole like the 2011 Fair’s old-timey GT salon/saloon.

Booth Buzz
Texas Best, L.A. Cool, Manhattan Express and A Dose of Internationals are some of the themes and subplots that characterize this year’s convergence. Fourteen Texas dealers and a bookseller (Houston’s Exquisite Corpse) comprise the statewide lineup, including the mighty Texas Gallery and Inman Gallery, the Houston notables who once again help shape the Fair, led respectively by Fredericka Hunter and Kerry Inman. Other members of the Houston pack are tastemaker Art Palace, Latin American nexus Sicardi Gallery, the always important Moody Gallery, Wade Wilson Art (ask to see anything by Joseph Marioni), the progressive and original Rudolph Blume Fine Art and recent arrival David Shelton Gallery, the latter an eagerly awaited San Antonio transplant. We’re also tracking the gold-standard Lora Reynolds Gallery and the up-and-comer Dutton (HQ for Marjorie Schwarz’s compelling figuration), both from Austin. Rounding out the Texans are our favorite Dallas trio Conduit Gallery, Marty Walker Gallery
and Kirk Hopper Fine Art (where Bill Haveron’s obsessive five-by-seven-feet drawings reign) joined by Fort Worth stalwart William Campbell Contemporary Art. Amid the out-of-towners, best bets are the fearless New York dealers Hudson of Feature Inc. and P.P.O.W Gallery, which unfurls Bo Bartlett’s unsettling realism. From Los Angeles, pay attention to the revered Acme with the frisky abstract paintings of Tomory Dodge and one of our top pics from the 2011 TC Fair, Steve Turner Contemporary, with its hard-hitting, classically based, figure-and-text installation Philomela (2012) by Jacob Yanes. Then check out Tracey Snelling’s miniature storefronts, which are anything but droll at San Francisco stop Rena Bransten Gallery. And we’re also intrigued to discover minimalist-flavored offerings by Tokyo gallerist Misako and Rosen.

The Fair Makers
The Texas Contemporary is produced by artMRKT, the Brooklyn-based enterprise headed by managing partners Jeffrey Wainhause and Max Fishko, who also present fairs in San Francisco, Miami and Bridgehampton. The pair has sagely aligned itself once again with the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston; the Fair’s Preview Party on Thursday, October 18 benefits the CAMH. New for 2012 will be a tweaked layout and expanded collector and VIP lounges. Returning will be the popular PaperCity Curate book boutique headlined by art and design volumes plus a few surprise personal appearances, as well as the TC’s intriguing lecture series. Stay tuned.%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

Big-Bucks Art Prize
And the Texas Contemporary welcomes Franklin Sirmans back to town. The former Menil curator/now Los Angeles Country Museum of Art (LACMA) chief curator returns to Houston to judge the inaugural Texas Contemporary Award, in tandem with CAMH director Bill Arning. The hefty $10,000 art prize will be presented among the playing field on view at the exhibiting spaces, one artist nominated per participating gallery. Juried on Friday, October 19, the winner will be announced Saturday, October 20 (4 pm), and be showcased at an upcoming public lecture at the CAMH with Arning (date TBD).

Pssst: Revealing Portraits
Visit Asia Society Texas Center’s booth for a participatory preview of “The Hapa Project” by Kip Fulbeck, which goes on view at ASTC this November. (Its title is taken from a slang term for persons of Asian and/or Pacific origin.) Fair-goers will have the chance to make their own photo portrait via vintage cameras and answer the open-ended question posed by the artist about identity, “What are you?”%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

Save These Art Dates

Texas Contemporary Art Fair

Opening Night: Thursday, October 18, 6 – 9:30 pm (benefits CAMH)

Fair Days: Friday and Saturday, October 19 and 20, 11 am – 7 pm; Sunday, October 21, noon – 6 pm

Where: George R. Brown Convention Center

Tariff: Preview Pass (including Opening Night, all Fair days and VIP lounge and VIP tours and events) $100; three-day admission $35; one-day admission $20

Contact: info@art-mrkt.com; txcontemporary.com

It's a Whole New World

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 01:04:25 GMT

New World Museum director Armando Palacios once again lures a Venice Biennale talent to town. Venezuelan sculptor Clemencia Labin %26mdash; whose installation at her country%26rsquo;s pavilion for the 2011 Biennale won over even the toughest critics for its enchanting amalgamation of color, shape, soft sculpture, design and architecture %26mdash; makes her Texas debut his month with a site-specific show for New World. Watch for Labin%26rsquo;s signature tropical palette, inspired by the streetscape of neighborhoods in her native Maracaibo, applied upon a fantastical kingdom of structures resembling sentient beings clothed in riotous fabrics and pulsating colors. We hope the artist will don her fabulous peppermint-hued braids, which make her resemble a character on a set of a Saturday morning cartoon. Clemencia%26rsquo;s Playhouse, anyone? %26ldquo;Clemencia Labin: WhiteGold,%26rdquo; opening Wednesday, October 17, 7 to 9 pm, through November 21; New World Museum, 5230 Center St.,713.426.4544; newworldmuseum.org.

Great British Goods

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 01:02:24 GMT

The Andrew Martin showroom has opened in Decorative Center Houston, and we%26rsquo;re entranced with the wallpapers in the Navigator wallpaper collection %26mdash; specifically, the library books, stamps, mathematics and science. And then there are the Lumberjack papers (a wall of sturdy logs) and another of stacked vintage luggage. The Kelim Sofa Multi is rich and lovely, and there are some stunning %26rsquo;70s-feel X-desks and wonderful chrome alphabet-letter side tables. With large collections of furnishings, lighting, fabrics, wallpapers and bedding, this UK-based showroom was co-founded in London by designer Martin Waller in 1978; this is the first Andrew Martin showroom in Texas, and the fourth in the U.S. 5120 Woodway, Suite 1050, 832.649.4368; to the trade.

Benday Best

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 01:00:15 GMT

If Warhol is the king of Pop art, then Roy Lichtenstein is the movement%26rsquo;s crown prince. Now this prince%26rsquo;s unforgettable benday dots and swell comic attitude are celebrated in a new retrospective, complete with behind-the-scenes drawings, his greatest and most classic cartoony paintings of the %26rsquo;60s and many under-known canvases that comment on the canon of 20th-century art history. Catch %26ldquo;Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective%26rdquo; organized by the Art Institute of Chicago traveling to Washington, D.C.%26rsquo;s National Gallery of Art (October 14 %26ndash; January 13, 2013); London%26rsquo;s Tate Modern (February 21 %26ndash; May 27, 2013); and Centre Pompidou in Paris (July 3 %26ndash; November 4, 2013).

Swinging from the Chandeliers

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 12:55:44 GMT

We%26rsquo;re mad for the poetic, deconstructed beauty put forth by Houston sculptor Emily Sloan, who%26rsquo;s completely obsessed with chandeliers. For her latest project as artist-in-residence at Darke Gallery, funded in part by Houston Arts Alliance, Sloan has disassembled vintage lampshades, stripping away the silk to expose their lacy, whispery metal frames. Go see the result %26mdash; wall-sized mandalas that blossom like over-blown flora %26mdash; at this West End art space that is earning a reputation as an incubator for young talent on the rise. 320 B Detering at Feagan, 713.542.3802; darkegallery.com.

Brainy, Beautiful %26 at the Head of Her Class

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 05:03:18 GMT

Art direction Michelle Avi%26ntilde;a. Hair and makeup Casey Clay, Shyn Salon.

Stats. Christie%26rsquo;s associate vice president, senior account manager Southwest Region; in the job for six years
and some change.%26nbsp;

On why this is my dream job. The job is about%26nbsp;people;%26nbsp;you%26nbsp;need to be%26nbsp;sensitive%26nbsp;to the intimate nature implicit in the objects%26nbsp;clients%26nbsp;are sharing with you,%26nbsp;and the stories%26nbsp;and circumstances that ineluctably come with them ... we are an arts%26nbsp;business,%26nbsp;to be sure. But it%26rsquo;s much less mercenary than one might think. I truly love working with my clients.%26nbsp;And, say what one will about the art market and its vagaries, it can also be fascinatingly candid. In our libraries, you can review all the catalogs from Christie%26rsquo;s inception in the late 18th century to now. And what one finds ... is a fascinating cultural, social and geopolitical picture.

Most unforgettable result on the block. An ivory miniature portrait of a Turkish lady that a very dear client had inherited. We knew nothing about the piece, nor did our client. We were all in agreement that a decorative value of $5,000 to $7,000 auction estimate should be applied. Serendipitously, it found its way to the desks of our Old Master Paintings team in London. They recognized the object to likely be by the hand of the esteemed 18th-century artist%26nbsp;Jean-Etienne%26nbsp;Liotard ...%26nbsp;then%26nbsp;set an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000.%26nbsp;We informed all our top%26nbsp;Turkish%26nbsp;clients who collect in this genre ...%26nbsp;I needed to be in Houston the date of the sale, so I called our internal line to listen in. Bidding started slowly, then built %26mdash; and built into a fervor. A bidding war within the room brought the hammer down on $530,000. There have been splashy%26nbsp;multi-million-dollar sales for which we are undeniably proud. But that was a really sweet moment, calling our client with this unexpected news.%26nbsp;She trusted us at $5,000, which allowed for a sale at $530,000.

Upcoming and adrenalin-pumping. One particularly strong piece from a Houston collection%26nbsp;is by the artist El Anatsui, whose shimmering sculptural installations are highly coveted at the primary-market level, so we are thrilled to be%26nbsp;offering%26nbsp;it at auction in our November Post War and Contemporary Day Sale in New York.%26nbsp;This came to me from my colleague Julie Kinzelman,%26nbsp;on%26nbsp;behalf of%26nbsp;one of her clients.%26nbsp;You may recall El had a stunning show at the Rice Gallery%26nbsp;in 2010.

Most memorable artist I%26rsquo;ve met. Jochen Plogsties. He had a%26nbsp;solo show at Inman Gallery a couple of years ago. Small,%26nbsp;gestural, largely nonfigurative%26nbsp;paintings with this%26nbsp;sort of%26nbsp;Black Forest palette. I had absolutely no means to purchase a painting, but there was one%26nbsp;piece that%26nbsp;I knew only I could love as much as it deserved to be loved ... He agreed to sell it to me, and Kerry Inman in her infinite kindness%26nbsp;agreed to work with me on payment terms.

On my encounter with the works of the late Forrest Bess. This past spring, Christie%26rsquo;s at Rockefeller Plaza was fortunate to hold the month-long private sale of the%26nbsp;Collection of Harry Burkhart, the largest concentration of Forrest Bess works known. The Collection was a gift to MD Anderson, to be sold with proceeds going to cancer research ... To see so many of these fascinating, cryptic, deeply personal Bess works in one place ... A rad moment in art-market terms.

Indelible art experience. At age 8 or 9 or so,%26nbsp;at%26nbsp;The Menil Collection.%26nbsp;The work was a bronze life-size coffin, which in retrospect must have been the piece by%26nbsp;Rene Magritte,%26nbsp;titled%26nbsp;Madame Recamier ... I used to%26nbsp;stare at it and%26nbsp;fantasize%26nbsp;about crawling inside and hiding there until the museum closed, and the lights were off and the guards were home, I could roam the halls%26nbsp;and have the%26nbsp;place and all its objects all to myself.%26nbsp;I am aware of how morbid this sounds.%26nbsp;

%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;
On how college in Paris shaped me. Learning the importance of politeness and the comfort that operating within distinct codes of conduct can provide. Anyone who knows me and my fondness for salty language and allergy to business attire would find a contradiction there, but bucking those codes is most satisfying when you know them most intimately. I thank Paris for that.

%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;
On when I lived in Paris. Lived there intermittently, for summers and semesters, over several years. I%26rsquo;ll be back in November.%26nbsp;I expect to get a little misty on the flight back ... We once had an extended stay in the 7th on rue de Varenne. Camus briefly lived nearby on that street. Sometimes you would open the windows and hear this%26nbsp;soprano%26nbsp;down the%26nbsp;block singing, the windows all around her alight with bright red flowers from their balcony planters. It was like%26nbsp;the Parisian version of a Wiggins street scene.
A magical city.
%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;
Last artwork I acquired for my collection. A commissioned Mike Beradino%26nbsp;interactive%26nbsp;piece called Game of Life.%26nbsp;Bless both he and Arturo Palacios of Art Palace Gallery for patiently enduring my trickling payments. I don%26rsquo;t exactly have the budget for these things,%26nbsp;but I need them.%26nbsp;I would love a better wardrobe. But I need this piece by Mike Beradino.
%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;
Next piece on my radar. There%26rsquo;s%26nbsp;an early Kusama painting coming up in%26nbsp;our First Open sale, from %26lsquo;61, that%26rsquo;s fantastic. I%26rsquo;ll have to settle for the catalog, I suspect. The Luis Jacob piece in the recent %26ldquo;It is what it is. Or is it?%26rdquo; show at the CAMH continues to be a preoccupation of mine. I%26rsquo;m fairly certain life would be absolutely more excellent if I could live with that piece.
%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;
Three living artists I%26rsquo;m most intrigued by. Thomas Nozkowski. I%26rsquo;m fascinated by the way his process seems to work in reverse. Ai Weiwei for fighting the good fight and managing to still make work so startlingly poetic. Tino Sehgal. His work is indeed very conceptual, but nonetheless refreshingly, just basically about people, confronting themselves.

I lust after the collection of %26hellip; Bernard Arnault. It would be inappropriate for me to name any local collections here. But rest assured, there are Houston collections I would absolutely list.
%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;
My favorite museum in the world. The Met. Par excellence.
%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;
The treasure I would like to own. The Rubens Room at the Louvre. Living with that degree of excess would likely be my undoing, however.
%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;
Blockbuster shows I%26rsquo;ll be seeing this fall. The Lucian Freud %26ldquo;Portraits%26rdquo; show at the Modern in Fort Worth;%26nbsp;hopefully catch the Boetti show before it comes down at MoMA;%26nbsp;Bellows at the Met;%26nbsp;Soutine at the Mus%26eacute;e d%26rsquo;Orsay;%26nbsp;Bertrand Lavier at the%26nbsp;Centre Pompidou; Rosemarie Trockel at the New Museum. And naturally, plenty here at home:%26nbsp;very much looking forward to the CAMH show %26ldquo;Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art,%26rdquo;%26nbsp;Anne Tucker%26rsquo;s%26nbsp;final show at the MFAH on war in photography and Blaffer%26rsquo;s %26ldquo;Lynne McCabe: Room to be (Ms.) understood.%26rdquo; And the %26ldquo;Love in Africa%26rdquo; show%26nbsp;at the Menil%26nbsp;... has the%26nbsp;potential,%26nbsp;to touch on just about every corner of the human condition,%26nbsp;from longing and love,%26nbsp;down to%26nbsp;geopolitics%26nbsp;and the continued post-colonial struggle for legibility. That sounds like a good conversation to me.%26nbsp;

Your library. How many volumes? Oy, I need to count them? A lot. Lots of commercial gallery exhibition catalogs.

Are they all art books? Most are. A%26nbsp;brief glance at my fiction selection reveals a%26nbsp;fondness for the%26nbsp;Anglo, male, addled, postmodern type. Lucky Jim on a light day%26nbsp;to The Third Policeman when I need to be uncomfortable.

What are you reading now? Just started Michael Fried%26rsquo;s%26nbsp;Four%26nbsp;Honest%26nbsp;Outlaws:%26nbsp;Sala%26nbsp;Ray%26nbsp;Marioni%26nbsp;Gordon. And%26nbsp;Niall Ferguson%26rsquo;s%26nbsp;High Financier: The Lives and Time of Siegmund Warburg.%26nbsp;But it%26rsquo;s heavy econ. After a long day I%26rsquo;ll pick it up, and 10 minutes later chicken out and read New York Magazine instead.

Fave book of all time? It was%26nbsp;a%26nbsp;children%26rsquo;s book%26nbsp;my mom must have given me at 6 or 7%26nbsp;of medieval fairy tales illustrated most magnificently, which I would give anything to be able to hunt down, but the author%26rsquo;s name escapes me. The images absolutely transported me.
%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;
Movie you are most excited about coming out this fall? Paul Thomas Anderson%26rsquo;s The Master.

Do you have a powerhouse restaurant in Houston where you meet your clients or talk art biz? Depends on the client.%26nbsp;Da Marco%26rsquo;s can do no wrong.%26nbsp;Brasserie 19 is entertaining. Ouisie%26rsquo;s for lunch. But I%26rsquo;d rather%26nbsp;be at their home with the object.

Favorite art fair in the world? Art%26nbsp;Basel Miami, because it%26rsquo;s just so relaxing.

Last stamp on your passport? I just got back from Norway and managed somehow to not see a single Munch, I am saddened to admit.%26nbsp;And the last specific art-destination trip was a failed attempt to make it to the art campus Inhotim%26nbsp;near%26nbsp;Belo Horizonte in Brazil. Art travel%26nbsp;destinations%26nbsp;happen on a regular basis, however, with work. My excuse at least.

Next art trip? Dream scenario would be South Africa and parts of Francophone, West Africa. And Inhotim, so help me! Twentynine Palms, California, for sure.

Impressions of Brazil and the Latin American scene? Terribly exciting. The gallery scene in Sao Paulo alone is thrilling.%26nbsp;But work made on the streets is, too.%26nbsp;The place just vibrates. And Niemeyer everywhere! I wish I could make the art fairs there this month, but alas %26hellip; Lots of clients here in Houston involved with the contemporary Brazilian scene keep me clued in. And I%26rsquo;ve visited our Rio and SP offices. They have their hands full and are loving it.

What auction are you most excited about upcoming? September in Amsterdam, we%26rsquo;ll hold the sale Property of the Scheringa Museum of Realist Art, which will offer some great contemporary figurative material. And November in New York will be brilliant, for Post War and Contemporary in particular ... We have a Kandinsky study in our November Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale [November 7, at Christie%26rsquo;s Rockefeller Plaza] whose art historical significance in regards to the advancement of abstract art cannot be overstated.

Most fascinating trend in today%26rsquo;s art world? Plenty. I am endeared by the stability of the Latin American modern and contemporary market. There is little speculative about it. It%26rsquo;s a collecting genre occupied by people who genuinely love the work, and their market has remained largely sensible and stable because of that.

What benefit/project/fund-raiser, etc. are you involved with upcoming for 2012 - 2013 that is cool? Thrilled to continue to provide our services as auctioneer for the CAMH at their annual auction and gala. Working with Bill [Arning] is a blast, and the work offered is always exciting and reflective of their mission. And happy to say early November I%26rsquo;ll be bringing down one of our Post War and Contemporary specialists to auctioneer Glasstire%26rsquo;s forthcoming auction for their annual gala. Great selection of work, supporting a brilliant outfit. Feeling very fortunate on Christie%26rsquo;s behalf to help out here in Houston as best we can.

Your source for art world scoop? Artforum, Modern Painters, Art and Auction, Artinfo.

Fave newspaper, mag or blog? New Yorker, Artforum, The Week, New York Magazine.

%26nbsp;

IMAGES:

Jessica Phifer poses with an art gift from a friend, a photograph by Minnesota artist Stuart Klipper. Dress by Tom Ford, Neiman Marcus.

Books galore: Amid stacks of art volumes are (from left) works by Darren Waterston, a sculpture by Elaine Bradford, a Nathan Green painting, a print by an unknown artist and a photograph by Ben Ruggiero.

Curator of Style

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 03:55:21 GMT

Art direction Michelle Avi%26ntilde;a. Makeup Terri Sullivan. Hair Ashley Scroggins for Cutloose Salon.

On the eve of a breathtaking $2.25 million grand reopening by %26ldquo;it%26rdquo; architecture firm WORKac, Claudia Schmuckli contemplates the reborn museum she helped forge and forecasts what%26rsquo;s next. Catherine D. Anspon has a sit down with the woman at the top of University of Houston%26rsquo;s game-changing kunsthalle.

Stats. Director and chief curator, Blaffer Art Museum, University of Houston. Three and a half years as director, seven on and off in various capacities, including adjunct curator and director of PR and membership (by detour).

How you see the Blaffer. As an institution engaged in and fostering global dialogue about contemporary art %26hellip; for both students at the University of Houston and the larger Houston art community.

Trajectory. MA in art history from Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich.

Route from Switzerland to MoMA. An internship at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, which led to a curatorial assistant position at the Guggenheim followed by an assistant curator position at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. MoMA to Houston.%26nbsp; The first time for love, the second time to assume my current position.

The Blaffer as dream job. It gave me a platform to shape an institution and realize ambitions I never quite knew I had.

Books authored. Eight (as in writing an essay) and published an additional six (as general editor and publisher). Most recently Tony Feher and an upcoming Henning Bohl [volume].

Required viewing this fall. %26ldquo;Destroy the Picture: Painting the Void, 1949-1962%26rdquo; at MOCA [Los Angeles], Richard Artschwager at the Whitney; Rosemarie Trockel at New Museum.

How you recognize the next important artist. A combination of (learned) knowledge, experience (15 years), exposure (travel as much as you can), and instinct. I am always on the lookout.

Definitive mags, newspapers, art blogs. Artforum, Cabinet, Texte zur Kunst, The New York Times, Artnet, ArtInfo. I don%26rsquo;t read that many blogs. I guess I am old-fashioned that way. Just haven%26rsquo;t found much of interest outside of gossip.

Favorite piece of studio jewelry you own. A Bruno Martinazzi bracelet, because it%26rsquo;s the whole package: conceptual, beautiful, powerful and wearable.

Last personal art acquisition. A Joshua Neustein work on paper that I discovered at the Independent Art Fair this spring.

Next acquisition. I%26rsquo;ll know it when I see it.

Your design collection. Mid-century modern mixed with contemporary reinterpretations.

First design acquisition. Probably something silly like an Alessi bottle opener. What I really want is an Ingo Maurer Porca Miseria chandelier

Jewelry designer you%26rsquo;re tracking. Doug Bucci for his inventive adaptation of scientific technology to create aesthetically inventive wearable objects.%26nbsp;

Furniture designer on your radar. I am still partial to everything that comes out of the Netherlands, in particular Droog.

Fashion designer you covet. Anyone who combines%26nbsp;classic lines with edgy detail. I am a Prada/Sander/Miyake kind of girl, but you%26rsquo;ll find many younger and more affordable designers in my closet whose names I can%26rsquo;t remember.

On life after Duchamp%26rsquo;s Fountain. Both [upcoming Blaffer artists] Tony Feher%26rsquo;s%26nbsp;and Andy Coolquitt%26rsquo;s works are part of a lineage that harks back to 1917, when French artist Marcel Duchamp declared a urinal a work of art %26hellip; The impact of this gesture is still palpable today %26hellip; Feher and Coolquitt represent very different positions: Feher%26rsquo;s is formally rigorous but very emotional and associative %26hellip; Coolquitt%26rsquo;s is more grounded in the social conditions of a specific locality. Both, however, share an immediacy to our experience of everyday life that I find myself to be eternally drawn to as I look at works of art.

On the horizon for your new building. An exciting mix of solo and thematic exhibitions including first museum exhibitions and surveys of Russian-American artist Anton Ginzburg and Texan Andy Coolquitt; the presentation of %26ldquo;Feast: Radical Hospitality in Contemporary Art,%26rdquo; which examines the role and importance of the meal as an idea generator and medium in contemporary artistic practice; and the generation of %26ldquo;Time/Image,%26rdquo; which looks at time as a culturally specific experiential condition.%26nbsp;

How you and Jim Petersen Jr. cooked up the %26ldquo;Windows%26rdquo; series. Spring 2011. %26ldquo;Window into Houston%26rdquo; was the outcome of a happy convergence of interest. Jim was seeking to turn the windows of his residence into a platform for artists, and I was looking for an off-site programmatic platform. The plan was hatched over dinner and implemented in less than two months. It has been such a success that we would both like to see it continue and expand. Next at 110 Milam: Debra Barrera, Clarissa Tossin.

You%26rsquo;re known for scholarly collaborations SUCH as your recent Tony Feher exhibition with Gilbert Vicario and the Des Moines Art Center. We travel two to three exhibitions at a time. Tony Feher will travel to the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum and the Bronx Museum after its presentation in Houston. I am also hoping to travel Anton Ginzburg, and the before-mentioned exhibition %26ldquo;Time/Image%26rdquo; developed by Blaffer%26rsquo;s Curatorial Fellow Amy Powell.%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

Last travel destination. Kassel, Germany, in June for Documenta (13). Since then, I have been trying to get a building finished!

Next travel destination. Simple: New York. It%26rsquo;s been too long.

Favorite museum. I am partial to MoMA. I will always cherish my years there and still admire the dedication to scholarship and excellence that marks the curatorial endeavors of that institution and its curatorial staff. In the contemporary arena, I look more to Europe than the United States. I still think that the more interesting artistic positions have opportunity to be first articulated in municipally or state-funded kunsthalles.

Must-attend art fair. No question, Basel is the best in terms of modern and contemporary art. It is not to be missed.

Person you most admire in the contemporary art world. Anyone who can truly make a difference and put their mark on an institution, a community and a time, in particular women like Kathy Halbreich, Maria Lind and Ann Philbin.

Proudest accomplishment. Conceptualizing, funding and implementing a truly transformative renovation that will reposition the Blaffer as an intellectual and social hub on and off campus and enhance Houston%26rsquo;s national profile as one of the most important and progressive cultural centers of this country.%26nbsp;

Most fascinating trend. I am more interested in individual artistic positions that articulate acute concerns of our times. Trends are generally identified after the fact and tend to fizzle out quickly. Good work doesn%26rsquo;t.%26nbsp;It outlasts the trend.

Now that you have your revamped building, what%26rsquo;s next on your wish list for Blaffer. An engaged audience. We have been working off-site and without a dedicated space for the presentation of art for a year and a half. I can%26rsquo;t wait to be surrounded, inspired, and transformed by art again on a daily basis and share that experience with everyone who comes through the door. I live for it and I want our audience to feel the same.

Three talents to watch. So many, for so many different reasons. Artists that we are hoping to work with right now are Raq%26rsquo;s Collective out of India, Francesca di Mattio who is based in New York and Candice Breitz from Johannesburg.

On continuing the Blaffer%26rsquo;s provocative performances downtown at the former Power Tools. We%26rsquo;ll see. The performance was integral to Linda Posts%26rsquo; and Robert Appleton%26rsquo;s project for %26ldquo;Window.%26rdquo; It depends on the nature of the future ambitions of artists who develop proposals for this series of exhibitions. As of now, we don%26rsquo;t plan to organize independent performances, but that doesn%26rsquo;t mean that it couldn%26rsquo;t happen down the line.%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

Parting thought. Art is the driving force behind my life, I wish I could say my life is art, but that is not the case.%26nbsp;I am not an artist.

IMAGES:

Blaffer director and chief curator Claudia Schmuckli is always in search of the avant-garde. Posed on the stairway of her reborn building she wears Roland Mouret dress, at Tootsies, shoes by Miu Miu at Saks.

Scmuckli reviews the upcoming fall season with the Blaffer%26rsquo;s director of external relations, Matt Johns.

The director%26rsquo;s personal jewelry collection mirrors objects also found in the MFAH%26rsquo;s Helen Williams Drutt Collection. Shown are works by Gijs Bakker, Manfred Bischoff, Doug Bucci, Peter Chang, Georg Dobler, Hermann Juenger, Fukuchi Kyoko, Bruno Martinazzi, Eleanor Moty, Breon O%26rsquo;Casey, Judy Onofrio, Iker Ortiz, Wendy Ramshaw, Gerd Rothman, Bernhard Schobinger and Janna Syvanoja.

In the bedroom, the present and the past rub shoulders: Josef Hoffmann chair, photograph by Tseng Kwong Chi, painting by Gabriel Vormstein, Breon O%26rsquo;Casey rug. Dress by The Row, at Tootsies.

Stairway to tomorrow: Days away from its opening, Schmuckli, center, joins her staff on the Blaffer%26rsquo;s new entrance designed by WORKac. Left to right: Teresa Munisteri, Youngmin Chung, Matt Johns, Katherine Veneman, Karen Zicterman, Emily Church. Foreground Mike Guidry, Amy Powell, Jim Rosengren.

In Schmuckli%26rsquo;s home, the living/dining floor plan features seating from Ligne Roset%26rsquo;s classic Togo collection, contemporary Chinese wooden carved side-tables, a Jens Risom dining table, and George Nakashima chairs.

In front of a print by Sarah Morris, dress by Martin Margiela, at Leap.

At Schmuckli%26rsquo;s modernist high-rise, Paul Cadovius shelving brims with art books and collectibles.

Art Notes

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 11:16:58 GMT

It%26rsquo;s a big, glorious fall, from the museum world to a hive of new galleries to explore (more coming in next month%26rsquo;s art issue). First up, we%26rsquo;ll be front in center for a pair of over-the-top openings, beginning with The Public Trust%26rsquo;s presentation of %26ldquo;Printed Matters: Editioned Works By Shepard Fairey,%26rdquo; a unique-to-Dallas mounting of the artist%26rsquo;s ongoing fascination with the influence of graphics and the democratization of the art world (September 15 %26ndash;%26nbsp;October 20; stay tuned for a possible Fairey PA, not on opening night, but during the run of the show). Collector alert: Many works in this show are in the $2,000 to $3,200 range %26hellip; Speaking of street art: %26ldquo;Posters of Paris: Toulouse-Lautrec and His Contemporaries%26rdquo; arrives next month at the Dallas Museum of Art, a blockbuster for Art Nouveau fans and connoisseurs of the screen print (October 14, 2012 %26ndash; January 20, 2013). Without Lautrec, would there have been a Shepard Fairey? %26hellip; Fashion followers, photophiles and avant-gardists will be thrilled by the Dallas Contemporary%26rsquo;s next coup: an extravagant exhibition of Dutch photographic masters Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, whose lushly compelling takes on the contemporary fashion world intersect art and commerce. Works by this sizzling pair have graced Vogue and W, and they%26rsquo;ve been commissioned for campaigns from Chanel to Balenciaga. Titled %26ldquo;Pretty Much Everything,%26rdquo; the 300-piece show takes over two of the DC%26rsquo;s prime galleries (September 22 %26ndash; December 30). We simply can%26rsquo;t wait %26hellip; At the Nasher Sculpture Center, the thoughtfully curated %26ldquo;Rediscoveries: Modes of Making in Modern Sculpture%26rdquo; mines the museum%26rsquo;s own collection; watch for a playful heir to the readymade, Claes Oldenburg%26rsquo;s pop-ish, seven-foot-tall Typewriter Eraser from 1976 (September 29, 2012%26nbsp;%26ndash; January 13, 2013) %26hellip; Another sculpture destination, this one unexpected, is PDNB Gallery. In lieu of photographic prints, the granite abstractions of internationally exhibited Texan Jes%26uacute;s Moroles will hold court %26mdash; from 11-inch-tall desktop creations to nearly four-feet-in-diameter rings dramatically suspended from the ceiling (September 8 %26ndash; November 24) %26hellip; See you art and about!

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IMAGES:

Shepard Fairey%26rsquo;s Rise Above Rebel, 2012, at The Public Trust. Photo courtesy the artist and The Public Trust.

Inez and Vinoodh%26rsquo;s Raquel Zimmerman at Beaubourg %26ndash; Vogue Paris, 2009. Photo courtesy the artists and Gagosian Gallery, New York

Big Foot

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 05:58:23 GMT

Among the most startling treasures on view in the Dallas Museum of Art%26rsquo;s ancient Mexican blockbuster, %26ldquo;The Legacy of the Plumed Serpent in Ancient Mexico,%26rdquo; is a multi-ton, six-foot-tall pair of sandaled feet, truncated at the knees and sculpted from basalt, circa A.D. 900 %26ndash; 1200. The dramatic architectural fragment was once a column in a vast pyramidal complex, at the heart of the capital of the Toltec kingdom in Tula (in the present state of Hidalgo), sited amid the plains of central Mexico. Watch for this Atlantid Warrior posted outside the entrance to the exhibition, standing guard over 150 rare artifacts and objects of art that span 500 years during the postclassic and early colonial periods, united by a common belief in the plumed serpent, or Quetzalcoatl. Another highlight is more ephemeral but equally fascinating %26mdash;%26nbsp; the poignant Codex Nuttall, a 15th%26ndash;16th-century hand-colored and illustrated volume penned on deerskin. Stolen from the Mixtecs by their European conquerors, it%26rsquo;s now back in North America for the first time in 500 years. Organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, %26ldquo;The Plumed Serpent%26rdquo; arrives at the DMA as its second and final stop; do not miss this mystical show (special entry ticket required). %26ldquo;The Legacy of the Plumed Serpent in Ancient Mexico,%26rdquo; at the Dallas Museum of Art, through November 25; dallasmuseumofart.org.

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IMAGE: Sandaled Feet of Atlantid Warrior Column, Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico, Toltec civilization, A.D. 900 %26ndash; 1200, at DMA%26nbsp;

Full Circle: Prado + Portraiture + A Mighty Royal

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 05:53:14 GMT

The likeness of powerful Spanish monarch King Philip IV %26mdash; he of the astute eye whose art collection forms a pillar of one of the world%26rsquo;s most munificent museums, Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid %26mdash; comes to the Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University this fall. %26ldquo;Diego Vel%26aacute;zquez: The Early Court Portraits%26rdquo; pairs this patron extraordinaire with his official court painter, assembling early examples from the 17th-century Spanish master%26rsquo;s oeuvre including the celebrated, psychologically modern, imposing canvas of Philip IV from 1623 to 1627, begun when the artist was only 24 years old. Part of the innovative, ongoing Prado-Meadows exchange, this loan comes full circle, for if there were no Philip IV nor his portrait by Vel%26aacute;zquez, there would have been no Prado to inspire Algur H. Meadows to found his own %26ldquo;small Prado
in Texas.%26rdquo; September 16, 2012 - January 13, 2013, at Meadows Museum, Southern Methodist University; smu.edu/meadowsmuseum.

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IMAGE: Diego Rodr%26iacute;guez de Silva y Vel%26aacute;zquez%26rsquo;s Philip IV, 1623 %26ndash; 1627, at Meadows Museum, SMU

The Price is Right

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 05:51:42 GMT

One of the most captivating exhibitions of contemporary ceramics ever, %26ldquo;Ken Price Sculpture: A Retrospective,%26rdquo; organized by the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art, firmly places this late West Coast master in the realm of contemporary sculptors, eschewing a narrow craft definition. Long before Chihuly broke through the confines of the craft kingdom, the Los Angeles%26ndash;born Price was showcased in serious galleries and accepted by museum curators, including the incomparable Walter Hopps, who gave the artist one of his first exhibitions at the Ferus Gallery in the early 1960s, then showcased Price some 30 years late in an important traveling solo organized by The Menil Collection. A former professor of ceramics at USC, Price spent the final decade of his life in Taos, where he continued to push and probe the possibilities of fired and painted clay, vis-%26agrave;-vis his famed mottled and molten creations. Despite the often small size of these clay works, they pack a punch and possess a power that transcends their time, place and medium. Architect Frank Gehry, a friend and fan of the ceramicist for more than 50 years, specially designed the exhibition, which makes the second stop of its national tour in Dallas at the Nasher Sculpture Center next February, before heading to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the summer of 2013. On view September 16, 2012 %26ndash; January 6, 2013, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (lacma.org); February 9 %26ndash; May 12, 2013, at the Nasher Sculpture Center (nashersculpturecenter.org); June 18 %26ndash;September 22, 2013, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (metmuseum.org).

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Ken Price%26rsquo;s L. Red, 1963, at Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Photo courtesySFMOMA, San Francisco, %26copy; Ken Price, photo %26copy; Fredrik Nilsen

Walk This Way: Diamonds Are Forever

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 05:48:37 GMT

As part of its September auction season, and in a bow to Fashion%26rsquo;s Night Out on Thursday, September 6, Martin Lawrence Galleries%26rsquo; Dallas Galleria location will showcase a Pop king and a lot of glitter %26mdash; diamond dust, to be precise. The hand-signed silkscreen by the late Warhol bears an image of a half-dozen high-fashion pumps in the most totally awesome 1980s jewel-tone shades. Price upon request, through Martin Lawrence Galleries, Dallas; information Sylvia Wilkins, swilkins@martinlawrence.com; additional Warhol offerings auctioned this month, martinlawrence.com.

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IMAGE: Andy Warhol%26rsquo;s Shoes #254, 1980, at Martin Lawrence Galleries

Gallery Boom

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 05:44:25 GMT

Not in almost a decade has the art scene exploded with such envelope-pushing new gallerists. Stay tuned next month for the scoop on a promising pair of Design District newcomers, Circuit 12 Contemporary and Red Arrow Contemporary. We%26rsquo;ll also be covering the game-changing Oliver Francis Gallery and edgy project space The Reading Room, important Fairground arrivals who restore some avant-garde energy to East Dallas. September exhibition schedules: circuit12.com; oliverfrancisgallery.com; thereadingroom-dallas.blogspot.com; redarrowcontemporary.com. Catherine D. Anspon

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Michael Dotson%26rsquo;s Daze Off, 2012, at Circuit 12 Contemporary. Photo courtesy the artist and Circuit 12 Contemporary

Blurring the Line Between Art %26 Design

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 05:02:36 GMT

%26nbsp;This is the future we were promised and the power of installation art. Floor-to-ceiling G%26uuml;termann thread, anyone? Or a 12-foot strand of silica?

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Crafts Crazy%26nbsp;

Glass. Thread. Thread and glass. Even five years ago, you wouldn%26rsquo;t be reading these words in an article about the hottest up-and-comers from the current gallery season. With the exception of a few big-name breakaways such as Dale Chihuly or the Gees Bend quilting ladies, contemporary creators who explored traditional craft media were relegated to nonprofit spaces (albeit respected ones) that solely showcased works in fiber, glass, metal, wood and clay. Or they were entrenched in narrowly defined museum departments of design and decorative art, like a spider ensnared in a web spun by materials, not message.%26nbsp;

All that has changed irrevocably now. What%26rsquo;s the evidence? Witness this Texas-based duo: Gabriel Dawe and Justin Ginsberg, two artists who live and work in Dallas and whose ambitious, game-changing media has spread, both literally and metaphorically, where few working in yarn or glass have gone before. Read on.%26nbsp;

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Dawe%26rsquo;s Thread Count

Not since Fred Sandback took simple strands of string and conjured the architecture of a space has another talent done wondrous, meaningful things with a material found in a prosaic sewing kit. Enter Gabriel Dawe. Among the most intriguing and original of recent CentralTrak protagonists, Dawe%26rsquo;s years at the University of Texas Dallas residency program (2009 %26ndash; 2011) primed him for his magnum opus: a sweeping site-specific creation at the Dallas Contemporary in late 2010 and early 2011. His headlining DC masterwork was extended several months after its initial closing date due to its extraordinary allure of light and color, all formed from a seemingly straightforward yet laborious (100-plus hours in the making) arrangement of colored thread laced into a room-sized chamber. While at CentralTrak, Dawe began creating these signature %26ldquo;Plexus%26rdquo; series concurrently with blithe little drawings that mirrored his larger works and in turn served as studies for the shifting effects of line and hue realized in his three-dimensional interventions.%26nbsp;

Then there was his thread-play in Houston. I will never forget the moment I walked into Peel Gallery in September 2011 and encountered Dawe on the top rung of a ladder, wielding a long stick that resembled a pole vaulter%26rsquo;s launching apparatus but ended in a tiny hook. Was this the world%26rsquo;s largest needle? Watching the sculptor dexterously navigate the contraption between almost invisible hooks on rows upon rows of wood strips mounted on the floor and ceiling was hypnotic. Meticulously, meditatively, he threaded that giant rod with multi-hued fiber to construct an enchanting room filled with light, space and yarn. Diaphanous. Surprising.

And there%26rsquo;s a bit of the transgressive in the Mexico City%26ndash;born artist%26rsquo;s work. After completing his degree in the graphic arts from the Universidad de las Americas in Puebla, Mexico, he migrated to Montreal to live and work in Canada for seven years. During his Canadian stint, Dawe segued from graphic design towards exploring media that was traditionally the province of women: textiles and embroidery, all based upon childhood memory and inspired by the tropical palette of his birthplace.

His preferred material %26mdash; polychrome polyester thread woven by 150-year-old German yarn manufacturer G%26uuml;termann in shiny, iridescent hues %26mdash; has optimistic prismatic properties. The spaces his strands encircle conjure cathedrals of color that appear lighter than air, as if the viewer could walk through walls of pigment. This is art that challenges gender assumptions, reconfigures the notion of craft and women%26rsquo;s work and evokes a new paradigm of art, architecture and design, all formed from the basic building block of fashion: sewing thread. Paralleling the pioneering Latin American modernist Carlos Cruz-Diez, chromatic experience is the end game, but in lieu of employing paint or light beams, humble polyester is Dawe%26rsquo;s sculptural building block. And like Cruz-Deiz, what%26rsquo;s evoked is a new utopia %26mdash; one the artist underscores is %26ldquo;symbolic of the non-physical structures humanity needs to survive as a species.%26rdquo;

Dawe is dually represented in Texas by Houston%26rsquo;s Hempel Design and Conduit Gallery of Dallas. Catch his latest work at Conduit during the Texas Contemporary Art Fair.

Glass + Ginsberg

Glass matters to Justin Ginsberg. Deeply. This UT grad holds BA and MFA degrees from, respectively, the University of Texas in Austin and the University of Texas in Arlington. He has also studied at the gold standard of glass institutions: Pilchuck School of Glass in Stanwood, Washington (the home of the fabled Dale Chihuly), and the Penland School of Crafts in Penland, North Carolina (a bastion of creative activity in the Blue Ridge Mountains). Exhibited coast to coast, Ginsberg%26rsquo;s most recent one-person Texas exhibition happened this past May at Houston%26rsquo;s Peel Gallery: a compelling minimalist installation almost shocking in its distillation. Set against a pitch-black wall space, its floating filaments were as long as 12 feet, signaling a new and futuristic way of showcasing silica that breaks free from the notion of perfectly worked vessels or precious objects merely to be acquired then relegated to display cases.

In Dallas, he has made a similar impact by creating boldly reductive interventions into built environments. The most memorable was in 2010, when he participated in %26ldquo;Sustenance,%26rdquo; an edgy group show in an abandoned double-story commercial building in West Dallas, curated by Stephen Lapthisophon and Anne Lawrence. Fellow artists included Frances Baglety and Brian Fridge, but Ginsberg stole the show. The artist%26rsquo;s photographs of this project still send chills: Incandescent reflections bounce off thin continuous threads of glass that seem to levitate in a raw, raw space. A true crossover artist, he makes bowls and vases by classical glassmakers look so traditional, they%26rsquo;re almost staid.

Ginsberg, you see, completely and utterly redefines glass, purifying it down to single strands, pulled by hand, which are forged together by heat to form larger colonies of delicate clusters %26mdash; glass as calligraphy, mark-making, a new sensibility. Ceiling-suspended via translucent plastic wire, each composition hovers in the void, often dramatically placed against a background absent of much lighting. Occasionally the thin silica hairs, the thickness of a shaft of wheat, begin to break down, reinforcing the metaphor of fragility and adding a space-time continuum. Gicl%26eacute;e photographic prints both document the transitory nature of the sculptor%26rsquo;s structures and serve as pieces in their own right. %26ldquo;The two together demonstrate an attempt to preserve the ephemeral, providing a window into a specific moment, at a specific location,%26rdquo; underscores Ginsberg. While glass is his media, ultimately the dynamic handcrafted strands and their accompanying photographs are about broader archetypes and human issues. %26ldquo;My work is an investigation into the beauty, strength and fragility of humans and nature, all which work in balanced systems of erosion, transformation and regeneration,%26rdquo; he says.

Ginsberg is represented in Texas by Hempel Design, Houston. Watch for his next popup, coming this fall to a warehouse in West Dallas.

Gabriel Dawe. Photo Shaulin.

Justin Ginsberg. Photo Jenny Antill.

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Art Notes

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 02:58:45 GMT

Besides Houston Fine Art Fair 2012 (check out our Special Section within these pages), here are 11 shows that matter and why:

1. Aaron Parazette–curated “In Plain Sight,” at McClain Gallery. Is this “Fresh Paint Two?” Don’t miss the most significant roundup of Houston painting talent in double decades — a survey that needs to lead to a Museum of Fine Arts, Houston blockbuster (September 8 – October 20).

2. Art League Houston’s Texas Artist of the Year exhibition for cool-school abstractionist Aaron Parazette (September 7 –%26nbsp;November 2). A former Core Fellow and current U of H painting professor, he is deservedly showcased as a top talent and a community leader.

3. What’s on the Front burner? Parazette’s Mrs., former Core Fellow Sharon Engelstein, curates her bungalow front room with a husband-and-wife duo: Hilary Harnischfeger’s gorgeous painted sculptures embedded with gems and minerals and Tommy White’s understated graphite drawings that suggest nature (opening reception Saturday, September 22; September 24 – October 27).

4. Nazar Yahya, an Iraqi artist transplanted to Texas, creates important nuanced mixed-media works on rice paper applied to canvas. In the collection of the British Museum and the Met, the Station Museum–exhibited Yahya has an important solo opening at Wade Wilson Art (September 7 – October 20).%26nbsp;

5. For years, Betty Moody Gallery has been the principal dealer for Venice Biennale–exhibited James Drake. Now he’s the gallery’s season opener, complete with a book signing Saturday, September 8 (through October6). We’re intriguing by Drake’s drawing of flies buzzing upon a lacy sheet of cut paper.

6. Leave it to G Gallery to concoct “Dog Park,” a canine manifesto of sorts co-curated by owner Wayne Gilbert and director Diane Barber (September 1 – 30).

7. Plastic is the word — just ask my father, chemist/plastics pioneer Dr. Harry D. Anspon; in his honor, the group show “Plastic Fantastic” came about at Deborah Colton Gallery, including the strange retail experience of Paul Horn and Solomon Kane’s Paul-Mart (September 8 –%26nbsp;October 27).%26nbsp;

8. Like a phoenix, DiverseWorks rises again, with a significant video show for Israeli artist Keren Cytter, marking her first big institutional survey in America, at dual DW’s: the about-to-be-closed 1113 East Freeway locale (September 8 –%26nbsp;October 20) and the new Midtown digs at 4102 Fannin (September 8 – November 3).

9. Contemplate “The Great Outdoors” at Meredith Long %26amp; Company, a gem of a view including a late wildlife master, watercolorist John P. Cowan (whose granddaughter is PaperCity’s fashion editor, Kate Stukenberg).

10. Catch one of the most successful intersections of art and commerce in Texas at Laura Rathe Fine Art’s solo for Christopher Martin (September 8 – October 13).

11. Gaze upon the enticing, edgy post-Pop canvases of British kingpin Danny Rolph in the “Duke of Burgundy” at Barbara Davis Gallery (September 7 – October 5).

IMAGES:

Nazar Yahya’s Face from Ur, 2012, at Wade Wilson Art. Photo courtesy the artist and Wade Wilson Art.

Aaron Parazette’s Color Key #55, 2012, at McClain Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and McClain Gallery

Seven Days of Art in September

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 02:45:53 GMT

Dateline Houston Fine Art Fair 2012: You could say it%26rsquo;s the biggest art convergence this fall, and you would not be bragging. For seven days and seven nights this month, we%26rsquo;ve cleared our calendars and all we%26rsquo;re focusing on will be the Houston Fine Art Fair and the riches of ArtWeek. Producer Rick Friedman returns for year two with a boutique Fair that, as we%26rsquo;ve underscored in the Special Section in this issue, is better %26mdash; and better vetted %26mdash; than ever. Houston art-smart duo, MKG Art Management%26rsquo;s Melissa Grobmyer and Janet Hobby, serve as Fair advisors. Besides mapping out unique experiences (panels, tours and parties) to showcase Houston as one of America%26rsquo;s art capitals, they%26rsquo;ve reorganized the Fair into intelligent sections %26mdash; Fahrenheit, Focus and Foto %26mdash; and upped the number of international dealers. Pay attention to the core group from Latin America. And speaking of core: Opening Night, Thursday, September 13, benefits the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston%26rsquo;s cutting-edge Glassell School Core Program. Prepare for Fair days, September 14 to 16, as Reliant Center becomes the ultimate white cube. VIP and Preferred Pass holders indulge in the VIP Lounge, designed by architect Lauren Rottet, where one can quaff a flute and plot your acquisitions. Opening Night Thursday, September 13; Fair days Friday %26ndash; Sunday, September 14 %26ndash; 16; for all the details, including how to be a VIP, visit houstonfineartfair.com.

Come and Get 'Em

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 01:37:40 GMT

Warhol fanatics get ready, this Sunday Target will begin selling the above special edition Campbell soup cans to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the artist's 32 Campbell Soup Cans. The cans will sell for $.75, all we have to say is %26mdash; finally pop art that we can afford!

Move Over Miami. Hello, Houston

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:14:24 GMT

Catherine D. Anspon forecasts the highlights of year two. Who%26rsquo;s the HFAF 2012 Artist of the Year? Which powerhouse gallerists are coming to town? What are the most provocative panels, the sexiest parties? The brightest art stars? Fahrenheit, Foto and Focus, anyone? Read on.

Reliant Center as White Cube%26nbsp; %26nbsp;

For one night and three days this September, more than 10,000 pairs of art eyes %26mdash; seasoned to beginning collectors, museum types including directors and curators, wide-ranging media, avant-gardists and the merely curious %26mdash; will descend on Houston%26rsquo;s Reliant Center, a vast space used to crowds taking in pursuits from the Nutcracker Market to the Rodeo. Why here? Why now? The answer is compelling and succinct: Houston Fine Art Fair 2012 (HFAF). Surprising? No. With one of the top three communities of working artists in America, and a robust economy spun around museums, nonprofits and world-class galleries, Houston is a major player on the international art circuit. In recognition of that reality, Houston Fine Art Fair arrives this month for year two. And it%26rsquo;s bigger and better (and better vetted) than ever. Here%26rsquo;s our complete guide to the themes, behind-the-scenes and standouts, plus the scoop on the coveted Artist of the Year accolade. You get the picture.

Show Time%26nbsp;

You could go by the numbers. Seventy-plus galleries. 80,000 square feet. 11 countries. 32 cities. 2,000 works of art. But that would only be one portion of the story and not even hint at the compelling composition of this art fair%26rsquo;s canvas, which has transformed and evolved in the past 12 months since its strong, credible showing in 2011 into a convergence poised to become a phenomenon this year with an enticing yet thoughtful series of events %26mdash; panels, happenings, parties, tours and programming %26mdash; interwoven into the experience known as HFAF ARTWEEK.%26nbsp;

Hamptons to Nexus Texas %26nbsp;

September 13 through 16, Rick Friedman%26rsquo;s Hamptons Expo Group (HEG) returns to town, producing Houston Fine Art Fair 2012. Friedman%26rsquo;s other fair endeavors are known for their boutique scale, including ArtHamptons, as well as other tony fairs in Aspen, Palm Springs and San Francisco. Yet HEG%26rsquo;s initiative in Houston is arguably the one with the most primacy. For this city %26mdash;%26nbsp;recently cited by Forbes as the %26ldquo;Coolest%26rdquo; in America %26mdash; possesses the greatest frisson of collecting energy and visual arts dominance %26mdash; way above the pack, in fact. Astute NY-based eye Fran Kaufman is again involved, this year as creative consultant, joined by game-changing Fair Advisors Melissa Grobmyer and Janet Hobby of MKG Art Management.

%26nbsp;Houston to Zurich, Maracaibo to Seoul + Loving Latin American

On the playing field with an abundance of powerful to emerging Latin American types and coast-to-coast nationals, as well as those from the Asian and European continents, 17 Houston notables stand out, joined by the respected Dallas triad of Talley Dunn Gallery, Holly Johnson Gallery and Valley House Gallery %26amp; Sculpture Garden. And almost all the Houston dealers we surveyed plan specially curated booths that introduce monographic surveys (Focus); present works procured just for the Fair (a pristine Warhol double Jackie on a field of violet at Hiram Butler Gallery); or arrange an entire experience, as Barbara Davis has done via multiple booths, including one devoted to a site-specific installation by the unrivaled Houston artist Joe Mancuso. Within our hometown contingent other standouts are McClain Gallery, HQ for acclaimed former Core Fellow Aaron Parazette; McMurtrey Gallery, where Houston ab ex master Howard Sherman reigns; and Gallery Sonja Roesch, presenting %26ldquo;Latin Lights,%26rdquo; culled from her handsome stable of European and Texas minimalists. We%26rsquo;re also excited to investigate points of view from NY and LA. Among the Manhattan heavyweights, we%26rsquo;ll be heading first to Hollis Taggart Galleries (gazing upon an exquisite 1955 Milton Avery still life), Von Lintel Gallery, Pavel Zoubok Gallery, Margaret Thatcher Projects, and Schroeder Romero %26amp; Shredder (where a 1940 Man Ray is enticing). I personally will be perusing Ken Gonzales-Day%26rsquo;s photos that place art-historical sculptures in dialogue, at Los Angeles trend-spotter Luis De Jesus, as well as across the pond (London-based Cynthia Corbett Gallery, Zurich%26rsquo;s Galerie Kashya Hildebrand), extending to Asia (via Gallery Tableau, in from Seoul). Most significant of all %26mdash; and what will brand HFAF as unique and potentially extraordinary %26mdash; is the opportunity to explore in-depth the contemporary scene of Latin America via more than a dozen dealers, in from Caracas, Maracaibo, Mexico City, Monterrey, La Paz, Santiago, Bogot%26aacute; and even a pair from Havana (Collage Habana, La Casona). See the complete and rousing roster on the facing page.

Temperatures Soaring: Fahrenheit

Just like gold-standard Art Basel Miami Beach, organizing HFAF around thematic sections is intriguing and provides clarity for the viewer. One of the most dynamic of these arenas is Fahrenheit, a buzzing showcase for fresh dealers and the often even fresher talents they represent. Watch for notables Toca | Galeria of Mexico City and Monterrey-based Pristine Galerie alongside hometown dealer, the

Caribbean-born Zoya Tommy, whose PG Contemporary boasts a senior Japanese master Ushio Shinohara, whose wild self-portrait on a motorcycle is a metaphor for all the exuberance of this Fair.
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On Our Radar: Focus%26nbsp;

The opportunity to explore a booth devoted to a sole individual talent amounts to a monographic mini-museum exhibition of sorts. Best bets include Eric Fischl%26rsquo;s evocative new figurative sculpture at Hexton Gallery; Swiss artist Katja Loher, whose videos have some of the production values of a Busby Berkeley musical (at Anya Tish); Devin Borden%26rsquo;s showing of Geoff Hippenstiel%26rsquo;s new abstractions; David Shelton%26rsquo;s presentation of eerie, film-noir-ish canvases by Texan Sara Frantz; and the always obsessive Ellen Frances Tuchman at Koelsch Gallery. We%26rsquo;re also enamored of the stellar Latin American-focused gallerists, including Houston%26rsquo;s own Sicardi Gallery, which showcases the king of chromo-saturation Carlos Cruz-Diez, and Mexico City dealer Antena Estudio, exhibiting newcomer Laura Ortiz Vega, whose paintings formed from embroidery thread re-contextualize the concept of women%26rsquo;s work.

In the Lens + Looking South%26nbsp;

The Fair%26rsquo;s love affair with the south %26mdash; as in, South America %26mdash; continues via a FotoFest-curated booth exhibiting the museum-caliber %26ldquo;Focus on Latin American Photography 1890s %26ndash;1940s,%26rdquo; culled from recently rediscovered archives from the Southern continent. On view are exceptionally rare images from Mexico, Peru, Colombia and Guatemala by artists who will be a revelation. The Fair also highlights a group of esteemed photography dealers in the Foto section: from the Mexico City-based Patricia Conde Galer%26iacute;a, to LA photo denizen Kopeikin Gallery, as well as the incomparable John Cleary Gallery
from Houston.

Let There Be Light!%26nbsp;

Another pervading HFAF sub-theme is the presence of light artists. From Romanian-born Texan Adela Andea%26rsquo;s display that resembles a coral reef at Anya Tish Gallery to Jay Shinn%26rsquo;s futuristic projections, which take up one space of Barbara Davis Gallery%26rsquo;s three booths; these beams, neons, fluorescents and rays, offer optimistic messages for the future. Also check out our cover artist, Korean light worker and show-stopper Chul Hyun Ahn, at C. Grimaldis Gallery. (Rumor has it Ahn has just been picked up by Saatchi.)

We%26rsquo;ve Got Talent: Artist of the Year

And for year two, HFAF has looked deeply within the state of Texas and anointed a two-time Whitney Biennial talent: Paris, Texas-raised Trenton Doyle Hancock, whose r%26eacute;sum%26eacute; includes countless international exhibitions as well as a 2002 Core Program residency. Hear Hancock on Sunday, September 16, and see his work at the MFAH Core Factor booth.

Cutting-Edge Core

Why is Houston on the international art map? One major reason is the MFAH%26rsquo;s cutting-edge artist residency, the Core Program at the Glassell School of Art. Top Houston collectors and constant Core supporters Brad Bucher and Victoria Lightman curate a selection of Core Fellows who%26rsquo;ve made the greatest mark on the contemporary scene, including Mequitta Ahuja, Mark Allen of LA%26rsquo;s Machine Projects, Amy Blakemore, Leandro Erlich, the aforementioned HFAF Artist of the Year Trenton Doyle Hancock, Todd Hebert,%26nbsp;Leslie Hewitt, MacArthur %26ldquo;Genius%26rdquo; Grant recipient Julie Mehretu, Demetrius Oliver, Aaron Parazette, Shahzia Sikander, and Hilary Wilder. And watch for a booth stocked with current Core Fellows, whose work is available for acquisition, with the proceeds going directly to the artists.

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IMAGES:

Tom Leighton%26rsquo;s Hollywood Land (detail), 2012, at Cynthia Corbett Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and Cynthia Corbett Gallery, London.

Evgenia Arbugaeva%26rsquo;s Journey to the Lake September 2011, at Pictura Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and Pictura Gallery, Bloomington, Indiana.

Jay Shinn%26rsquo;s Double Corner Bend, 2012, at Barbara Davis Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and Barbara Davis Gallery, Houston.

Milton Avery%26rsquo;s Blue Bottle, 1955, at Hollis Taggart Galleries. Photo courtesy Hollis Taggert Galleries, New York, NY.

Geoff Hippenstiel%26rsquo;s Untitled, 2012, at Devin Borden Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and Devin Borden Gallery, Houston.

Laura Ortiz Vega%26rsquo;s Coraz%26oacute;n, 2012, at Antena Estudio. Photo courtesy the artist and Antena Estudio, Mexico City.

Javier Pelaez%26rsquo;s Fake Flowers 1, 2012, at Toca|Galeria. Photo courtesy the artist and Toca|Galeria, Mexico City, Mexico.

Ushio Shinohara%26rsquo;s Self-Portrait, 2011, at PG Contemporary. Photo courtesy the artist and PG Contemporary, Houston.

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Behind the Canvas

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:10:10 GMT

Rick Friedman
President, Hamptons Expo Group, and Fair Producer%26nbsp;

You%26rsquo;ve been traveling to Houston for two years now, attending galas and hosting cocktails leading up to HFAF ARTWEEK. Most memorable art moment to date? Favorite person, place or thing in the Houston art world? My most memorable art moment in Houston to date is standing on the 2011 HFAF show floor, holding my breath [on] opening night while watching the entrance doors swing open and tons of Fair-goers enthusiastically rushing in ... My favorite aspect about Houston is that it represents an intensely knowledgeable, progressive and art-savvy interconnected network of art lovers ... They are not afraid to pull the trigger and take chances. Even though we produce fairs across the nation, I have not seen such a tight-knit infrastructure of driven art patrons anywhere in America. For this reason, I see Houston as the premier art market in the country right now.%26nbsp;

Your first art fair purchase? Who was the artist? At which fair and when? My first art fair purchases were a Fairfield Porter drawing of his beloved wife, Anne Porter, as well as a wonderful painting by Arshile Gorky. It was about six years ago. Let me not say from whom. And now, 165 art purchases later, well, I basically eat my own cooking.

Tips for a first-time Fair-goer? Walk around the entire fair, scope out all the possibilities, talk with the dealers, ask a lot of questions. Then ask yourself, %26ldquo;What can I not live without?%26rdquo; Think deeply about it, and take your time ... Oh, yes, [and] buy the most expensive, most important, most prominent piece by the artist you can safely afford, without getting a dose of buyer%26rsquo;s remorse. Many beginners make the mistake of compromising on a smaller, less impactful work as they gingerly put their toe in the water. It is better to buy a significant example of the artist%26rsquo;s work than a lesser one.

What are you most excited to attend/see this fall? Our complex production at Reliant Center, which represents a year in the making. Excited about the dramatic sculptures that attendees see upon entrance, our memorable community-driven public installations, such as the MFAH Core Factor and the FotoFest Latin American display. And the 2,000 works of art, which collectors will uncover and experience as they explore our breathtaking 80,000 square-foot hall. Our lecture program is invigorating, not to mention our electrifying HFAF ARTWEEK schedule of events (grab a ticket where you can), which is now the envy of many other major cities in America. We want to entertain, amaze, educate and provoke our guests. I want them to remark %26ldquo;OMG%26rdquo; at least once to themselves.

Melissa Grobmyer and Janet Hobby
Principals, MKG Art Management, and Fair Advisors

How did you set out to curate the Houston Fine Art Fair?%26nbsp;

MG: We really didn%26rsquo;t set out to curate HFAF, and as show advisors, we were not hired to do so.%26nbsp;We did, however, set out to change the look/feel of the Fair, to make it reflect Houston, and to vet the applications coming in ... The goal was to keep the quality high, but to offer Houstonians a variety of art in various styles, genres, media and price points. This year, we strove to define the Fair as a Texas-based fair, reflecting our collecting population. Houston is much different from NY, Miami or LA: We have a unique perspective that walks the line between Southern, Western and Latin viewpoints. This combination is different from any place in the world, and we hope to capture that feeling. Texans also have a deeply ingrained humor and joie de vivre, which we play on in many of our events surrounding the Fair.

JH: To focus on quality and global diversity of dealers. This year%26rsquo;s Fair has involved cultural partners and program speakers from all over the US, and awareness events have been hosted in various regional cities. All of this should mean the Fair gets a larger, more targeted visitor count.

Your first art fair purchase?

MG: A small drawing on gessoed wood of an unmade bed. At Aqua in Miami several years ago. The artist is Meg Alexander. The gallery was Alston Skirt Gallery in Boston.

JH: A four-foot vertical Christopher Knowles %26ldquo;typing%26rdquo; from the 2004 Armory Show. Christopher has an exceptional ability in mathematical organization in these works %26mdash; which is characteristic of autism %26mdash; a diagnosis he%26rsquo;s had since childhood. He perceives his condition as a talent. I like that lesson for
all of us.

Tips for a first-time Fair-goer?

MG: Do not be intimidated by either the art or the people. Walk through and look. Ask questions. Get cards and take notes and pictures of each piece you see that strikes
you. Go home. Sleep on it. The next day, one or two pieces will hit you the hardest. Purchase the piece you can%26rsquo;t forget.

JH: On your first walk through, look. Then go back to the pieces you can%26rsquo;t get out of your head. Once you realize the galleries you gravitate to most, take the time to get to know the directors and learn about their programs.

What are you most excited about this year to share with the Fair-goers?

MG: We are very proud of the international scope of our gallery roster %26hellip; Houston is an international city and deserves an international fair. We are also very proud of our programming. We have developed HFAF ARTWEEK, where daily events lead up to the Fair. At the Fair itself, we have brought together an amazing group of scholars, curators, artists and art professionals for our lectures, panels and tours. And our parties are going to be a blast.

%26nbsp;

IMAGES:

Rick Freeman. Photo by Jenny Antill.

Janet Hobby, Melissa Grobmyer. Photo by Jenny Antill.

Adela Andea%26rsquo;s Bioluminescent Wall (detail), 2012, at Anya Tish Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and Anya Tish Gallery, Houston.

Houston Fine Art Fair 2012

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:07:30 GMT

September 14%26ndash;16, 2012 at Reliant Center

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Opening Night Benefits MFAH Glassell School Core Program

Your Exclusive Insider Peek Behind the Scenes of the Art Action
Preview the 70 Booths: Who%26rsquo;s Exhibiting %26mdash; The Complete Fair Roster
%26nbsp;
All the Buzz
The Hottest Artists, The Coolest Gallerists
Where You Need to Be, Whom to Know, What to See
(Pssst! Fair Tips from the Very Top)

Plus How to Be a VIP: Panels, Parties, Lectures, Tours and One Big A$* Breakfast

www.houstonfineartfair.com

%26nbsp;

FAIR GAME

Ready Set, Collect!

Your Go-To Guide to Houston's Fine Art Fair's Sizzling 2012 ARTWEEK

Seven Days and Nights of Action: From One Big A$* Breakfast to a Slice of Art Heaven at the Art Loaf Kick-Off Party Plus How to Be a VIP at HFAF 2012

Preview: Thursday, September 13, 2012
6 %26ndash; 7:30 pm: Opening Night VIP Preview Party (including cocktails/bites)
7:30 %26ndash; 9 pm: Opening Night Reception (cash bar). Both events benefit the Core Program of the Glassell School of Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
%26nbsp;

Fair Days:
Friday, September 14, 11 am to 7 pm
Saturday, September 15, 11 am to 7 pm
Sunday, September 16, 11 am to 6 pm
%26nbsp;

Where: Reliant Center, One Reliant Park, Houston, Texas 77054

Tariff: $25 to $125 per person
Students receive 20 percent off ticket prices with valid student ID
One-Day Ticket, $25 (admission to the Fair for one day: Friday, Saturday
or Sunday)
Three-Day Ticket: $40 (admission to all three Fair days: Friday, Saturday and Sunday)
Preferred Pass: $75 (access to the Opening Reception on Thursday, September 13, and entry to the Fair all three days)
VIP Pass: $125 (access to the Opening Night VIP Preview Party and Opening Reception on Thursday, September 13, entry to the Fair all three days and ARTWEEK VIP access)
Contact: www.houstonfineartfair.com ; info@houstonfineartfair.com

Be a VIP
What%26rsquo;s the best way to attend the Houston Fine Art Fair 2012? Go the VIP route, all the way. For a mere $125, experience a wealth of parties, insider tours (clink cocktails at some very celebrated private collections and James Turrell%26rsquo;s newest Skyspace at Rice University), intriguing panels and an afternoon walk through of the intensely private, rarely seen Menil House. Your VIP pass also provides the most important perk: the very first Opening Night peek at the Fair and admission during all three ensuing Fair days. Here%26rsquo;s the scoop on the complete ARTWEEK VIP action.

VIP Programming
(VIP ticket required)
%26nbsp;

Monday, September 10
6 %26ndash;%26nbsp;8 pm: Blaffer Blow Out with Houston Young People for the Arts (HYPA); color (dress) code neon; preview the Blaffer%26rsquo;s cool new digs by Work AC. Where: Blaffer Art Museum, U of H,
Fine Arts Building, entrance 16

Tuesday, September 11
7 %26ndash; 9 pm: Tootsies Kick-Off Party, Art Loaf, co-sponsored by PaperCity; contemporary cocktails, abstract moments, impressionistic art stars. Where: Tootsies at West Ave, 2601 Westheimer Road

Wednesday, September 12
6:30 %26ndash; 8:30 pm: Asia Society VIP Reception (6:30 pm) followed by %26ldquo;What Lies Between: Contemporary Asian American Art, Politics, and the Social Value of Collecting%26rdquo; panel (7:30 pm), moderated by Kimberly Davenport, Rice University Art Gallery director; featuring Houston-born international artist Mel Chin in dialogue with top contemporary Asian collector Jereann Chaney. Note: Panel opens to the public at 7:30 pm. Where: Asia Society Texas Center, 1370 Southmore Blvd.

8 pm: Collectors Dinners (private invitation) at the homes of Houston%26rsquo;s top collectors; dinner, drinks and discussion; catered by gourmet foot trucks.

Thursday, September 13
10:15 am check-in; 10:30 %26ndash;%26nbsp;11:30 am tour: Private MFAH Bayou Bend Collection %26amp; Gardens Tour.
Where: Begin at Bayou Bend%26rsquo;s cottage, 6003 Memorial Dr. at Westcott St.

10:30 am %26ndash; noon: AIA Metro Rail Architectural Tour of Texas Medical Center, Museum District and Downtown; Rusty Bienvenue, executive director of AIA Houston, leads the tour. Where: Meet at entrance to MFAH Cullen Sculpture Garden, Bissonnet St.

6 %26ndash; 7:30 pm: Opening Night VIP Preview; be the first through the doors for the Fair; enjoy Jackson and Company catered fare and cocktails; Opening Reception ticket holders enter at 7:30 pm; Opening Night until 9 pm. Where: Reliant Center. Note: VIP ticket required; $125 in advance and at the door.

Friday, September 14
9 am: Breakfast at Sicardi Gallery; rub shoulders with the MFAH%26rsquo;s acclaimed curator of Latin American art, Mari Carmen Ram%26iacute;rez. Where: Sicardi Gallery, 1506 W. Alabama.

11 am: The architect who restored the Menil House, Bill Stern, opens up his own home/collection and leads a tour. Where: Private residence.

3 pm: Fair Tour led by Bill Arning, director of Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

3 pm: Menil House Tour; this VIP perk offers a behind-the-scenes look into one of Philip Johnson%26rsquo;s first commissions, as well as the house that provided the DNA for The Menil Collection. Where: 3363 San Felipe.

5 pm: Fair Tour led by Joe Havel, MFAH Glassell School of Art director.

6:30 %26ndash; 8:30 pm: Turrell Skyspace Experience, complemented by pre-show cocktails; the sublime
light show commences at sunset (7:05 pm). Where: Rice University Campus.

7 %26ndash; 8:30 pm: MFAH Latin Maecenas Reception: The curatorial support group for the museum%26rsquo;s stellar Latin American initiative hosts an HFAF VIP Reception; legendary MFAH Latin American curator Mari Carmen Ram%26iacute;rez gives a tour of %26ldquo;Constructed Dialogues: Concrete, Geometric, and Kenetic Art from the Latin American Art Collection." Where: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Beck Building, 5601 Main St.

Saturday, September 15
8:30 %26ndash; 10:30 am: MFAH Glassell Big A$* Breakfast: Big A$* art connoisseurs Judy Nyquist and Lee Ellis host a breakfast blowout; quaff cocktails and coffee, consume food art, then hop the train to HFAF. Fittingly, H-E-B serves as the sponsor.%26nbsp; Where: Glassell School of Art, 5101 Montrose.

1 pm: Fair Tour of Latin galleries led by Rachel Mohl, curatorial assistant, Latin American and Latino Art, MFAH

Sunday, September 16
1 pm: Fair Tour of Latin galleries led by Mike Wellen, assistant curator of Latin American and Latino Art, MFAH

Registration required, space is limited; tours begin at MFAH Core Factor booth.

%26nbsp;

Public Programming (Open to All Fair Goers)

Note: All the following programming is at Reliant Center. Panels held in the HFAF Theatre.

Thursday, September 13
7:30 %26ndash; 9 pm: Houston Fine Art Fair Opening Reception for Opening Night ticket holders,
with HFAF Artist of the Year Award bestowed upon Texas%26rsquo; own Trenton Doyle Hancock
(7:30 pm)

Friday, September 14
Noon: %26ldquo;From Vision to Reality: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art%26rdquo; presented by Don Bacigalupi, Crystal Bridges director; a look into the art and architecture of one of America%26rsquo;s most exciting new museums, designed by Moshe Safdie in Bentonville, Arkansas, commissioned by Walmart benefactress Alice Walton

1 pm: MFAH Core Factor Talk with collectors/exhibition curators Brad Bucher and Victoria Lightman; to be held in the Core Factor booth

2 pm: %26ldquo;Art As Investment%26rdquo; moderated by Fran Kaufman; featuring panelists collector Brad Bucher; Tabitha Doby, partner/director of Appraisals, MKG Art Management; collector Barbara Gamson; and Jessica Phifer of Christie%26rsquo;s

4 pm: %26ldquo;Art, Business, and Value%26rdquo; moderated by Janet H. Moore, lecturer, Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University; featuring panelists Ian Peck, CEO and founder, Art Capital Group; James Weston, associate professor of Finance, Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University; Katja Zigerlig, vice president, Art, Wine %26amp; Jewelry, Private Client Group, Chartis Insurance; and Gabriela Palmieri, senior vice president, Contemporary Art, Sotheby%26rsquo;s, New York; panel sponsored by the Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University

Saturday, September 15
Noon: %26ldquo;Trading Ideas: The Curator and the Art Market%26rdquo; discussion with Claudia Schmuckli, director and chief curator, Blaffer Art Museum at U of H; Michelle White, curator, The Menil Collection; and Janet Phelps, independent curator and advisor, Houston

1:15 pm: %26ldquo;Artist as Designer: Artware Editions%26rdquo; presented by Rebecca Kong,
co-founder of Artware Editions.

2 pm: %26ldquo;Defining Reality: Art and the Discussion of It Online%26rdquo; moderated by Michael Petry, director of MOCA London; featuring panelists Kelly Klaasmeyer, Glasstire editor; Tyler Rudick, staff writer, CultureMap; and Massa Lemu, artist and Critical Studies Fellow 2010 %26ndash; 2012 at the Core Program, Glassell School of Art, MFAH

3:15 pm: %26ldquo;A Conversation with Cheech Marin%26rdquo; starring the comedian and actor who is a champion, author and leading collector of Chicano art. Then stop by the Thomas Paul Gallery booth to peruse the exhibition Marin has curated on Chicano artists hailing from Texas

4:30 pm: %26ldquo;Art and the City: Building a Public Collection,%26rdquo; moderated by Matthew Lennon, director of civic art and design, Houston Arts Alliance; featuring panelists Karen Farber, director of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts, Houston, and Libbie Masterson, artist

Sunday, September 16
Noon: %26ldquo;The Mainstream and Other: Collecting Photography%26rdquo; moderated by Wendy Watriss, artistic director and co-founder of FotoFest; featuring panelists Anne Tucker, curator of photography, MFAH; Maria Ines Sicardi, Sicardi Gallery; John MacMohan, New York-based collector; and Paul Kopeikin, Kopeikin Gallery

2 pm: Houston Film Society presents Houston Cinema Arts Festival 2012: Visiting Artists Preview Program. Screening will be Phantom Canyon by%26nbsp;Boulder, Colorado-based animator/visual artist Stacey Steers; Bridges Go Round by choreographer/filmmaker Shirley Clarke; and%26nbsp;Richart, a%26nbsp;tour through the mind of obsessive collagist/visionary artist Richard Tracy by%26nbsp;installation artist/filmmaker Vanessa Renwick

4 pm: Trenton Doyle Hancock, HFAF Artist of the Year in dialogue with MFAH curator, contemporary art and special projects Alison de Lima Greene, and Contemporary Art Museum Houston senior curator Valerie Cassel Oliver

Around Town: Check out exhibitions at nine other HFAF cultural partners including the following museums and nonprofits: Art League Houston, Asia Society Texas Center, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, DiverseWorks, FotoFest, Houston Center for Photography, Lawndale Art Center, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and The Menil Collection.

Why We%26rsquo;re Going:
The Gallery Lineup (current as of press time)

Antena Estudio, Mexico City, Mexico
Anya Tish Gallery, Houston, Texas
Arevalo Gallery, Miami, Florida
Art From the World, Houston, Texas
Art Nouveau Gallery, Miami, Florida
Artered Gallery, New York, NY and Barcelona, Spain
Art-Variant Projects, Chicago, Illinois
Barbara Davis Gallery, Houston, Texas
Beatriz Esguerra Art, Bogota, Colombia
Bentley Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona
C. Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore, Maryland
Casterline / Goodman Gallery, Aspen, Colorado %26amp; Chicago, Illinois
Cernuda Arte, Coral Gables, Florida
Cheryl Hazan, New York, New York
ClampArt, New York, New York
Collage Habana, Havana, Cuba
Cynthia Corbett Gallery, London, England
Darke Gallery, Houston, Texas
Deborah Colton Gallery, Houston, Texas
David Shelton Gallery, Houston, Texas
Devin Borden Gallery, Houston, Texas
Dillon Gallery, New York, New York
Drexel Galeria, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
Eckert Fine Art, Millerton, New York
Flowers Gallery, New York, New York
Galeria Alfredo Ginocchio, Caracas, Venezuela
Galeria Moro, Maracaibo, Venezuela
Galerie Kashya Hildebrand, Zurich, Switzerland
Gallery Sonja Roesch, Houston, Texas
Gallery Tableau, Seoul, Korea
Gonzalez y Gonzalez, Santiago, Chile
Hempel Design, Houston, Texas
Hexton Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
Hiram Butler Gallery, Houston, Texas
Hollis Taggart Galleries, New York, New York
Holly Johnson Gallery, Dallas, Texas
Hooks-Epstein Galleries, Houston, Texas
Jerald Melberg Gallery, Charlotte, North Carolina
John Cleary Gallery, Houston, Texas
Koelsch Gallery, Houston, Texas
Kopeikin Gallery, Culver City, California
La Casona, Havana, Cuba
LewAllen Galleries, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Luis De Jesus, Los Angeles, California
Luis Perez Galeria, Miami, Florida
Margaret Thatcher Projects, New York, New York
McClain Gallery, Houston, Texas
McKenzie Fine Art, New York, New York
McMurtrey Gallery, Houston, Texas
Morton Fine Art, Washington, D.C.
New Image Art Gallery, Los Angeles, California
Pan American Art Projects, Miami, Florida
Patricia Conde Galeria, Mexico City, Mexico
Pavel Zoubok Gallery, New York, New York
PG Contemporary Gallery, Houston, Texas
Pictura Gallery, Bloomington, Indiana
Polyglot, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Pristine Galerie, Monterrey, Mexico
Projects Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Salar Galeria de Arte, La Paz, Bolivia
Sammer Gallery LLC, Miami, Florida
Schroeder Romero %26amp; Shredder, New York, New York
Sicardi Gallery, Houston, Texas
Susan Eley Fine Art, New York, New York
Talley Dunn Gallery, Dallas, Texas
Ten472 Contemporary Art, Grass Valley, California
The McLoughlin Gallery, San Francisco, California
The Mission, Chicago, Illinois
Thomas Paul Fine Art, Los Angeles, California
Toca | Galeria, Mexico City, Mexico
Tomlinson Kong Contemporary, New York, New York
Universal Limited Art Editions, Bay Shore, New York
Valley House Gallery %26amp; Sculpture Garden, Dallas, Texas
Von Lintel Gallery, New York, New York
Wade Wilson Art, Houston, Texas
Western Project, Los Angeles, California
Woolff Gallery, London, England
Zane Bennett Contemporary Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico

%26nbsp;

IMAGES:

Andy Freeberg%26rsquo;s Sean Kelly, 2010, at Kopeikin Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and Kopeikin Gallery, Culver City, California.

Carlos Cruz-Diez%26rsquo;s Induction Cromatique, Serie A, 2012, at Sicardi Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and Sicardi Gallery, Houston

Andy Warhol%26rsquo;s Jackie II, 1966, at Hiram Butler Gallery. Photo courtesy Hiram Butler Gallery, Houston.

Eric Fischl%26rsquo;s Arching Woman, executed 2011/editioned 2012, at Hexton Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and Hexton Gallery, Chicago.

%26nbsp;

Tiffany's Unsung Heroine

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 11:40:09 GMT

Among the splendors of “American%26nbsp;Made: 250 Years of American Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston,” perhaps the most sociologically intriguing is this Art Nouveau-era Dragonfly lamp. The prize-winning light, circa 1906, was designed by one of the artists who worked for Louis Comfort Tiffany in the Tiffany Studios: Clara Driscoll, head of the women’s glass-cutting department. Its inclusion in the MFAH’s expansively curated exhibition, organized by the museum’s Emily Neff and Christine Gervais, is commendable. Through September 16, at MFAH; mfah.org.

Collection MFAH

Move Over, Crystal Bridges

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 11:36:19 GMT

We know Walmart heiress Alice Walton created a museum %26mdash; the extraordinary Crystal Bridges in Bentonville, Arkansas %26mdash; but what would she think of Paul-Mart, we wonder? Madcap collaborative provocateur Houston artist Paul Horn takes the Walmart experience as a starting point, then reprises it for the white cube (Deborah Colton Gallery, that is) to concoct a shopping extravaganza/art-world happening. More than 20 local talents, including store designer Solomon Kane, are stocked at Paul-Mart, all using the media of plastic and selling for a mass-marketed $99.99 or less. The interactive installation is one component of the %26ldquo;Plastic Fantastic%26rdquo; group show inspired by my own father, scientist/inventor/plastic pioneer Dr. Harry D. Anspon, and even features the retailer%26rsquo;s trademark greeters, special end-cap displays and branded Paul-Mart packaging. Paul-Mart in %26ldquo;Plastic Fantastic,%26rdquo; September 8 through October 27, at Deborah Colton Gallery.

Paul-Mart packaging, at Deborah Colton Gallery

Hempel>Peel

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 04:24:55 GMT

Peel Gallery, a pioneer in melding cutting-edge art and innovative design, is relocating and rebranding. Watch for the big reveal at the Houston Art Fair 2012 (September 13-16), where Peel metamorphoses into Hempel Design, monikered after owner/founder/astute curator Steven Hempel. Check out Hempel%26rsquo;s site-specific installation for HFAF as he taps his rising star, the Mexico City-born, Dallas-based, internationally exhibited Gabriel Dawe for one of the sculptor%26rsquo;s signature chromatic spaces woven from dramatically crisscrossing floor-to-ceiling filaments of yarn. Reliant Center may never be the same. After the Fair, Hempel Design moves%26nbsp; to new digs. Shuttering his 4411 Montrose space last month, he%26rsquo;s still searching for an inside-the-loop locale while emphasizing a renewed focus on lighting, including stocking avant-gardists such as Canadian lighting designer Omer Arbel (of the highly collectible, mouth-blown Bocci Series pendants, from $600). stevehempel@gmail.com (new Web site coming).

IMAGE: Omer Arbel%26rsquo;s Bocci 14 Series Lighting, 2005, at Hempel Design

Arrestingly Understated

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 04:21:23 GMT

Appreciating Nordic design requires an awareness of subtle nuance. Explore the fine materials and clean lines of the aesthetic at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston%26rsquo;s ongoing exhibition %26ldquo;Scandinavian Design%26rdquo; %26mdash; a comprehensive overview of 20th-century design from Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway. Curator Cindi Strauss combines furniture, metalwork, glass, ceramics and lighting from the likes of Orrefors, Georg Jensen, Alvar Aalto, Verner Panton and Poul Henningsen to great effect, offering the viewer a thorough understanding of the school%26rsquo;s personal yet utilitarian style. The MFAH started collecting the genre in 1953, with the purchase of Finnish glass. See what treasures they%26rsquo;ve amassed since. Through January 27, 2013, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; mfah.org.%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

Poul Henningsen, manufactured by Louis Poulsen %26amp; Company, PH %26ldquo;Artichoke%26rdquo; Lamp, 1958, copper, steel and enameled metal, the MFAH, museum purchase with funds provided by the Design Council, 2000

Art Adores Fashion

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 03:48:13 GMT

Art direction Michelle Avi%26ntilde;a. Hair and makeup Casey Clay for Shyne Salon

He%26rsquo;s art. She%26rsquo;s fashion. Then there%26rsquo;s cross-pollination in the areas of home design, the kingdom of the kitchen, the bar cart and the turntable. Chris Goins, style-setter and floor manager of Tootsies, and Josh Pazda, artist and director of Hiram Butler Gallery, met three years ago, during a Workshop Houston fund-raiser. Eyes locked, digits were exchanged, a date arranged, and the rest is history. Flash forward to the summer of 2011, and the pair was looking for the perfect domicile, one that could accommodate an ever-expanding art collection and offer wall space to some masterworks in storage (including an ample and important Robert Rauschenberg that%26rsquo;s one of the artist%26rsquo;s most riveting works on paper), house a welter of designer-labeled frocks and shoes, and elevate some Warrenton finds from the pair%26rsquo;s antiquing expeditions. Over drinks %26mdash; a dirty vodka martini for Goins and bourbon on the rocks for Pazda %26mdash; with pal and ardent collector Bill Lassiter, they learned of a Montrose residence for rent, just on the market and owned by a friend of Lassiter. %26ldquo;It was the first and only place we saw,%26rdquo; recalls Pazda about the couple%26rsquo;s reborn bungalow. %26ldquo;Love at first sight.%26rdquo; Months of redux followed. The formerly shag-carpeted 1930s-era dwelling was in extreme need of reno before it could be ready for a September 2011 move-in, coinciding perfectly with the fall fashion collections and the opening of the autumn art season. %26nbsp;

Nearly a year (and many cocktail f%26ecirc;tes and dinner parties) later, their affable abode is%26nbsp; enveloped in a soulful collection of contemporary painting and prints and a side of design. Color-saturated multiples by Jennifer Bartlett above the bookcase rub shoulders with a pencil drawing by Houston%26rsquo;s Alexandre Rosa near the bar; James Turrell%26rsquo;s dramatic black-and-white work on paper peers from the dining room, and a Kiki Smith is above the fireplace. Classic 1960s furnishings and new Eames seating from, respectively, Warrenton antiques fairs and Kuhl-Linscomb, engage in the living room. We can%26rsquo;t wait to secure an invite to this casa of cool, to clink cocktails with Goins and Pazda %26mdash;%26nbsp;perhaps to partake of his signature habanero grapefruit %26lsquo;ritas %26mdash; and to dish the latest art and fashion. Next trend to follow? What Houston artist are they mad for? We know this pair will have all the answers. %26nbsp;

Cravings%26nbsp;

Goins:%26nbsp;I%26rsquo;d like to think that I have an adventurous palate but, my absolute favorites are Josh%26rsquo;s platanos and homemade guacamole. It is to die for! [Also] English muffins with lingonberry jam and, really, anything savory and sweet.

%26nbsp;Pazda: Mexican and Vietnamese. I love spicy foods. Tacos al pastor. Cantaloupe juice. Pho or chargrilled pork and a fried egg over rice ... OMG. %26nbsp;

%26nbsp;

Who mans the range%26nbsp;

Pazda: We both cook together, probably four or five nights a week. It%26rsquo;s our favorite way to connect and spend time with one another. %26nbsp;

Cocktail-party food%26nbsp;

Goins: [For the summer], sandwiches that are a pur%26eacute;ed concoction of arugula, cream cheese, lemon, garlic%26nbsp;sprinkled with%26nbsp;sunflower seeds served on whole grain bread. %26nbsp;

Pazda:%26nbsp;Dirty vodka martinis (filthy), Austrian Gr%26uuml;ner Veltliner, Micheladas.

%26nbsp;

Stocking the drinks cart%26nbsp;

Pazda: Jefferson%26rsquo;s Bourbon, R%26eacute;my Martin Cognac, Hendrick%26rsquo;s Gin, Tito%26rsquo;s Vodka, Pimm%26rsquo;s plus the standard fixin%26rsquo;s: olives, onions, limes, club soda.

A perfect grapefruit margarita%26nbsp;

Pazda: Habanero Grapefruit Margaritas:
Habanero peppers
Fresh grapefruit, orange and lime juices
Steep 2 habanero chiles in a jar of tequila overnight
Fill a mason jar with ice
A jigger of tequila
Two jiggers of grapefruit juice
One jigger of orange juice
Squeeze 1/2 fresh lime
Good to go. These babies are hot.

%26nbsp;

On signature hair %26nbsp;

Goins: My bob erupted from a much-needed makeover. I was ready for a change and went from long platinum blonde hair to a short golden bob. Casey Clay, owner of Shyn Salon in Montrose, gave me my bob in February 2011.%26nbsp;

Pazda: Since my head is shaved, hats are the only way to switch up my %26lsquo;%26rdquo;haircut.%26rdquo; Always looking for a new hat %26mdash; newsboy, fedora, porkpie ... anything goes.%26nbsp;

%26nbsp;

A fascination with Kiki

Pazda: Kiki Smith is one of very few contemporary artists to whom medieval iconography is applicable. Her Untitled (Bird and Butterfly), 1998, juxtaposes life and death. The bird is the soul leaving the body in death, and the butterfly is symbolic of new life (in the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly). So, here you have life and death, floating together in a gray atmospheric haze, perhaps unaware of each other%26rsquo;s presence. I think it is beautifully poetic. %26nbsp; %26nbsp;

%26nbsp;

On fashion that never gets old

Goins: Anything that has a romantic quality such as powder pink, aka %26ldquo;poudre,%26rdquo; lace, Peter Pan collars and always bold prints.

%26nbsp;

Travel wish list

Pazda: Barcelona. I want to go to my favorite city and relax.%26nbsp;So Barcelona for me has always been about slowing down ... taking it easy. Sneak away to Balearic Islands %26mdash; I%26rsquo;m leaning toward Menorca. It%26rsquo;s quieter, less developed than Ibiza and Mallorca. Midnight dancing. Just get lost. No plan is the best plan. Beach, eat, drink, sleep, live music, repeat. Of course, cruise by Gaud%26iacute; and Mies van der Rohe%26rsquo;s German Pavilion in Barcelona.

%26nbsp;

On next art acquisition%26nbsp;

Goins: My latest obsession is a watercolor by Hana Hillerova.

Pazda: Would love to have a work by Tony Feher. Perhaps a drawing. Since having made hundreds of boxes as an MFAH preparator, I have a fetish for the shape of unfolded cardboard boxes. I have to imagine Tony shares the same fetish.

%26nbsp;

On decorating haunts

Pazda: Warrenton, Warrenton, Warrenton and Kuhl-Linscomb for a blend of contemporary and vintage finds. Warrenton is the last weekend in March, first weekend in April and last weekend in September, first weekend of October.

%26nbsp;

House music

Goins: Sundays %26mdash; Kelli Scarr, Nina Simone, Miles Davis.

Pazda: Usually Pandora Radio. Favorite stations are Four Tet, Here We Go Magic, The Whitest Boy Alive, Hot Chip %26hellip; All-time favorite dinner record is Getz/Gilberto by Stan Getz, Jo%26atilde;o Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim. Bossa nova from 1964 %26mdash; ultra chill.

%26nbsp;

On scent

Goins: Serge Lutens%26rsquo; Chergui (above).

Pazda:%26nbsp;None for me. Plain Jane.

%26nbsp;

Coveted art

Pazda:%26nbsp;Rauschenberg Combines and transfer drawings, Joseph Cornell boxes, Kurt Schwitters collages, Tony Feher glitter boxes.

%26nbsp;

Chris Goins and Josh Pazda%26rsquo;s light-filled living room. Robert Rauschenberg%26rsquo;s Autobiography, 1968, has pride of place. Goins peruses an art tome, dressed in a Cut25 jacket, Kelly Wearstler blouse, J Brand jeans, Giuseppe Zanotti shoes, all from Tootsies.

The duo take 10 outside their classic bungalow. Pazda wears his own clothes; Goins chills in a frock by Peter Pilotto from Tootsies.

Goins, in Lanvin blouse and skirt from Tootsies, admires Mark Fox%26rsquo;s If That, Then This, 2010, from Universal Limited Art Editions (ULAE).

In the sunroom, Warrenton discoveries reign. The antique rug was a housewarming gift from discerning collector and dear friend Bill Lassiter.

Pazda ambles past a James Turrell, one of the master talents showcased in a burgeoning and significant collection of works on paper. Turrell is represented by Hiram Butler Gallery.

Josh Pazda%26rsquo;s fedoras rest on a chaise longue from IKEA.

The well-stocked drinks cart stands beneath a pair of paintings by New York artist Matt Magee: Pink Eff, 2008, and Coral Oracle, 2008. Cart and decanters were scored at Warrenton.

Pazda%26rsquo;s ongoing collage series.

Goins%26rsquo; collection of spherical objects, all Warrenton treasures

A pair of 1992 Jennifer Bartletts from the series %26ldquo;The Elements,%26rdquo; represented by Hiram Butler Gallery. Earth (left) and Fire (right) hover over a bookcase bursting with the couple%26rsquo;s collection of art and fashion volumes.

Art Notes

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 05:43:32 GMT

Road Trip: We%26rsquo;re mad for Allison V. Smith%26rsquo;s latest %26lsquo;zine, VI, which dreamily documents a love affair with the open road, from Marfa to Maine with a dose of Dallas. Smith%26rsquo;s eye is unerring, but also poetic. Pay special attention to the lens lady%26rsquo;s visit to Vinalhaven, Maine, where she goes inside the home of wordsmith artist Robert Indiana. Snap up the remaining copies of this edition at Barry Whistler Gallery for a mere $20. While you%26rsquo;re there, contemplate the modernism of another fierce Texas femme, the late Toni LaSelle, whose mid-century abstraction in the gallery%26rsquo;s back room is truly museum-worthy %26hellip; Motor on to Waxahachie, where Webb Gallery mounts %26ldquo;The Greatest Show on Earth,%26rdquo; an homage to the American sideshow banner, the historic, the compelling and the strange (though September 9).

Museum Mile: It%26rsquo;s going to be a big, bold fall in the Dallas art world, from the sensuous golden age of the Paris poster %26mdash; typified by le peintre of the dance hall, Toulouse-Lautrec %26mdash; at the Dallas Museum of Art (October 14, 2012 %26ndash; January 20, 2013) to the early court portraits of 17th-century Spaniard Diego Vel%26aacute;zquez, whose full-length statement painting of monarch Philip IV travels to the Meadows Museum, part of an ongoing exchange with the Prado (September 16, 2012 %26ndash; January 13, 2013) %26hellip; Speaking of portraits, there%26rsquo;s a much-buzzed-about Lucian Freud stunner on view at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. It%26rsquo;s drawing throngs, as this is the only American venue for one of our time%26rsquo;s most psychologically astute painters of the human condition. It%26rsquo;s a real coup this show has landed in a Texas museum. The Modern%26rsquo;s Michael Auping is one of the curatorial talents weighing in on the prowess of Freud (through October 28). See you in September!

IMAGES:

Popeye, circa 1940, at Webb Gallery.

Allison V. Smith%26rsquo;s Olson House, July 2011, Cushing, Maine, 2011, at Barry Whistler Gallery.%26nbsp;

Allison V. Smith%26rsquo;s Hermanos Vasquez, June 2011, Dallas, Texas, 2011, at Barry Whistler Gallery.

Inside the Head of {Revolutionary} Jim Harithas

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 05:20:24 GMT

anti-establishment type, controversy is his middle name %26hellip; compelled to clash, politically charged director/curator%26hellip; rogue and radical, iconoclastic and independent %26hellip; Houston%26rsquo;s rebel with a cause, voice of the underdog %26hellip; once subsisted on bread and water %26hellip; past director of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston %26hellip; knows how to fist fight %26hellip; married to Ann harithas,%26nbsp; who began the art car movement.

In an era of rarefied art aesthetes and prissy scholarly types, museum owner Jim Harithas is a man who%26rsquo;s not afraid to break out in a brawl to defend his institution. Or brave the jungles of Nicaragua and traverse the Gaza strip to discover the next Rauschenberg, Rosenquist or Warhol. Catherine D. Anspon has a sit-down with a man who%26rsquo;s used martial arts more than once in his art career.

On meeting Ann in the heat of a brawl. I was tough when I came down here. Yes. I gave this Mexican artist a show when I was the director of CAMH. It was time to move the piece, and he didn%26rsquo;t want to, so then he hit me. We started fighting, out of the museum into the street. When I finally knocked him down, Ann was walking by and immediately asked a friend. %26ldquo;Who%26rsquo;s that fighting out there?%26rdquo; Her friend said, %26ldquo;It%26rsquo;s the new museum director.%26rdquo; And she immediately became interested in me because I won the fight.

On dealing with a Brady Bunch family? We were married in %26lsquo;78. I have three kids; Ann four. I had daughters. She had daughters and one son. Seven kids. That%26rsquo;s a new problem every day, so that prepares you for war. Most of them are girls. They%26rsquo;re tough. I learned how to treat women carefully and correctly.
I also had sisters, and seven aunts on my father%26rsquo;s side.

Lessons learned growing up. My mother%26rsquo;s a painter. My father was military. Field artillery. He was a good father. He was born in the 19th century. The emphasis, especially when raising your kids, was character. Which meant courage and honesty and truthfulness. My old man was the leader of men, so he was tough. My old man%26rsquo;s system was: The moment your eyes open up, your feet should be touching the floor. My mother was the strength. She insisted on a certain kind of obedience.

Philosophy. We need a revolution. A lot of my ideas about politics, especially for the Station, are that we had to take a stand. People will say to me, %26ldquo;You grew up in the military, and you%26rsquo;re a lefty.%26rdquo; It%26rsquo;s because I grew up in the military that I%26rsquo;m a lefty. I take my citizenship seriously. And if it%26rsquo;s not urgent, why even show it.

Why I now drive a Lexus. I had an old Suburban for so long that Ann wouldn%26rsquo;t get into in it any longer, it was so beat up.

Military kids don%26rsquo;t have cars. No, I%26rsquo;m not really interested. I grew up in the military. Kids didn%26rsquo;t have cars. I asked my father when I was 17. He looked at me and said, %26ldquo;You don%26rsquo;t even know how to wear a suit and walk down the street like a man. Don%26rsquo;t mention cars to me.%26rdquo;%26nbsp;

On developing camouflage-chic style. I don%26rsquo;t know if it%26rsquo;s chic or not chic. When I was in the Army, that put the stamp on how I was going to dress the rest of my life. That and Mephisto walking shoes. I wore my good shoes for you.

Talent you wish you had? Writing. It%26rsquo;s hard for me to get a sentence straight. I really was a painter originally. Writing was not part of my education ... The only time I write is at the computer now, trying to say something significant about an artist %26hellip; It%26rsquo;s always the same old essay. Real literary writing, that%26rsquo;s what we aspire to.

The importance of headgear. I always had a cap as a kid. And for a lot of my museum career, you couldn%26rsquo;t wear a cap. But when I got to Texas, you could wear a cap anytime. I liked that, and my cap is also promoting the Art Car Museum, which I think is great.

Why I don%26rsquo;t hunt or fish. I like to travel, and I like to travel and look at art. I did spend that whole period of my life in the %26rsquo;80s going to Central America. As a military person, the idea of being in a war zone was not as terrifying to me. And once you get used to going, you want to do something to help the cause. So we used to bring antibiotics. We would make stops at mainly Catholic churches. They were helping people.

Next stamp on my passport. The big trip we have ahead of us is Pakistan. That%26rsquo;s the next place we%26rsquo;ll probably do a show about. My immediate trip is to Europe. Documenta [Kasel, Germany]. I also want to go to Munich and to the Berlin Biennale.

Why I will never blog. I like books. I love books. Inundated. I have stacks. All my rereads. Practically every book that I ever liked, I want to read again. Ann and I have that in common.%26nbsp;

Brad Pitt will not play me in a movie. Some old guy would play me. I like foreign movies. I don%26rsquo;t pay any attention to regular movies. The last movie I saw was The Violin. Made in Mexico. It%26rsquo;s one of the most sophisticated movies about Mexico and the problems there that I%26rsquo;ve ever seen.

My nights on the town. We like to go to Kata Robata. We went there with 17 artists after an opening. Then we go to Mr. Gino%26rsquo;s, a blues place in the Fifth Ward. It%26rsquo;s a great place for listening to music on a Sunday night. It%26rsquo;s $5 admission, and you have to pay for your beer. They used to feed you for the $5, and the food was great.

How I discovered millet. I really don%26rsquo;t like food. It always seems like it takes so much time to eat. Although, when I miss dinner and breakfast, I talk to my pal over there [chief curator Alan Schnitger] and, God, when we%26rsquo;re starving to death, we go to Beck%26rsquo;s Prime for a cheeseburger or to Maria Selma and I get the chile relleno or fish. But when you%26rsquo;re in the middle of a project, you want to keep going, and food is not critical. I once did a 42-day water fast. I%26rsquo;d go out to restaurants with the family and just drink water. It got on people%26rsquo;s nerves. Then I didn%26rsquo;t know what to eat when the fast was over, and then I finally discovered millet. Bread and water, that%26rsquo;s the only thing that will bring you back after that kind of fast.

Exercise is for sissies. I did kung fu for 14 years. Shing Yi, which was a very hard thing. I went all the way up to what is equivalent to a black belt, which really helped me when I started going to Central America.

Power tool. My favorite is an M-16. I want to protect my house.

Styling product ... and why my hair looks like linguine. Olive oil.

Bath accoutrement I can%26rsquo;t live without. Larry Fuente%26rsquo;s wedding gift: a toilet shaped like a throne of the Virgin Mary. It was one of his first significant pieces.

My cruising music. Right now I%26rsquo;m listening to hip hop. It%26rsquo;s so good. Lil%26rsquo; Wayne. From New Orleans, lives in Houston %26hellip; Don%26rsquo;t you love this [playing Shooter on his Lexus stereo]? Southern hip hop is much more melodic. It%26rsquo;s richer. It%26rsquo;s not as hard as the Northern stuff.
%26nbsp;
%26nbsp;I told Ann the other day, %26ldquo;I don%26rsquo;t care if someone steals my car as long as they don%26rsquo;t get my books.%26rdquo; Right now, [I'm reading] The German Genius. What the Germans figured out was that if they educated people, they would get more geniuses, they got more Nobel Prizes, yet this remarkable genius was cut down in his prime by Adolph Hitler. It%26rsquo;s intellectual history and a wonderful book. And a biography of the Austrian novelist Robert Musi %26mdash; one of the great critical and imaginative minds of the 20th century. I love the book The Last Days of Titian. I see Titian as the origin of social realism. Well, I think Titian might be the greatest artist who ever lived because he influenced everyone ... Rembrandt, Velazquez, that whole generation after him, in his late work. I read Z Magazine passionately, the most political magazine in the world. When I%26rsquo;m reading these books, I%26rsquo;m always carrying them with me.

Dissecting the mustache. When I went in the Army, I still couldn%26rsquo;t grow a mustache, and I was bound and determined to have a mustache as an expression of manhood. So as soon as I was able %26hellip; I must have been 24 before I really had a mustache that didn%26rsquo;t look ridiculous. I%26rsquo;ve had it ever since. Maybe it%26rsquo;s a Greek thing.

How Jackson Pollock saved my life. Art is obviously a better religion that nationalism, I%26rsquo;ll tell you right now. We%26rsquo;re lucky to be in the art world, I think. You can go anywhere. When we started doing the show about Palestine, it hadn%26rsquo;t been my concern [but when we went there], it was amazing how much we had in common. Another experience was driving down to Nicaragua through three wars and 10 combat areas. Finally we arrived in Managua and stayed with a family. One night we were coming home. They%26rsquo;d been bombing. There was no light and no electricity. We%26rsquo;re sitting ducks. Then we pulled up to an area with lights, but it turned out to be a military installation, and we were immediately arrested. The officer came, and we started talking. And he was a poet. And then he said, %26ldquo;Well, it%26rsquo;s obvious you know too much about Picasso and Jackson Pollock to be a spy. Let us take you to where you are staying.%26rdquo; What can one person do? You can at least bear witness. In our own way, that%26rsquo;s what we try to do with our shows. I thought it helped to do the Palestinian show. There are 35,000 Palestinians living in Houston, 450,00 Muslims living in Houston. And we haven%26rsquo;t had an incident, because this is such a diverse town.

%26nbsp;

IMAGES:

%26ldquo;I don%26rsquo;t remember why, but I was in Venice in 1952.%26rdquo;

Jim Harithas, 2012, at The Station

Ann Harithas%26rsquo; Nest Egg, 2012

Circa 1968, in an artist%26rsquo;s studio, Washington, D.C.

Sharp Shooter

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 04:58:14 GMT

Architecture may have been the foundation of Leonard Volk%26rsquo;s 30-year professional career, but photography provided its focus. The Dallas native %26mdash; whose grandfather started Volk department stores and whose father developed Volk Estates %26mdash; has traveled the world capturing intimate, often poignant, aspects of daily life since he purchased his first good camera (a Leica IIIc) in 1950. %26ldquo;When we notice the small, we sometimes find qualities and intensities that are harder to find in broader views of the world,%26rdquo; he says. The result is Everyday, a coffee-table tome of essays and images chosen from his favorite moments over the last 60 years. Samuel Lynne Galleries (1105 Dragon Street) hosts a book signing and exhibit of the octogenarian%26rsquo;s work Tuesday, August 14, from 5 to 8 pm; a portion of all sales will benefit the Dallas Children%26rsquo;s Theater. leonardvolk.com.

IMAGE: Volk with Boris, his 1930 LaSalle limousine, in Paris, 1950

PC Acquire

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 04:41:58 GMT

This month%26rsquo;s PaperCity Acquire taps Texas native Aimee Jones, whose high-octane canvases have us scrambling for adjectives: neo-geo, ab-ex mated with expressionism plus touches of fractiles and cubism, overlaid with a net of riotous neon, joined by a proliferation of found objects, assemblage and some pretty fine drawing. In other words, mind-blowing. If Timothy Leary still walked the earth, Jones%26rsquo; creations would grace his walls. Her aesthetic also incorporates a sly fashion component, with a wink and a nod to %26lsquo;80s acid-washed bravura. Jones%26rsquo; credentials include a BFA in painting from the University of Houston (2003) and a decade spent as a catalyst and provocateur, exhibiting in some of Texas%26rsquo; most celebrated art spaces, from Austin%26rsquo;s Women and Their Work to Houston%26rsquo;s storied nonprofits Project Row Houses, the now-shuttered Commerce Street Artists Warehouse (CSAW), Buffalo Bayou Art Park and, most recently, Free Press Summer Fest, where she completed an edgy outdoor installation for a pedestrian bridge connecting Memorial Drive and Allen Parkway. She%26rsquo;s also shown in Miami, Chicago, Kansas City and Monterrey, Mexico. For her PC project, Jones created four new canvases, which we%26rsquo;ve curated with 10 more of her greatest hits %26mdash; offerings that range from $600 to $6,000. About her latest art-making, the on-the-top-of-her-game talent told us: %26ldquo;My current work wrestles between painting, drawing and installation. Each piece demonstrates the everyday struggle of trying to keep it together. A controlled chaos of sorts, recording the internal battles of the good, the bad and the ugly.%26rdquo; Inquiries Seth Vaughan, seth@papercitymag.com.

IMAGES:

Aimee Jones%26rsquo; I Got This One, 2012, paint, mixed media, 24 x 24 inches, $1,400

Aimee Jones in studio with Good Feelings, 2012, price upon request

Aimee Jones' Eyes Over Texas, 2012, wood, fabric, VHS tape, mixed media, 30 feet, price upon request

Aimee Jones' Feel Better Forever Aimee Jones, 2010, wall painting, paint, mixed media, 18 x 25 feet, price upon request

Aimee Jones' Where Are You?, 2011, drawing on paper, watercolor paint, pencil, ink, 11 x 14 inches, $600

Aimee Jones' Night Demons, I Hate You, 2011, drawing on paper, watercolor paint, pencil, ink,%26nbsp; 11 x 14 inches, $600

Aimee Jones' Alien Sunrise, 2012, painting on wood panel, paint, mixed media, 48 x 48 inches, $1,400

Aimee Jones' Mountain High, 2012, painting on wood panel, paint, mixed media, 48 x 48 inches, $2,400

Aimee Jones' Ocean Potion, 2011, painting on wood panel, paint, mixed media, 14 x 17 inches, $900

Aimee Jones' Acidwash Dreams, 2011, painting on wood panel, paint, mixed media, 48 x 96 inches, $6,000

Aimee Jones' Over The Hills and Through the Woods, 2008, painting on wood panel, paint, mixed media, 48 x 48 inches, $3,000

Aimee Jones' Fire in The Sky, 2012, painting on wood panel, paint, mixed media, 24 x 24 inches, $1,400

Art Notes

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 04:39:44 GMT

From the sublime to the wacky, August has it all. First up, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, mounts once-in-a-lifetime treasures from The Kimiko and John Powers Collection of Japanese Art, one of the top private collections of Japanese art in the world. MFAH curator Christine Starkman coaxed Kimiko Powers to let these fragile riches, which are usually sequestered in a vault in Denver, travel to the MFAH, where they represent 1,000 years of Japanese creativity, spanning serene 8th-century Buddhist sculpture to dramatic 18th-century scroll painting. The most surprising aspect of the show now on view in the Law Building is the shocking modernity of many of its inclusions (though September 23) %26hellip; Speaking of the Powers, this pioneering couple was also famed for their propensity for Pop art. We know they would have approved of attorney-turned-artist/gallerist/curator Randall Kallinen, whose %26ldquo;Cornucopia, Incorporated,%26rdquo; the second-ever show at his Kallinen Contemporary on the thriving East side, features more than 50 artists who contemplate food, filtered through a Pop art pastiche. We%26rsquo;ve got our eye on soft-sculpture sweets by Kayla Reese, who%26rsquo;s also making my judge%26rsquo;s costume, as well as food sculpture by her dad, Solomon Kane. This scribe joins the Art Prince Lester Marks and Rome Prize man Bert L. Long Jr. in bestowing awards upon the winners (August 4 %26ndash; September 28) %26hellip; While we%26rsquo;re dishing dessert, we love Tamarie Cooper%26rsquo;s line in Catastrophic Theatre%26rsquo;s riotous musical Doomsday Revue now playing at DiverseWorks: %26ldquo;It%26rsquo;s the end of the world. Bring on the cupcakes!%26rdquo; (through August 25) %26hellip; During the month of ArtHouston, we%26rsquo;re mad for Peveto%26rsquo;s %26ldquo;Funk Motor%26rdquo; show, including the debut of Eggleston-esque photog Terry Suprean (through August 18). Check out the exhibit and support Spring Branch nonprofit Newspring%26rsquo;s art program on Saturday, August 25, 6 to 9 pm, with a curated collecting benefit starring the up-and-coming talents of Newspring. The high-voltage night is organized by photog Brent Bruni Comiskey ... See you in September!

IMAGES:

%26nbsp;

Yosa Buson%26rsquo;s Rocks, 1783, at MFAH; photo courtesy The Kimiko and John Powers Collection of Japanese Art; Photo Paul Hester.

Randall Kallinen%26rsquo;s Cheeseburger, 2012, at Kallinen Contemporary; photo by Kennon Evett.

Fair Fever

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 04:28:42 GMT

Last year, we held our breath when%26nbsp;Houston’s first-ever art fair was launched. The verdict? Ten thousand visitors and more than 70 international, national and Texas dealers turned out for the debut of the Houston Fine Art Fair. Sales were stellar, as collectors, curators, nonprofit folk, media and the art curious vied for modern and contemporary masterworks, from an unforgettable six-figure Jasper Johns flag — scooped up by a discerning type from Hiram Butler Gallery — to a towering inflated steel sculpture of candy-colored cubes by William Cannings, acquired by an astute collector at Anya Tish Gallery. Year two of the Houston Fine Art Fair beckons next month, September 13 through 16,%26nbsp; and it’s expected to be even stronger. Opening night again benefits the Core Program at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Glassell School of Art; you can even shop current Core artists in residence at a special MFAH booth. What’s new? An expanded venue: the light-rail-accessible Reliant Stadium (park at the MFAH and take the train). There’s also a new curatorial effort: MKG Art Management’s Melissa Grobmyer and Janet Hobby join Fair developer Rick Friedman’s team. (Friedman’s other art endeavors include fairs in Aspen, the Hamptons, Palm Springs and San Francisco, but it’s his Houston venture that has the most potential in terms of the prominence of our city as a visual nexus.) PaperCity steps up as media sponsor for 2012, so watch these pages next month for your insider guide to all the Fair action. Hint: Fahrenheit (hot emerging dealers), Focus (provocative solo shows), Latin American art and photography are some of the leitmotifs for 2012. Amping up the aesthetic, internationally noted Texas-based interiors architect Lauren Rottet of Rottet Studio has been tapped to design the VIP lounge. And at press time, two-time Whitney Biennial-exhibited, Houston-based Trenton Doyle Hancock, a former Core Fellow, has just been announced as the HFAF artist-honoree. Thursday, September 13 Opening Night Preview Party; Fair days Friday – Sunday, September 14 –16, at Reliant Center. Opening-night ticket from $75 (includes three-day Fair admission); VIP ticket $125 (includes early-access Opening Night and three-day Fair admission); individual Fair tickets from $25;
info houstonfineartfair.com.

IMAGE: Trenton Doyle Hancock’s Campbell’s Streetlight, 2010, at Talley Dunn Gallery, HFAF; image courtesy%26nbsp; the artist and Talley Dunn Gallery, Dallas.

Art Notes

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 12:42:14 GMT

Divorce Papers + Design: It%26rsquo;s a wild, inventive ride as Dallas dealers roll out often steamy fare mid-summer. Begin with Kristy Stubbs Gallery%26rsquo;s Highland Park Village Pop-Up, showcasing heartthrob Spaniard Jos%26eacute;-Mar%26iacute;a Cano, whose encaustic works on canvas adroitly marry image and text %26mdash; the subject is the artist%26rsquo;s own divorce. (You%26rsquo;ll be amazed.) Cano also scintillates with a series of paintings, %26ldquo;Why Rent When You Can Buy?,%26rdquo; which recreate ads for call girls and ladies of the evening, filtered through a detached post-Pop sensibility (through July 28) ... We%26rsquo;re also mad for the psychedelia of San Francisco%26ndash;based painter/graphic designer Rex Ray, whose way with shape, line and color has appeared everywhere from SFMOMA to Swatch watch faces and CD packaging for David Bowie. Now it%26rsquo;s here at Conduit Gallery. Sharing the limelight with Ray are recent Central Trak talent Gabriel Dawe, who presents some new pin-encrusted sculptures, and nuanced San Francisco woodblock printmaker Jill Storthz (all on view through August 31) ... While you%26rsquo;re in the Design District, check out Sun to Moon Gallery, whose sole focus is photography. %26ldquo;Antiquarian Avant-Garde Photography:%26nbsp;Works by the North Texas Alternative Process Group%26rdquo; offers a compelling group view of nine current lensmen who pair contemporary subject matter with 19th- and early-20th-century processes, from casein and cyanotype to gum bichromate and wet-plate collodion. These works bear lush, rich surfaces that invoke times past (July 19 %26ndash; August 18; opening night, Saturday, July 21).

Sunflower City: Make tracks to Oak Cliff to catch the final hours of Cynthia Mulcahy and Robert Hamilton%26rsquo;s inspired art + farming + community project %26ldquo;Seventeen Hundred Seeds,%26rdquo; as 1,700 Aztec Gold sunflowers go to seed %26mdash; literally %26mdash; on a vacant lot at 715 W. Davis Street. What could be more glorious than this artwork, which has significant implications for curatorial practice and the artist%26rsquo;s role in real life.

Museum Mile: At the Dallas Museum of Art, everyone is buzzing about the George Grosz show, expertly curated by the DMA%26rsquo;s Heather MacDonald, which presents an utterly fascinating view of mid-century Dallas when a European expressionist and Dadaist turned his sights on this fair city. The exhibition also signals an early coming together of commerce and culture. See what happened when department store scion Leon Harris Jr. of Harris and Company (later Sanger-Harris) coaxed Grosz to town in 1952 to undertake a commission (through August 19) ... Wrap up your museum viewing in Fort Worth, where the Amon Carter Museum of American Art%26rsquo;s %26ldquo;American Vanguards%26rdquo; gives center stage to the under-known John Graham, alongside Stuart Davis, Arshile Gorky and the mighty de Kooning, as well as others in the Graham orbit during the pivotal years of 1927 through 1942 (through August 19).

Frontal Gaze: In a real coup for a Texas institution, %26ldquo;Lucian Freud: Portraits%26rdquo; arrives at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Organized by the National Portrait Gallery, London, in association with The Modern, this tour de force presents one of the greatest portraitists of our time. Ninety works, spanning 1943 through 2011, reveal Freud and his unflinchingly observed subjects. Talk about the way of all flesh (July 1 %26ndash;%26nbsp;October 28; museum closed July 4). Not since Alice Neel was showcased at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in 2010, have we had such a searing look at the human figure and a window into the sitter%26rsquo;s psyche.

%26nbsp;

Rex Ray%26rsquo;s Psoroderma, 2012, at Conduit Gallery

Jos%26eacute;-Maria Cano's Laura (Why Rent When You Can Buy?), 2010, at Kristy Stubbs Gallery

Dragon %26 Tattoo

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 05:44:56 GMT

How often do the tattoo parlor and the white cube converge? But when they do, it%26rsquo;s guaranteed to be memorable. Make tracks to DiverseWorks for its final show of the summer %26mdash; and reportedly the very last show ever at its north downtown digs before fall%26rsquo;s permanent move to a new midtown HQ. This is the ultimate solo for the man who straddles both worlds, fine art and skin art. %26ldquo;Don Ed Hardy: 2000 Dragons + 12%26rdquo; unfurls a 500-foot-long scroll painting, circa 2000, alongside%26nbsp; a cycle of 12 new dragon paintings, all executed in Hardy%26rsquo;s inimitable, arduously inked style, which is informed by his time as a tatt apprentice while earning a BFA in printmaking from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1967. Hardy%26rsquo;s obsession prompted him to study with an Asian tattoo master and move to Japan during the early 1970s and again in the 1980s to delve further into this once transgressive medium. In the ensuing decades, he%26rsquo;s explored painting, drawing and printmaking; and launched his eponymous clothing line, while also exhibiting in galleries and museums nationally and maintaining the studio Tattoo City in San Francisco. It seems fitting that Hardy, the arbiter of crossing boundaries should be the closing act for DiverseWorks%26rsquo; final days at the %26ldquo;docks.%26rdquo; Through July 7 at DiverseWorks, 1113 East Freeway, 713.223.8346; diverseworks.org.

%26nbsp;

IMAGE: Don Ed Hardy%26rsquo;s 2000 Dragons (detail), 2000. Photo courtesy the artist and Track 16 Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

From Houston Gallery Walls to the Whitney’s Hallowed Halls

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 05:07:01 GMT

For those who brave July%26rsquo;s sultry climes, a visual banquet awaits. A tradition for more than three decades, the summer city-wide open house ArtHouston unfurls Saturday, July 14, in a day-to-night art trek that offers fare blue-chip to edgy, with a side of performance and fashion. PaperCity is once again media sponsor. And here%26rsquo;s a note for your acquisitions radar: Whitney Biennial talents ranging from Julie Mehretu and Yun-Fei Ji to Shahzia Sikander and Leandro Erlich once soloed at ArtHouston, which was originally conceived as %26ldquo;Introductions%26rdquo; to unveil new creative types to the collector community. ArtHouston 2012 includes more than 30 esteemed shows, including these must-sees: James Turrell%26rsquo;s %26ldquo;Six Holograms%26rdquo; at Hiram Butler Gallery (compelling 3-D photo works on glass plates that anticipate the big Turrell retrospective coming Spring 2013 to the MFAH); a lively Latin mix at Deborah Colton Gallery, including richly impastoed figuration by Becky Soria and the always Pop Michael Macedo Meazell; Jelaine Faunce%26rsquo;s sexy photorealist cakes at Dean Day Gallery; and University of North Texas MFA candidate/painter of the dizzying abstracts Trey Egan at McMurtrey Gallery. Kudos to Harris Gallery for pulling it all together; stop by Harris%26rsquo; Museum District space for realist Robert Winter Hughes%26rsquo; Southwest-inflected still lifes. Also recommended are the droll %26ldquo;Board-Walk Circus%26rdquo; series by Houston woodworking man Doug Forrest at Koelsch Gallery (a homage to folk signage); Laura Rathe Fine Art%26rsquo;s duo shows for abstractionist Luc Leestemaker and surrealist Anke Schofield: G Gallery%26rsquo;s Diane Barber%26ndash;curated view for a group of up-and-coming Spanish painters; RISD prof Susan Doyle%26rsquo;s confluence of myth-informed paintings and lithographs at PG Contemporary; and PF2 at Wade Wilson Art, curated by Zoe Jackson-Jarra and Debbie Trevi%26ntilde;o Porter, which involves some cool paper fashion, crafted from %26mdash; what else? %26mdash; current PaperCity mags. I%26rsquo;ll be art-walking in a June 2012 ensemble. Catch the lineup at arthouston.com.

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IMAGE: James Turrell%26rsquo;s Untitled, 2010, at Hiram Butler Gallery. Photo courtesy Hiram Butler Gallery.

The New Space Program

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 05:05:15 GMT

If flying saucers exist, Houston has a new landing strip:%26nbsp;the portal of the just-unveiled James Turrell Skyspace, aka the Suzanne Deal Booth Centennial Pavilion, which was inaugurated days ago at the Rice University campus, along the axis that runs between the Sallyport and the Shepherd School of Music. One of the artist%26rsquo;s largest such creations, it joins the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston%26rsquo;s vaporous light tunnel and the Quaker Live Oak Friends Meeting House skyspace to make our town a true Turrell destination. But this site-specific public-art piece, five years in planning and one year in production, is the game changer. Unlike the MFAH artwork, which requires museum admission, or the Quaker commission, which has limited access, this is the most democratic and ambitious Turrell to date. The artist%26rsquo;s 73rd skyspace (and one of his largest) represents the distillation of the light-and-land talent%26rsquo;s deeply held, almost hermetic beliefs about time, space, perception and the concept of other worlds. Seating up to 120 people, the university%26rsquo;s Twilight Epiphany is also titled in honor of Booth, trustee, alum and former prot%26eacute;g%26eacute; of both Dominique de Menil and Turrell, who gifted the seven-figure artwork to Rice. Molly Hubbard, Rice%26rsquo;s art director, propelled this futuristic endeavor forward. With double-decker viewing stations, the open-to-the-sky pyramidal structure with its 12-foot-high grassy berm, 72-by-72-foot elevated roof and 14-by-14-foot oculus does indeed resemble a spacecraft. Open to the public free of charge during the summer (every day but Tuesday; fall hours will be announced at a later date), the skyspace%26rsquo;s LED-enhanced light shows take place 40 minutes before sunrise and again at sunset. During the day, the pavilion is open for viewing and contemplation. Lift off! For reservations (required for sunset shows) and complete calendar,%26nbsp; skyspace.rice.edu.

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IMAGE: James Turrell%26rsquo;s Twilight Epiphany Skyspace, Suzanne Deal Booth Centennial Pavilion, 2012, at Rice University. Photo courtesy Rice University.

That's a WOW!

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 05:03:20 GMT

It%26rsquo;s been 14 years in the making, but now the wait is over. As we head to press, the lights are being turned on at Houston%26rsquo;s newest piece of public art:%26nbsp;sculptor Tim Glover%26rsquo;s Light Garden. The graceful 25-feet-tall twin stainless-steel structures resemble tree branches sprouting pods of colored light (which can be choreographed in endless hues), and they beam upon the gateway to our city%26rsquo;s restaurant and club corridor, sited at the nexus of Washington Avenue and Westcott in a specially configured traffic circle/roundabout monikered WOW (Washington on Westcott). The $2.6 million project %26mdash; which represents city funding for the street engineering and contributions from private citizens and foundations for the green space and public art %26mdash; creates an impressive gateway to a booming area where night life had often taken over civic planning. Set amid a handsome stand of native trees and shrubs devised by landscape architect Keiji Asakura (the firm also designed the surrounding park), the WOW is a big wow. A third Glover tree of lights will rise in late 2012, once the final $175,000 is raised. Contributions wowroundabout.org.

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IMAGE: Tim Glover%26rsquo;s Light Garden, 2012, Washington at Westcott. Photo Monica Savino.

Art Notes

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 05:01:03 GMT

Continental Drift: The four corners of the globe come together this summer at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Representing the Latin American continent, %26ldquo;Modern and Contemporary Masterworks from Malba - Fundaci%26oacute;n Costantini%26rdquo; showcases the splendors of the region %26mdash; riches from the only museum in South America to collect in this depth. Frida and Diego are both present, as well as some surprises, including a new discovery to American audiences, Argentine painter/sculptor Antonio Berni, whose 3-D creatures made from trash are both repelling and arresting. We were also taken by Berni%26rsquo;s startling proto-Pop canvas from 1962, which portrays a Hollywood type seductively brandishing an American auto in her oversized, manicured hand (through August 5).

Paris, Berlin, Santa Fe: Heading to the City of Lights? Catch Joe Havel%26rsquo;s solo %26ldquo;History, Hope Desire,%26rdquo; at Galerie Gabrielle Maubrie in Paris, including a new series of cast-book sculptures plus his signature shirt-collar-label assemblages that bear poetic text (through July 10) ... If you%26rsquo;re considering a jaunt to Documenta 13 in Kassel, Germany, let Looking at Art%26rsquo;s Victoria and Marshal Lightman be your guides. This ultimate art excursion departs Houston Sunday, July 29, returning Tuesday, August 7; smoldering art capital Berlin is also part of the itinerary (info lookatart@aol.com) ... If New Mexico is your destination, a must-see is Wade Wilson%26rsquo;s new gallery, just unveiled in the historic Santa Fe arts district at 409 Canyon Road. The gallerist devoted to the monochrome and concrete abstraction will be dual-citied from now on, with his main HQ remaining his Houston space at 4411 Montrose ... Finally, wrap the summer with an in-town trip to Spring Street Studios, where Yvonamor Palix Fine Arts curates %26ldquo;Fresh,%26rdquo; mixing up international masters Sandy Skoglund and Richard Tuttle with those close at hand such as PaperCity%26rsquo;s Celeste Tamariello (through September, openings yvonamorpalixart.com).

It%26rsquo;s a Really Big Show: It wouldn%26rsquo;t be July without The Big Show, Lawndale Art Center%26rsquo;s annual brash and lively open call. Juried by Brooklyn-based curator Marco Antonini, this democratic roundup is heading towards its 30th year (July 13 %26ndash; August 11).

Just In: Scottish-born painter Katrina Howarth %26mdash; whose sunny still lifes, interiors and landscapes remind us of the 1910s- and 1920s-era Bloomsbury Group %26mdash; has opened an eponymous gallery in Galveston. Stop by this weekends-only space in the historic Strand District and peruse her delightful abstracted oils. Howarth is a grad of the prestigious Glasgow School of Art (grand opening, Saturday, July 14, 215 Tremont, 713.550.6431; thehowarthgallery.com).

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IMAGE: Antonio Berni%26rsquo;s La gran tentaci%26oacute;n, or La gran ilusi%26oacute;n, 1962, at MFAH. Photo collection Malba %26ndash; Fundaci%26oacute;n Costantini, Buenos Aires

To the Manor Born

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 04:53:17 GMT

The treasures of the great London estate Kenwood House (remodeled in the 18th century by Robert Adam) have arrived at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. It%26rsquo;s an embarrassment of riches: 48 masterpieces culled by Guinness brewery kingpin Edward Cecil Guinness, aka 1st Earl of Iveagh, and acquired during the late 19th century in a fierce collecting contest between the earl and American gilded-age tycoons with names such as Frick, Rothschild and Morgan. It%26rsquo;s the first transatlantic crossing for most of these canvases, and they begin their American tour in Houston while Kenwood gets a redux. This is really two shows in one. The magnificent action begins with iconic Dutch and Flemish canvases, including van Dyck%26rsquo;s 1634 portrait of Princess Henrietta of Lorraine and Rembrandt%26rsquo;s sublime self-portrait, circa 1665, presenting the artist with his palette and brushes (this celebrated Rembrandt stopped at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for its own show before coming to the MFAH). Then in the next room, some of the greatest hits of British Grand Manner portraiture make an unforgettable entrance. Starring 18th-century femmes captured by Gainsborough, Romney and Reynolds in fashionable splendor %26mdash; from their frocks%26rsquo; diaphanous lacy embellishments to the latest in up-dos and millinery %26mdash; they bring together both regal noblewomen and racy types who rocked polite society, such as Emma Hart, paramour of Admiral Nelson, and bewitching courtesan Kitty Fisher. %26ldquo;Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: The Treasures%26nbsp; of Kenwood House, London,%26rdquo; through September 3, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Beck Building, 713.639.7300; mfah.org.

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IMAGE: Thomas Gainsborough%26rsquo;s Mary, Countess Howe, circa 1764, at MFAH. Photo collection Kenwood House, English Heritage; Courtesy American Federation of Arts

Art Notes

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 10:24:43 GMT

Art is (literally) sprouting all over: In keeping with our %26ldquo;Return of the Man%26rdquo; theme, we%26rsquo;re contemplating the intersection of an honest, rural life of toil and tractor tilling with the gloss and importance of the contemporary visual scene. Case in point: %26ldquo;Seventeen Hundred Seeds%26rdquo; at 715 W. Davis Street. Part performance, part installation, this project blurs the boundaries between the art world and the everyday, particularly with regards to labor %26mdash; perhaps, we conjecture, a subtle critique of Wall Street that goes beyond the Occupy protesters. %26ldquo;Seventeen Hundred Seeds%26rdquo; is the latest from independent curator Cynthia Mulcahy, who recently brought you a square-dancing art shindig. She taps Dallas talent Robert Hamilton and seven other intrepid types to farm a vacant 1.6-acre plot smack in the middle of Oak Cliff. What%26rsquo;s planted? Drive by and admire the orderly rows of Aztec Gold sunflowers (through June 30). What%26rsquo;s next? Mulcahy is said to be eying an 1890s tavern, location to be revealed. Stay tuned ...

Glass to Gittings: In tribute to the Chihuly fest at the Dallas Arboretum (through November 5),%26nbsp; gallerists and other spaces have joined together for %26ldquo;Glass 2012,%26rdquo; a citywide showcase of nationals and internationals who work with silica. Catch part one at fave spaces from Holly Johnson Gallery to The MAC (through June 9). Next, the action moves to Ro2 Art%26rsquo;s Uptown Gallery at West Village (June 16 %26ndash;%26nbsp;July 15). For the complete lineup, check out glass2012dallas.org ... Speaking of Ro2, its summer shows are abuzz with promise: Concurrently with all things glass at West Village, their downtown gallery on Elm mounts a solo for recent CentralTrak resident Shannon Novak that signals a new form of abstraction (through June 23). Mother-and-son owners/dealers Susan Roth Romans and Jordan Roth also roll out an intriguing Pop-inflected pairing at their Addison digs with Daniel Birdsong and Julia McLain (through July 1) ... If you%26rsquo;re near Neiman Marcus Willow Bend, investigate Gittings%26rsquo; timeless and inspiring Father%26rsquo;s Day show curated in Neiman%26rsquo;s men%26rsquo;s department (reception June 7, RSVP 972.244.2806) ...

Moscow Calling: PDNB Gallery brings back a trove of the most prescient contemporary Russian image-making from co-owner Burt Finger%26rsquo;s stint as one of the global reviewers for the FotoFest Meeting Place in Moscow last summer at the Dasha Zhukova%26ndash;funded Garage Center for Contemporary Culture. Works range from chilling Soviet-era playgrounds by Ivan Mikhailov to Eugene Zaluzhny%26rsquo;s humanistic decorated vets of Minsk. This important group show presents seven lensmen and spans three generations, pre-Glasnost to today (through July 28) ... Rush to Conduit Gallery to catch the final weeks of an intriguing trifecta, including a major light-and-glass installation by Massachusetts-based Stephen Knapp, paired with Texans Margaret Meehan and Heyd Fontenot, who do otherworldly things with respectively, figurative sculpture and portrait drawing (through June 16) ... Finally, don linen or other drip-dry threads and make tracks to fairgrounds progressive 500X, which revives its open-call tradition with %26ldquo;The Hot-n-Sweaty Show,%26rdquo; an antidote to the overly air-conditioned and tame (June 9 %26ndash;%26nbsp;17; East Dallas Gallery Day, Saturday, June 16, noon %26ndash; 8:30 pm). See you there, fans in hand!

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IMAGE: Robert Hamilton at %26ldquo;Seventeen Hundred Seeds,%26rdquo; 2012, at 715 W. Davis St., Dallas.

PC Acquire

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 10:18:38 GMT

Our June PC Acquire talent is a former Dallasite, Houston-based artist Caroline Sharpless. During her formative years, she studied in the 1970s at the Corcoran School of Art %26mdash; where man-of-stripes painter Gene Davis was her teacher. Now that her family has grown, this visualist has returned to the art world full-time. She most recently honed her skills at the Glassell School of Art, wining a prestigious Ary Stillman Scholarship in 2011; come fall, she segues from the Glassell to the art department of the University of Houston to start her MFA program with a concentration in painting. We spied Sharpless amid a pool of artists vying for inclusion in the Visual Arts Alliance 29th Juried Open Exhibition. What caught our eye on the VAA press disc? Popping out from those hundreds of entry images were three quietly potent Sharpless oil on canvases %26mdash; paintings of hushed interiors that adroitly balance abstraction and representation. Enthralled by modernism, this lady of contemplative domesticity finds her subjects in a prosaic source: Realtor ads in newspapers and magazines (including PaperCity, natch). %26ldquo;The sanctity of place plays heavily in my work,%26rdquo; she says. %26ldquo;In my paintings, I build a space in cinematic fashion ... Leaving deserted stages without much narrative or other apparent meaning, I attempt to reduce all activity to the act of observation.%26rdquo; Imagine Edward Hopper commissioned to paint Philip Johnson%26rsquo;s Glass House, and you get close to Sharpless. The exclusive portfolio of 10 is priced from $1,450 per painting. Inquiries Seth Vaughan, seth@papercitymag.com.

IMAGES:

Caroline Sharpless%26rsquo; Stripes, 2010. Photo by Rick Wells. 30x30. $1,450.

Caroline Sharpless%26rsquo; Kitchen #7, 2011. Photo by Rick Wells. 30x40. $1,450.

Caroline Sharpless%26rsquo; Closets, 2011. 30x40. $1,450.

Caroline Sharpless%26rsquo; Gray Wall, 2010. 40x30. $1,450.

Caroline Sharpless%26rsquo; Kindergarten, 2011. 30x40. $1,450.

Caroline Sharpless%26rsquo; Kitchen #6, 2011. 71x48. $2,450.

Caroline Sharpless%26rsquo; Kitchen #9, 2012. 42x52. $1,800.

Caroline Sharpless%26rsquo; Lobby, 2012. 60x90. $2,900.

Caroline Sharpless%26rsquo; Louvers, 2010. 59x42. $1,950.

Caroline Sharpless%26rsquo; Shower, 2012. 36x50. $1,800.

What We Love Now: Meditation Station

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 09:54:59 GMT

Cross-hatched marks on canvas, plastic sheeting, walls and wallpaper %26hellip; leaf-shaped, inked- and painted-upon flaps that lift to reveal flashes of gold and silver Mylar %26hellip; oversized Monk Boxes big enough to double as benches or coffee tables.%26nbsp;These are just some of the disparate elements that Detroit-bred, L.A.-based conceptual painter Jason Yates interweaves into his bold yet meditative installation at Barbara Davis Gallery (through June 30). The former student and one-time studio assistant of Mike Kelley, Yates makes art that%26rsquo;s about a new way of looking. Defying conventions, Yates%26rsquo; crisp black-and-white canvases, wild wall works and huge ebony-hued boxes are enlivened by a nifty pair of paintings in optimistic shades of Pepto pink and tangerine. We%26rsquo;re mad for this show. 4411 Montrose Blvd., 713.520.9200; barbaradavisgallery.com.

IMAGE: Jason Yates%26rsquo; %26ldquo;All I Ever Wanted Was Everything,%26rdquo; installation view, Barbara Davis Gallery, 2012. Photo courtesy the artist and Barbara Davis Gallery

A Brave New World

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 09:10:59 GMT

One of the leading North American galleries to espouse the importance of modern and contemporary Latin American art, Art Basel Miami Beach-exhibited Sicardi Gallery (founded in 1994 by Maria Ines Sicardi, with partners Allison Ayers and Carlos Bacino), opens a gleaming new building that makes other white cubes look like mere stores. The 5,800-square-foot space (designed by Argentinean-born, Houston-based architect Fernando Brave) is more kunsthalle or foundation than bodega for dealing art. The double-decker, metal-clad structure possesses natural light aplenty, thanks to 16-foot ceilings and extensive fenestration. Along a landing, broad windows boast a screen that can be lowered for viewing videos, which can be projected inside or shown outdoors %26mdash; a cool take on a drive-in theater. These dealers have come a long way from their days in a micro space adjoining a hair salon on Kipling, then a free-standing space adjoining McClain Gallery. What remains unchanged is their commitment to the work of the South American continent, including chromatic king Carlos Cruz-Diez; kinetic master Jesus-Rafael Soto; Pop/conceptual photographer Liliana Porter; Thomas Glassford, whose light-enveloped project for a Mexico City university is one of the most exciting public-art pieces of the decade; and Oscar Mu%26ntilde;oz, a Colombia%26ndash;based, Venice Biennale%26ndash;exhibited master who is Sicardi%26rsquo;s opening act (June 7 %26ndash; August 25). Watch for Mu%26ntilde;oz%26rsquo;s photographs, a video and a compelling series of recent drawings, %26ldquo;Pa%26iacute;stiempo,%26rdquo; based on fading newspaper headlines. Seven years before the Latin American department was started at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Sicardi began introducing its progressive programming to Houston audiences, and this handsome new temple, across from the Menil%26rsquo;s main parking area, stands as an emphatic mountain on our art landscape. 1506 W. Alabama St., 713.529.1313; sicardigallery.com.

IMAGE: Allison Ayers, Maria Ines Sicardi, Carlos Bacino. Photo by Jenny Antill.

Print Matters — Indeed

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 09:01:24 GMT

Our town has FotoFest, ArtHouston and now PrintHouston, which highlights all that is novel, compelling and important in the graphic arts. This curated convergence, overseen and co-organized by the 30-some members of the nonprofit PrintMatters, presents its second annual print-making tour de force throughout the month of June and into the fall. Spaces ranging from the newly minted Peveto to the blue-chip Hiram Butler Gallery unfurl works worthy of inspection and acquisition — offerings that span the high and sublime to the lowbrow and startling, from Jim Hodges and Kiki Smith (at Butler through June 30) to The Amazing Hancock Brothers, headlined in a rowdy print-making/live-music party. The Brothers’ bash takes place alfresco in the backyard of the Continental Club, rolled out by Burning Bones Press and billed as “It Came from the Bayou” on Saturday, June 30. We’ll meet you by the beer, barbecue and letterpress. For the full lineup, peruse printmattershouston.org.

IMAGES:

The Amazing Hancock Brothers. Photo courtesy the Artists and Burning Bones Press.

John Hancock’s Twinz, 2010, at PrintHouston. Photo courtesy the Artists and Burning Bones Press.

PaperCity Paper Doll

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 08:58:00 GMT

We are smitten with artist Deborah Trevino Porter%26rsquo;s homage to the May cover of PaperCity, Paper Doll, in a painted and upholstered shadowbox, from her show with the students of Newspring Art Studio.

Art Notes

Thu, 31 May 2012 05:28:14 GMT

Why Not Houston? Increasingly, attention is hopping from NYC to L.A. %26mdash; witness the recent multimillion-dollar, citywide %26ldquo;Pacific Standard Time,%26rdquo; which had East Coasters (including the venerated New York Times) scrambling to cover myriad important historical shows. But our time will come %26mdash; or maybe it%26rsquo;s already here. On view this month are those whose hearts and talents are intrinsically linked to the founding of our art nexus. (It%26rsquo;s no accident that we choose Lawndale Art Center patriarch James Surls, page 22, to represent the quintessential Americana man.) Now we turn to a few other types who made %26mdash;%26nbsp;and continue to make %26mdash;%26nbsp;our scene so very much the real deal. Pittsburgh, Detroit, Cleveland %26hellip; Houston. First up, Perry House solos at Art Car Museum, continuing the energy from the landmark mid-1980s %26ldquo;Fresh Paint%26rdquo; show at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, when he was one of the abstractionists, following in the tradition established by Dorothy Hood and Charles Schorre but with his own visual language. Consider more than three decades of House in this extraordinary survey (June 2 %26ndash;%26nbsp;August 12).

Speaking of abstraction: David Aylsworth is another excellent artist, one whose loopy signature style and endearingly clumsy way of paint handling are inimitable and instantly recognizable. Inman Gallery celebrates 20 years of exhibiting Aylsworth with a fresh crop of recent canvases (through July 7;%26nbsp; book signing of the commemorative catalog on Saturday, June 30) %26hellip; When we%26rsquo;re talking about %26ldquo;Fresh Paint,%26rdquo; Ibsen Espada must be in the discussion. Espada, the ground-breaking maker of volatile, high-voltage abstractions, gets his due at New Gallery/Thom Andriola in an heirloom exhibit that spans an incredible 40-plus years (through July 6) %26hellip; Forty is a good number. Just ask H.J. Bott, whose four-decade tribute to his obsessive DoV principle headlines at the place where it began:%26nbsp;Galveston. Bott reveals all at the Galveston Arts Center, and it promises to be a wild, optically explosive peep show (June 2 %26ndash; July 8).

In the mood for a road trip? Head to Victoria for the Nave Museum%26rsquo;s showcase of a force that is synonymous with art cars %26mdash; and one of the best creators of vehicular sculpture. David Best, that is, including his latest, Prayer Wheels (through July 1) %26hellip; Meanwhile, if you%26rsquo;re up Cypress way, check out the edgy group view %26ldquo;Luxuriant Refuse,%26rdquo; presented by the Houston Fine Art Fair at the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts; MKG Art%26rsquo;s Melissa Grobmyer does curatorial honors (June 5 %26ndash; August 5) %26hellip; Finally, performing art collides with visual components at G Gallery as crooners Zoe Jackson-Jarra and Natalie Foreman take the stage Saturday, June 9 (tickets 713.398.2554). Their exciting backdrop is the G%26rsquo;s current view, %26ldquo;Brass Tacks,%26rdquo; organized by Diane Barber, who pairs rising NYC and San Antonio talents with something to say about domestic architecture (June 2 %26ndash; 29). We%26rsquo;re happy former DiverseWorks director Barber is back to curating, shaking things up in this Heights destination for provocateurs.

IMAGES:

David Aylsworth%26rsquo;s Spider Spinning Daydreams, 2012, at Inman Gallery. Photo by Rick Wells.

Perry House%26rsquo;s Explosion Series (Red), 1995, at the Art Car Museum. Photo courtesy the artist and D. M. Allison Art.

PC Acquire: Artist Kelley Devine

Tue, 08 May 2012 01:18:52 GMT

For this month’s PaperCity curated artist, we tapped Texas talent Kelley Devine to showcase her newest body of work, “Paper Poor.” Often raiding her own library or secondhand bookstores to save from buying costly canvas or fancy art-store paper, she begins with titles and texts that have special resonance, then uses them as a background upon which to draw all manner of animal images, with a deft touch and sensitivity to the spirit of each creature. We commissioned Miz Devine to literally take inspiration from April’s issue and turn it into an artwork, in keeping with this series. A graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University with a BFA in sculpture who’s exhibited at the well-regarded Jonathan Ferrera Gallery in New Orleans, Devine has branched out to explore painting, print-making and the aforementioned drawing (she is also a member of the underground Heights drawing collective Sketchy Neighbors). This multimedia artist proclaims of her current endeavor, “By using pages from books, I am able to give a deeper level of meaning to the image.” Each Devine piece for PC Acquire — we consider them divine — is one of a kind, beginning with the creation shown on this page, drawn upon our own printed pages. For the complete portfolio, peruse papercitymag.com/Arts. For the complete portfolio (priced $500 to $2,000), peruse papercitymag.com/Arts. Inquiries Seth Vaughan, seth@papercitymag.com.

IMAGE, ABOVE: Kelley Devine’s Lucy Vuitton, 2012 Mixed Media on PaperCity Magazine 36 x 48; $1,700

Kelley Devine’s It Takes Time (pages from The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren), acrylic medium, paint and pencil on canvas; 54 x 54 inches; $2,000

Kelley Devine’s The Analysis of Dreams (pages from Man and His Symbols by Carl G. Jung), acrylic medium, paint and pencil on canvas; 28 x 48 inches; $1,000

Kelley Devine’s Reverence Thyself, acrylic on canvas; 48 x 72 inches (framed); $8,000

Kelley Devine’s Public Sociologies (Readings for Sociology, 5th Edition, edited by Garth Massy), acrylic medium and pencil on canvas; 28 x 48 inches; $1,000

Kelley Devine’s My Fear (pages from Without a Net Middle Class and Homeless [with Kids] in America by Michelle Kennedy), acrylic medium and pencil on canvas; 30 x 24 inches; $550

Kelley Devine's Moose Morgan %26nbsp;(pages from So this is Depravity and Other Observations by Russell Baker), acrylic medium and pencil on canvas; 76 x 50 inches; $2,850 SOLD%26nbsp;

Kelley Devine’s It’s Not About Me (pages from The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren), acrylic medium, paint and pencil on canvas; 54 x 54 inches; $2,000

Kelley Devine’s The First Approach of the Unconscious (pages from Man and His Symbols by Carl G. Jung), acrylic medium and pencil on canvas; 30 x 24 inches; $550

Kelley Devine’s Family Dog – Black (kids’ art, clippings, homework, etc.), acrylic medium, paint and pencil on canvas; 54 x 54 inches; $2,000

Kelley Devine’s Family Dog – Blue (kids’ art, clippings, homework, etc.), acrylic medium, paint and pencil on canvas; 54 x 54 inches; $2,000

Kelley Devine’s Her (pages from Flowers for Algernon), acrylic medium and pencil on canvas; 30 x 24 inches; $750

Kelley Devine’s In the Face of the Rain, acrylic on canvas; 48 x 72 inches (framed); $8,000

Glass Menagerie

Mon, 07 May 2012 10:52:28 GMT

If you thought the Dallas Arboretum%26rsquo;s ethereal gardens couldn%26rsquo;t get any more hue-drenched, artist Dale Chihuly is bringing his large-scale sinewy glass figures to blanket the 66 lush acres in his signature wash of electric color. The artist%26rsquo;s nature-inspired well-known glass sculptures such as Seaforms, Niijima Floats, Venetians, Fioris and Macchia Loops have been glorified over the world %26mdash; including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Corning Museum of Glass. Beginning Saturday, May 5, Chihuly%26rsquo;s impressive sanctuary will float within the garden%26rsquo;s flower beds, grassy knolls, ponds and fountains, as no portion of the garden was off-limits to his artistic grasp. Take in Chihuly Nights, a magical after-dark exhibition with illuminated sculptures and four dining options, including dinner at Restaurant DeGolyer and alfresco noshes at Caf%26eacute; on the Green. The evening exhibit is open Tuesdays through Thursdays from May to July, with the daytime exhibition open seven days a week and running through November 5, rain or shine. 8525 Garland Road, 214.515.6500; dallasarboretum.org.

IMAGE: Dale Chihuly%26rsquo;s Red Reeds installation. Photo courtesy Chihuly Studio.

Art Notes

Mon, 07 May 2012 10:44:32 GMT

The FOG rolls in: Coming off the most important and alluring Dallas Art Fair yet %26mdash;%26nbsp;we%26rsquo;re happy to report that year four%26rsquo;s sales were off the charts %26mdash;%26nbsp;news has hit of another significant endeavor by Fair co-founders John Sughrue and Chris Byrne. The duo has been invited by SFMOMA to take their Fair smarts, integrity and commitment to the West coast %26mdash; San Francisco, to be precise %26mdash; to organize a design fair that is less than a year away. FOG (don%26rsquo;t you love this name?) will unveil January 16 to 20, 2013, at Fort Mason Festival Pavilion within the glorious green space of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Birdies: We%26rsquo;re mad for a triumvirate of exhibitions at The McKinney Avenue Contemporary (The MAC) all underscoring environmental issues. Houston talent Daniel-Kayne solos with a new statement piece about water, while headliner Billy Hassell goes to the birds. Staunch Texan Hassell%26rsquo;s latest canvases have an Asian feel and balance between figuration and patterning %26mdash; exquisitely realized here in %26ldquo;Watershed.%26rdquo; Completing the trio is California Bay artist Carol Salter, whose staged photographs and videos subtly star taxidermied fauna (through May 19).

Prepare Your Paddles: Heritage Auctions%26rsquo; modern and contempo man, Frank Hettig, is plotting an exceptional auction for May 22, stocked with a trove of Warhols, from a timeless Marilyn to a sassy Superman. Also watch for an early David Bates still life from 1984 and a nice little Basquiat painting on paper, plus a side of Cuban art (Preview May 19 %26ndash; 22; ha.com).

IMAGE: Billy Hassell%26rsquo;s Brown Pelican, Turbulent Sea II, 2011, at The MAC

Worth the Drive: Warhol Drama at the McNay

Tue, 01 May 2012 11:27:48 GMT

I grew up in Pittsburgh, and every visit home as an adult included a stop at the Warhol, housed in a grand neoclassical building in the shadow of downtown and looking out, appropriately, onto the Heinz factory along the Allegheny with its dual smokestacks emblazoned with the 5 and the 7. Each floor of the seven-story former Volkwein Music store is devoted to a period of Warhol%26rsquo;s life, allowing the visitor to commune with glittering screen gems, auto wrecks and electric chairs. Now the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio duplicates that experience, dipping into the Warhol%26rsquo;s considerable coffers to organize an exclusive Texas presentation, %26ldquo;Andy Warhol: Fame and Misfortune.%26rdquo; McNay chief curator Ren%26eacute; Paul Barilleaux digs deep into the museum%26rsquo;s troves to serve up three decades of the Pop king%26rsquo;s obsession with the dual side of media glitz, juxtaposing skulls and suicides with the visages of Jackie, Marilyn and Liza. Like a Star headline or a train wreck, we can%26rsquo;t look away. Through May 20 at the McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels, San Antonio, 210.824.5368; mcnayart.org.

IMAGE: Above: Andy Warhol%26rsquo;s Jackie, 1964, at the McNay Art Museum, San Antonio. Photo %26copy; 2012 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.

Beyond the Teacup

Tue, 01 May 2012 11:24:45 GMT

I missed the press preview for %26ldquo;Shifting Paradigms in Contemporary Ceramics: The Garth Clark and Mark Del Vecchio Collection,%26rdquo; and when I went to see the show a week later at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, I expected to breeze in and out. Not so. This sweeping survey of 160 objects in the Beck Building%26rsquo;s prime first-floor galleries spans five decades and shows off one of the most important collections of post-World War II ceramics in the world %26mdash;%26nbsp;one now owned by the MFAH. While it%26rsquo;s impossible to single out just one top treasure collected by the ceramic-obsessed scholars and gallerists Clark and Del Vecchio, I was enthralled with the politically charged dinner party by Barnaby Barford, in which a video is projected onto a dinner plate mimicking a Blue Willow pattern; Howard Kottler%26rsquo;s droll porcelain plate depicting regionalist painter Grant Wood%26rsquo;s American Gothic; L%26aacute;szl%26oacute; Fekete%26rsquo;s Trophy of Rebirth with its deconstructed classicism; and the lacy spirals and gravity-defying whorls of Aoki Katsuyo%26rsquo;s exquisite, dramatic porcelains. Organized by Cindi Strauss, MFAH curator of modern and contemporary decorative arts and design, this show-stopper and its accompanying catalog (co-published by the MFAH and Yale University Press, $100) appeal to the design-minded as well as anyone interested in broader 20th-century movements. %26ldquo;Shifting Paradigms in Contemporary Ceramics: The Garth Clark and Mark Del Vecchio Collection,%26rdquo; through June 3, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; mfah.org.

IMAGES:

Aoki Katsuyo%26rsquo;s Sin Forest, 2005. Photo collection MFAH.

Howard Kottler%26rsquo;s Pastoral Wood, circa 1968. Photo collection MFAH.

L%26aacute;szl%26oacute; Fekete%26rsquo;s Trophy of Rebirth, 2004. Photo collection MFAH.

Aoki Katsuyo%26rsquo;s Labyrinth, 2005. Photo collection MFAH.

Barnaby Bradford's%26nbsp;Conversation Piece, 2002

Art Notes

Tue, 01 May 2012 11:16:16 GMT

Grand Masters, Painter%26rsquo;s Progress: A trio of shows spotlight Texans who are literally as good as you can get. Whitney Biennial 2000%26ndash;exhibited Al Souza solos at long-time dealer Moody Gallery with a new series that departs from puzzle works towards enigmatic dimensions involving bookplates and more (through May 26) ... At New Gallery/Thom Andriola, Earl Staley has risen like a phoenix, presenting canvases both past and present (through May 15). Is there another better colorist in this town? ... The mighty H.J. Bott continues his 40th anniversary DoV party (Displacement of Volume, that is), fresh from a Blue Star exhibition in San Antonio, before he travels to Galveston Arts Center in June. The geometric obsessive alights at principal dealer Anya Tish Gallery (May 12 %26ndash; June 9). When are we going to see a museum show for one of our own? For decades, Bott has been light years ahead with his robots, soft sculptures, yarn installations %26mdash; including a fantastic environment for Project Row Houses that earned him an ArtLies cover %26mdash;%26nbsp;and the endless perambulations of the DoV. CAMH, please! Now%26rsquo;s the time ... Contemplate the glories of Jerusalem in Barbara Hines%26rsquo; sensitive, color-suffused canvases that capture its expansive light and spiritual power (Meredith Long %26amp; Company, opening May 10) ... We%26rsquo;ll also be checking out Meredith Pardue%26rsquo;s abstractions at Laura Rathe Fine Art, which subtly record nature through oil, oil crayon, charcoal and mysterious debris expansively applied to canvas (through May).

Yellow Blossoms and More: Art prince Lester Marks adds another Warhol to his trove: a classic yellow flower canvas from 1964. I can%26rsquo;t wait to attend the next Marks Collection art party and visit it ... Speaking of winsome, %26ldquo;Paper Dolls%26rdquo; is the theme for a one-night-only Mo Mong happening organized by photogs Debbie Porter and Brent Bruni Comiskey, with Zoe Jackson-Jarra%26rsquo;s ab-fab Fashion Plate threads on the impromptu runway. Deets are still coming together, but the Tuesday, May 15, happening, which benefits Spring Branch arts and education nonprofit Newspring promises to be fab and fun.

Hot, hot, hot: Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts teams with Aurora Picture Show and DiverseWorks to literally and metaphorically traverse the landscape via a thrilling weekend of music, alfresco dance and cinema that addresses culture and Houston history. Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Project Row Houses and Uptown Houston have gotten on board as hosts for the event, dubbed %26ldquo;Insight/Out%26rdquo; (Saturday %26ndash; Sunday, May 19 %26ndash; 20; mitchellcenterforarts.org). I%26rsquo;ll meet you at Stephan Koplowitz%26rsquo;s multimedia performance by the Williams Tower Waterwall.

Bookin It: One of the most powerful, haunting essays we%26rsquo;ve ever read is Vance Muse%26rsquo;s contribution to the just-released The Texas Book Two. His reminiscence about attending UT back in the %26lsquo;70s offers a profound coming-of-age/coming-out tale (UT Press, March 2012, $34.95, through Brazos Bookstore, area booksellers and amazon.com). Muse%26rsquo;s day job is communications director at The Menil Collection, where he%26rsquo;s orchestrating press for the museum%26rsquo;s upcoming quarter-century celebrations.

IMAGES:

H.J. Bott%26rsquo;s Beyonbar Symmetry, 2012, at Anya Tish Gallery

Earl Staley%26rsquo;s The Leap, 2012, at New Gallery/Thom Andriola

Karll Project

Tue, 01 May 2012 11:13:14 GMT

Keys to the Door: Artist Christina Karll.
What to Acquire: This charming micro gallery in a historic %26rsquo;20s-era storefront completes the Midtown Milam art streetscape, a mere block from the heavily trafficked intersection of Main and Elgin. Karll Project sets up a nice visual destination neighboring PG Contemporary (which began in these digs) and New Gallery/Thom Andriola, minutes from the dealers of Isabella Courts. Its owner is the once intensely private artist Christina Karll, who is mostly known to insiders such as Anne Owen-Pontez (a devoted collector of her work) and Gigi Huang, who commissioned her for a series of cherry blossom tree-scapes for the main dining room of Gigi%26rsquo;s Asian Bistro. Before opening this studio/exhibition space, Karll worked at a secluded spot in the country; with the unveiling of Karll Project, that%26rsquo;s all changed. At the new space, opening nights and afternoon gallery talks coincide with New Gallery and PG Contemporary%26rsquo;s schedules and programming. Karll plans to curate exhibitions and showcase artists with whom she shares affinities, as well as bring in guest curators for future endeavors. Her own art, which will also be on display, alternates between delicate cast-bronze bundles of twigs to epic canvases with luminous washes of color resembling Roman wall frescos. %26ldquo;[My] work is infused with personal beliefs expressing a deep spiritual connection with nature,%26rdquo; she says. 3227 1/2 Milam, 281.782.6690; christinakarll.com.

IMAGES:

Karll Project. Photo by Eric Hester.

Christina Karll. Photo by Eric Hester.

Forehandpress

Tue, 01 May 2012 11:05:36 GMT

Keys to the Door: Owner/master printer Darin Forehand.

What%26rsquo;s on the Press: This modest one-storage building in the Heights looks like it%26rsquo;s home to a junk shop. But the unprepossessing structure on Lawrence Street %26mdash; blocks from the former world HQ of the Art Guys and neighboring a cache of slick new Victorian-style town homes %26mdash; is one of the best boutique presses in Texas. At the helm of Forehandpress, master printer and owner Darin Forehand runs an early %26lsquo;60s Griffin litho press that hails from the famed Graphicstudio in Florida and %26ldquo;probably saw some Rauschenbergs come off it,%26rdquo; he says. Armed with BA and MFA degrees in printing from, respectively, Florida State University and Ohio State University, Forehand moved to Houston three years ago to set up his own atelier. His background includes printing endeavors at the renowned Akasha Press in Minneapolis, Watanabe Studio Ltd. in Brooklyn and Printmaking Workshop in NYC, where he worked with the late Robert Blackburn, a personal hero whose photo hangs prominently in the studio. Artists for whom he has created prints include Donald Sultan, Robert Mangold, Sam Gilliam and Red Grooms. Forehand%26rsquo;s recent stint teaching graphics at Texas A%26amp;M in Kingsville led him to explore additional printing endeavors in Oaxaca. After five years in South Texas, he sought a larger art nexus, and Houston won out over Dallas or L.A. His goal to achieve %26ldquo;the mutual joy in collaboration as the unseen emerges%26rdquo; has led him to print-making projects with Texas%26rsquo; best, including Hana Hillerova, David McGee, Tierney Malone and David Aylsworth, whose buoyant new lithograph was in process on the day of our visit and will be unveiled this month at the painter%26rsquo;s Inman Gallery opening. Forehandpress is currently by appointment only, but Forehand is contemplating a studio open house, come fall. 2515 Lawrence St., 713.922.6872; forehandpress.com.

IMAGE: Darin Forehand

Kallinen Contemporary

Tue, 01 May 2012 11:03:43 GMT

Keys to the Door: Owner/artist Randall Kallinen.

The Eastside is Back: Kallinen Contemporary%26rsquo;s grand opening drew crowds to rival Lawndale back in the day. This near-Navigation nexus%26rsquo; cavernous 1940s-era building, which was originally a dress shop serving its Harrisburg neighborhood, has been reborn by civil rights attorney Randall Kallinen %26mdash; part serious gallery and part stage for happenings and odd convergences. Kallinen%26rsquo;s debut, %26ldquo;Space Zombie Mayan Apocalyptic Human Sacrifice Uplift Mofo Party Plan Spring Break 2012,%26rdquo; suggests the curatorial brilliance and excesses of Paul Horn (yes, meister Horn exhibited and was involved in the roundup). The lineup melds Daniel Johnston, a heavy hitter with Whitney Biennial chops (who performed and debuted his new comic book), with UH/Cal Arts grad Ariane Roesch, Art Car type Beans Barton, Heights duo The Alter Girls, figurative painter Kelley Devine, aerosol man Gonzo 247, collector turned artist Lester Marks, the biblically monikered Solomon Kane and hallucinogenic quantum realist Paula Hawkins. Kallinen himself was also involved, his raucous yet dapper paint-spattered suit serving as performance art as captivating as his pointillist canvases. And here%26rsquo;s a tip: You don%26rsquo;t want to miss the wrap-up party, Friday, May 25. We%26rsquo;ll meet you by the Dandee Warhols. 511 Broadway, 713.320.3785.

IMAGE: John Paul Hartman, Ariane Roesch, Randall Kallinen, Paula Hawkins, Solomon Kane, Kelley Devine, Ingrid Breton. and Isabela Hartman-Breton at Kallinen Contemporar. Photo courtesy Kallinen Contemporary.

Inside the {Brilliant} Head of Gary Tinterow

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:42:32 GMT

Meet the new man at the top of the most important art job in Texas. Native son Gary Tinterow returns, after 28 years at The Met as curator, scholar and chairman of its incomparable 19th-century, modern and contemporary department, to lead the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

So, you actually grew up in Houston? I was born in Louisville Kentucky but was living in Houston within a few months. We first lived at Blodgett and Delano and then moved to Braeswood when I was five. I attended Pershing [Middle School], then Bellaire High School. In a way, I take after my mother. She was both a professional fund-raiser and an artist. She organized special events for various medical charities. My father was a violinist and an accomplished musician %26hellip; In the %26lsquo;40s, he played with the Tommy Dorsey band. He played in Hollywood a lot, then was at the Balinese Room in Galveston, the Emerald Room at the Shamrock. He had a band, the Bobby Tinterow Orchestra, and played for functions, weddings, etc. %26hellip; So when West Side Story came to town, or Rudolph Nureyev, or Aretha Franklin, often my dad was part of the backup orchestra. I remember when the Beatles came %26hellip; My brother and I have our autographed picture of the Beatles. My Dad was in the backup.

In between being raised in Houston and returning to Houston %26hellip; what happened? The short answer is that as an adult, I was able to pursue the interests that were sparked by growing up in Houston: to explore and travel and to participate in the world of museums and enjoy opera, music, theater, ballet and, above all, become friends with some of the most extraordinary creative talents of our time. This happened at Brandeis (1972-1976); Harvard (1976-1983); the Tate Gallery (1982-1983); and the Met (1983-2012).

Day one at the office: What was the very first thing you did? There was no real first day %26hellip; I was appointed December 1. I spent a little time in the trustees conference room next door and had lunch with Gwen Goffe, who was interim director. Then
I was flying down every week or 10 days from New York City until I started full-time at the [end of] January. The real first item on my agenda was to attend the final meetings of the long-term planning committee, which had been meeting for more than three years to select an architect for the new building. They had burrowed down deeply into the careers and the performance of the three finalists. These architects were invited to present proposals %26hellip; and on the basis of those presentations, we selected Steven Holl.

Favorite space in the museum? I have a deep affection for Cullinan Hall %26hellip; because that was my museum when I was growing up in Houston. It was such a noble space. It seemed like a cathedral for art. And I remember the Cullinan Building so well, with its white steel trim, those huge windows facing Bissonnet and the lawn with the Olmec head. That Olmec head loomed large in my childhood %26hellip; My life and the museum are completely imbricated %26hellip; My entire career is a result of growing up in Houston, coming to the MFAH, going to Mrs. Menil%26rsquo;s trailers at Rice University %26hellip; My goal, now that I%26rsquo;m lucky enough to be back in Houston, is to provide experiences for people like me when they%26rsquo;re 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 years old %26mdash; to create the environment where that spark can occur and people can enjoy the arts as an integral part of their life.%26nbsp;

Greatest strengths of the MFAH? Latin American and the Glassell Collection of Gold: Indonesian, African, Pre-Colombian. At the time, it was the most important collection of its kind in private hands. Now it%26rsquo;s in public hands. So we%26rsquo;re up there with the great museums: the Field Museum, the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum %26hellip; Our European collection is quite fine. Photography %26mdash; we have one of the great collections in the country. Eastman House, Metropolitan Museum, Getty, Chicago, Houston %26hellip;. We%26rsquo;re right up there in the top five, in terms of breadth %26mdash; especially American photography in the 20th century.

Wish list? I%26rsquo;d like to add a new building onto the north campus. And I%26rsquo;d like to grow our Asian and Islamic collections. I hope to acquire a few signal masterpieces that really are worthy of pilgrimage. It%26rsquo;s marvelous to have all these collections, but now that we have critical mass,%26nbsp;what we really could use to good effect are just great icons.

Favorite restaurant growing up? I haven%26rsquo;t been back to Gaido%26rsquo;s yet, which is where we ate every Sunday afternoon after going to see the grandparents in Galveston. We ate in the private club in the back.

Your partner, Christopher Gardner, is an antiquarian. What about your home in Houston? We%26rsquo;ve been together, soon to be nine years, and it%26rsquo;s been great %26hellip; We share a love for old things. Gardens are one place where we come together. And funny things %26hellip; we both like British 18th-century ceramics, West African indigo cloth %26hellip; Now what made sense to us was a traditional house on Sunset. Our furniture looks good in it. We don%26rsquo;t have a garden %26mdash; thank God, because I would never get into the office. We have a terrace on the top floor. It%26rsquo;s like a loggia, and we pretend we%26rsquo;re in Venice. We bought a bunch of citrus trees, so we have Meyer lemons, key limes, ruby-red grapefruits and Valencia oranges ripening right now.

Tell us about your famous political relative, Ann Richards. I didn%26rsquo;t know her that well growing up, but I knew her mother very well. Her mother was my great aunt %26hellip; Summers growing up, we would have all kinds of adventures driving around West Texas, picking up turtles on the side of the road. Ann was a wonderful person and so inspirational. It%26rsquo;s very clear to me that the reason I am sitting in this office today is because of Ann. When she left politics and came to New York, she sat me down and gave me a talking to. She picked me up by the scruff of my neck and said, %26ldquo;You should be a museum director. You%26rsquo;re having a good time being a curator, but you%26rsquo;ve got more in you. And there%26rsquo;s more you can do. You need a larger canvas.%26rdquo; %26hellip; That would have been around 2003 or 2004.

Have you met some of the Texas artists? I haven%26rsquo;t. And I am looking forward to it. I am looking forward to meeting artists in the community and seeing what I can do to help them %26hellip; There is so much that will be exciting to do. We can%26rsquo;t do everything, and we can%26rsquo;t do it all at once, but I am filled with optimism with the quality of the projects we are going to be able to work on. People ask me all the time, do I miss New York. Of course, I miss my friends %26hellip; You know I lived at the Met for 28 years, and that was my family %26hellip; And yet, it is just so thrilling to be here in Houston. It%26rsquo;s a great team. It%26rsquo;s a marvelous institution. The trustees could not be better. It%26rsquo;s a dynamic city. The weather%26rsquo;s been cooperating (laughing). I am just really,
really so happy here.

Will you be curating, too? I don%26rsquo;t think so. We have great curators here. My job is to help them find the resources %26hellip; I really want to fulfill, to the extent that I can, [Peter Marzio%26rsquo;s] ambition for the museum, which is a place for all people %26mdash; Houston%26rsquo;s hub for all things cultural %26hellip; I also want there to be real visible cooperation between the Menil, CAMH, Craft Center, Asia Society. We are looking at a number of initiatives where we can visibly join arms with our colleagues and walk proudly into the future. And make the rest of the world understand what a great cultural destination Houston is.

You and Peter Marzio were friends? We were friendly. Not intimate friends. But I would, especially in these last few years, see him when I came down to Houston. And we had lunches here. I always enjoyed talking to him. He was a real legend in the museum field because he was so successful in shepherding his institution, building that great Moneo building, attracting the Caroline Wiess Law Collection and ultimately her bequest for acquisitions, and really extending the family to include new communities %26mdash; Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, his huge Latin American initiative, which is so impressive %26hellip; What Peter understood was that with Houston being one of the most diverse and cosmopolitan cities in the country, the museum ought to %26hellip; reflect the identity of the community %26hellip; He was very quick to respond to that, and I applaud that effort, and I am looking forward to doing everything I can to continue all the various initiatives which he began.

Is the next big collecting initiative extending Latin American? I think some 500 items have been acquired [for this collection]. The team will continue to enrich, extend and acquire masterpieces that illuminate the context they have already developed. We need to do the same with European and American. We are very strong in post-war American, less strong in post-war European. Contemporary Asian %26hellip; South African art is very interesting. Art from the Middle East, from Egypt through Iran, is fascinating now %26hellip; Wouldn%26rsquo;t it be nice to have some of that here.

What do we have at the MFAH that%26rsquo;s astounding? What can we build on? Houston is fortunate to have a number of collections which are outstanding in their field. The Latin American collection is unequaled in any North American institution. [Curator] Mari Carmen Ram%26iacute;rez recognized that the study of Latin American art was inhibited by a lack of access to the documents, and so with [Peter Marzio%26rsquo;s] approval, she founded the International Center for the Arts of the Americas and is using that as a platform to collect and document the lives and work of these artists and to publish it both in print and online.

What do you consider the MFAH%26rsquo;s equivalent to Hopper%26rsquo;s Nighthawks at the Art Institute of Chicago? The Glassell Gold Collection is really our Grande Jatte. The Latin American Collection is like the Surrealism collection at the Menil. Just great depth. We have marvelous works here, from antiquity, Egyptian, the great Roman emperor, the beautiful Hellenistic mask. We have acquired some extraordinary African tribal art. The great Rembrandt portrait that was bought around 2000 %26hellip; I%26rsquo;m hoping that we can aim for that level.

What%26rsquo;s the budget and ETA for the new building? Projects of this size %26mdash; roughly 200,000 square feet %26mdash; tend to cost anywhere from $250 to $350 million %26hellip; We%26rsquo;ll be landscaping the entire north campus north of Bissonnet and extending the sculpture garden, rebuilding the Glassell School, probably. Hopefully excavating two floors of underground parking up to around 700 parking spaces. Our goal here is not only to make a new building ... but to activate the Museum District ... so that the corner of Bissonnet and Main becomes a real magnet for those interested in the arts in the entire region and for anyone interested in this material from around the world ... We%26rsquo;re looking at about a five-year timeline.

The sculpture garden seems so underused. Plans to remedy that? With the simple addition of the food trucks, we doubled our attendance to the sculpture garden. We initiated a program for a limited time called Lunch and Look, whereby if you come to Cafe Express at the Beck Building, or if you go to our food truck and bring your receipt to our admissions desk, we%26rsquo;ll let you in for free between noon and 2 o%26rsquo;clock. The goal is to get more people into the building.

Tell us about your Upstate New York historic house, which has quite a pedigree. It%26rsquo;s called Wynkoop House. It%26rsquo;s in the Hudson Valley, in a town called Marbletown. It is certainly my most prized possession. The kitchen wing was a tenant farmer%26rsquo;s house, around 1720, and the main block of the house is around 1767. Five-bay Georgian, gambrel roof, stone house, What attracts me to it is that it has great integrity. The surfaces, the floors, the walls have their 18th-century paint on it. I%26rsquo;ve learned so much about human nature and trying to understand how people lived in it in the past %26hellip; It gave me a window onto 18th-century American life, which had previously not been an interest of mine.

Personal collections? I%26rsquo;m not an art collector and have never been able to afford to be an art collector. And also didn%26rsquo;t feel the compulsion because working in a museum you%26rsquo;re doing it professionally, you don%26rsquo;t feel that you need to go home and do that. If I had time and money, there are a million different collections that I would like to pursue and maybe one day in my retirement I can. This [Wynkoop] house in the country has been the black hole for any disposable income, and the garden and all that. It%26rsquo;s also been a great source of pleasure

Good luck charm or talisman? I%26rsquo;m not superstitious. I don%26rsquo;t have one. I wake up every day feeling like I%26rsquo;ve been handed such good fortune.

We heard that you play an instrument. About 12 years ago now, I woke up one morning and decided I wanted to play the harpsichord. And by end of the day, I had a harpsichord in the back of my truck and hauled it upstate. That was an entrance key to a new world. In the last 10 years, I%26rsquo;ve become very interested in early music, Baroque music especially. It makes me happy that there are very good groups here. Ars Lyrica, Mercury Baroque %26hellip; And there%26rsquo;s a lively early music scene, between Shepherd and Moores School at U of H.

%26nbsp;

IMAGES:

Ann Richards

Prized possession: Wynkoop House, Marbletown, N.Y. Photo %26copy; Geoffrey Gross, 2012.

Bobby Tinterow and Ed Sullivan, Shamrock Hilton, circa 1950s

In Tinterow%26rsquo;s bookcase, catalogs and volumes he%26rsquo;s authored. Photo by Jenny Antill.

Cullinan Hall, 1961. Photo courtesy MFAH Archives.

Olmec head. Photo Edward Mayo, 1964. Photo courtesy MFAH Archives.

Cullinan Hall, 1959. Photo Maurice Miller. Photo courtesy MFAH Archives.

%26nbsp;

Who Inspires Us: Dean Daderko

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:34:35 GMT

All eyes with be on the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston this month as last summer%26rsquo;s new hire, curator Dean Daderko, makes his debut. His first show for the CAMH, %26ldquo;It is what it is. Or is it?,%26rdquo; takes us on a wild ride through recent art history with 18 artists who update the concept of the ready-made %26mdash; all timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Marcel Duchamp%26rsquo;s Bicycle Wheel, a radical sculpture of a cyclist wheel and a kitchen stool that rocked the art world of 1913. We%26rsquo;ll be lining up to see Daderko%26rsquo;s curatorial chops and visual aesthetic (if they%26rsquo;re any match for his sartorial style, we%26rsquo;ll be delighted). Expect a fresh crop of internationals new to Houston eyes,%26nbsp;including Patrick Killoran%26rsquo;s cooler filled with rough-cut diamonds and melting ice, alongside University of Houston%26rsquo;s illustrious painting prof/purveyor of pop Rachel Hecker, as well as the late, always elegiac Felix Gonzalez-Torres. We%26rsquo;re eagerly awaiting opening night, Friday, May 11, 7 to 9 pm. Through July 29, at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, 5216 Montrose Blvd., 713.284.8250; camh.org.

IMAGE: Dean Daderko. Photo courtesy CAMH.

Transformative Turrell

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:30:44 GMT

Talk about a 100th anniversary gift. Rice University%26rsquo;s Centennial Campaign %26mdash; which culminates with this fall%26rsquo;s homecoming %26mdash; got an early present of appreciation from alumna Suzanne Deal Booth that we predict will become a major art pilgrimage site. Get set for a big reveal next month along the creative corridor that intersects the campus%26rsquo; orchestral and commerce buildings. Sited between the much lauded Shepherd School of Music and the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business, the expected-to-be breathtaking new James Turrell Skyspace will stand guard west of the main quadrangle, at the heart of the university, visible from the Texas Medical Center and adjoining residential high-rises. Featuring a 14-by-14-foot rectangular oculus, and with salient components a grassy berm over which floats an elevated, 72-by-72-foot roof, the futuristic concrete, stone and steel open-air creation promises a transformative experience. An LED light show amplifies the ethereal nature of this Turrell, which is reportedly the only skyspace in the world acoustically engineered for musical performances; it also serves as a lab for Shepherd School students and accommodates 150 people. The striking, other-worldly commission %26mdash;%26nbsp; enjoyed to greatest effect at dawn and dusk %26mdash; brings Houston%26rsquo;s tally of Turrells to three, including the handsome, well-trafficked MFAH Law-to-Beck light tunnel and the serene Skyspace at the Live Oak Friends Meeting House. FYI: The MFAH is co-curating a major Turrell retrospective, slated for 2013, that will cast additional international attention on the Arizona-based artist and undoubtedly highlight our bevy of sight-specific offerings by this incomparable maestro of light and space. For an update of the Rice Skyspace opening date, peruse publicart.rice.edu.

IMAGE:%26nbsp; James Turrell%26rsquo;s Skyspace at Rice University, unveiling June 2012. Photo courtesy Thomas Phifer and Partners.

The Art of the Object with Willem van Aelst

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:24:39 GMT

This month, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in conjunction with the National Gallery of Art, Washington, and the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation, mounts %26ldquo;Elegance and Refinement: The Still-Life Paintings of Willem van Aelst.%26rdquo; The landmark compilation of 28 pivotal van Aelst (1627 %26ndash; 1683) canvases reveals an evolving virtuoso who dramatically impacted late-17th-century still-life painting. Show curators James Clifton, Arthur Wheelock and Tanya Paul explore how the Dutch artist%26rsquo;s sojourns to Paris and Florence (the Medici court, no less) early in life played a significant role in the tightening and refining of his work. During these years abroad, van Aelst learned to discern the interests of his patrons and edit his subject matter accordingly. The sheer proportions of his resulting tableaux of luxury and sophistication are disarming. Through the use of lavish pigments such as ultramarine and a meticulous technique, van Aelst instilled in his art an intrinsic sense of value: His sumptuous depictions of the hunt and luxuriously set tables, voluminous draperies and sparkling Venetian glassware %26mdash; invariably rendered with saturated jewel tones %26mdash; were perfectly tailored to his elite clientele. Can%26rsquo;t get enough of these technically brilliant works? Pick up the book that shares the exhibition%26rsquo;s name %26mdash; the first-ever monograph dedicated to van Aelst%26rsquo;s paintings, published by Skira Rizzoli in conjunction with the MFAH. Through May 28, at the MFAH%26rsquo;s Beck Building, 5601 Main St., 713.639.7300; mfah.org.

IMAGE: Willem van Aelst%26rsquo;s Hunt Still Life with a Velvet Bag on a Marble Ledge, circa 1665, at MFAH. Photo courtesy Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation, Houston.

Smokin’ Hot Photog %26 Only 17

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:04:42 GMT

Our cover photographer Ann He%26rsquo;s images have been featured in Elle Girl Korea and Vision Magazine, and she counts Nike and America%26rsquo;s Next Top Model among her clients. What else is remarkable about her? Uh, maybe that she%26rsquo;s 17 years old and is a student at Highland Park High School in Dallas. PaperCity sits with He to find out where she shops, what%26rsquo;s on her iPod and what inspired the stunning photo on our cover. Inspiration for our cover shot: %26ldquo;I%26rsquo;ve actually been working on a light painting photo concentration for my high school. Also, a recent visit to the %26ldquo;Youth %26amp; Beauty%26rdquo; exhibition at the DMA made me fall in love with the 1920s, so a combination of those variables and enduring inspiration from Paolo Roversi kind of came together to create this shoot.%26rdquo; Favorite photographers? %26ldquo;Nirrimi Hakanson (Firebrace), whose stories and portraits are simultaneously candid and idealist. Actually, she%26rsquo;s affected the development of my fashion aesthetic immensely, from the rich color hues to the selective capture of those fleeting in-between moments. I also can%26rsquo;t get enough of Paolo Roversi%26rsquo;s editorials from back in the day, when he still shot large-format Polaroids. And Sally Mann has always been one of my favorites.%26rdquo; Favorite stores in Dallas? %26ldquo;Free People, LF Store, Buffalo Exchange.%26rdquo; What inspires you? %26ldquo;Anything and everything %26mdash; art museums, literature, dreams, conversations, films!%26rdquo; Favorite song: Currently, Simple Song by The Shins. First camera you owned: A Canon Rebel, though I became obsessed with 35mm-film SLRs and began collecting them off of eBay. Favorite color: Royal turquoise %26mdash; but it changes with the seasons!

IMAGE: Photographer Ann He. Model Abby Williamson, Wallflower Management. Hair and makeup Al Tidwell, Kim Dawson Agency, Dallas. Styling Lauren Withrow.

Dallas Art Fair Sees Green!

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:04:32 GMT

Wild crowds. Strong sales. A banner year for the Dallas Art Fair. That's the story from Fair Center at the Fashion Industry Gallery as a throng%26nbsp;estimated at 1,000 for Opening Night stormed through the doors of FIG last eve%26nbsp;and booths such as Jonathan Viner Gallery of London%26nbsp;(reportedly selling out its trove of Dan Rees artex canvases) and Franklin Parrasch Gallery of NYC (which placed its 1966 John McLaughlin with an out of town collector) were stellar and successful. More details to come this weekend ... now we're off to the Nasher for Erick Swenson's opening. If you are anywhere near Dallas and interested in art, get up here fast. Two more days of art action remain. In parting, a%26nbsp;fitting metaphor%26nbsp;from newcomer Charlie James Gallery of L.A. (Steve Lambert's Everything You Want, Right Now!, 2011.)

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Art Notes

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 04:33:01 GMT

We can%26rsquo;t really think of much else this month but the Dallas Art Fair 2012. Yet another big story is unfolding that intersects the Fair: Its opening night %26mdash; Friday, April 13, at the Dallas Contemporary %26mdash; will draw all the big Fair dealers, collectors and grandees. We%26rsquo;re alluding to the Dallas Biennale, a bold, brash and visionary idea that both subverts and engages with notions and constructs of what a Biennale should be (April 13 %26mdash; August 19, at six venues citywide). Credit DC director Peter Doroshenko for tapping new adjunct curator, Paris-based Florence Ostende, for this project, which will succeed because of the well-edited scope %26mdash; at press time, the list had been winnowed down from the original 20-plus to a succinct 19, representing nine countries. The chosen ones will present expansive, in-depth solos that fan out to our leading art spaces %26mdash;%26nbsp;Dallas Contemporary, natch, joined by The Goss-Michael Foundation, the Dallas Art Fair, Oliver Francis Gallery (specially leased for the occasion), as well as a retail rendezvous at Neiman Marcus Downtown and the Design District (locations still TBD). Seven living in Texas made the DB12 %26mdash; Nick Barbee, Anthea Behm, SMU professor Michael Corris, Gabriel Martinez, Nicole Miller, Michael Smith, and Clarissa Tossin (besting the Whitney Biennial by a mile). For a complete list of the headliners, see dallasbiennale.org.

IMAGE: Zoe Crosher%26rsquo;s Mae Wested No.6 (Crumpled), 2012, at Dallas Contemporary. Photo courtesy the artist and Perry Rubenstein Gallery, L.A.

Dallas Art Fair 2012

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 03:45:52 GMT

Your Exclusive Access to All the Art Action %26bull; Why We%26rsquo;re Going %26bull; What to See, Where to Be, Whom to Acquire %26bull; The Hottest Talents %26bull; The Coolest Parties %26bull; Plus a Plethora of Panels, Cameos, Lectures, Tours, Openings and More %26bull; Nonstop Art Hopping in the Heart of the Dallas Arts District %26bull; Three Thrilling Days of Fair Going, One Scintillating Evening of Important Art Gazing %26bull; More Than 70 International, National and Texas Gallerists Present the Stars of Their Stables %26bull; Ready, Set, Collect! We%26rsquo;ll Meet You By the Thornton Dial.

Begin with the Best: Acquire an All-Access Patron Pass: Best way to navigate the dazzling fare of the Dallas Art Fair 2012? A coveted Patron Pass, priced at $325 per person, and Premiere Patron Pass, $600 per person, which offer access to each and every must-attend event. The clock is ticking on securing this exclusive entr%26eacute;e, which gets its holder into the Preview Gala %26mdash;%26nbsp;your first chance to peruse and acquire offerings from more than 70 discerning American and European gallerists %26mdash; followed by all three days of the Fair. Also included are panel discussions, thoughtful programming, private tours led by art-world insiders and high-voltage parties, as well as VIP openings at the Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas Contemporary, The Goss-Michael Foundation and The Power Station. Limited Patron Passes remain. To secure yours, please contact Lauren Burgin, 214.220.1278, ext. 219; lauren.burgin@dallasartfair.com.

Tickets:

Single-Day Pass: $25 per person

Three-Day Pass: $50 per person

Single-Day Pass for Students, Seniors (62 or over) or Groups of 10 or More: $20

Three-Day Pass for Students, Seniors (62 or over) or Groups of 10 or More: $40

To Purchase Your Fair Tickets: Visit dallasartfair.com. For more information, call 214.220.1278. Tickets also available at the door during the days of the Dallas Art Fair.

For group tours (10 or more), call Lauren Kennedy, 214.220.1278; e-mail lauren.kennedy@dallasartfair.com.

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Meet You at the Dallas Art Fair 2012

The Canvas: F.I.G. (Fashion Industry Gallery), 1807 Ross Avenue, in the heart of the Dallas Arts District

Calendar This Date: The hottest ticket belongs to the Preview Gala, Thursday, April 12, 7 to 10 pm %26mdash; one of the perks of the Patron Pass ($325 per person). Or, upgrade to a Premiere Patron Pass ($600 per person), which grants you, besides Gala entr%26eacute;e, very-first-look access from 6 to 7 pm and also lets you toast the Dallas International Film Festival via a VIP Patron Party created to pair Fair and film denizens. Or just attend the Preview Gala for $225 per person ($500 for a Premiere Preview Gala ticket with special perks). Best of all, the Preview Gala benefits two of Texas%26rsquo; most vital and transformative arts institutions: the Dallas Contemporary, an innovative kunsthalle being reinvigorated by its innovative man at the top, Peter Doroshenko, and a new beneficiary, the Renzo Piano%26ndash;designed Nasher Sculpture Center, one of America%26rsquo;s most extraordinary private museums and a jewel of the Dallas Arts District. For passes or tickets, please contact Lauren Burgin, 214.220.1278, ext. 219; lauren.burgin@dallasartfair.com.

Fair Days and Times: Please note extended evening hours on Friday and Saturday.

Friday, April 13, 11 am to 7 pm

Saturday, April 14, 11 am to 7 pm

Sunday, April 15, 11 am to 5 pm%26nbsp;

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New Arrivals

Alpha Gallery, Boston

Blythe Projects, Los Angeles

CB1 Gallery, Los Angeles

Center Space Gallery, New York

Cernuda Arte, Coral Gables

Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles

Claire Oliver Gallery, New York

Dittrich %26amp; Schlechtriem, Berlin

Drexel Galer%26iacute;a, Nuevo Le%26oacute;n

Feature Inc., New York

The Green Gallery, Milwaukee

Horton Gallery, New York/Berlin

Jonathan Viner, London

Jos%26eacute;e Bienvenu Gallery, New York

Kopeikin Gallery, Los Angeles

Leo Koenig, Inc., New York

Leslie Sacks Contemporary, Santa Monica

Lisa Cooley, New York

ltd los angeles, Los Angeles

Lyons Wier Gallery, New York

Marc Straus, New York

Martos Gallery, New York

Meulensteen, New York

Perry Rubenstein Gallery, Los Angeles

Rosamund Felsen Gallery, Santa Monica

Salomon Contemporary, New York

Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Santa Monica

Silverman, San Francisco

Sue Scott Gallery, New York

UNTITLED, New York

Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld, New York

Wade Wilson Art, Houston

Webb Gallery, Waxahachie

ZieherSmith, New York

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Welcome Back!

Andrew Edlin Gallery, New York

Artspace 111, Fort Worth

Bill Hodges Gallery, New York

Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Philadelphia

C. Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore

Callicoon Fine Arts, New York

Canada, New York

Carrie Secrist Gallery, Chicago

D'Amelio Gallery, New York

Deborah Colton Gallery, New York

Durham Press, Durham

Franklin Parrasch Gallery, New York

Gallery Henoch, New York

Gebert Contemporary, Santa Fe

Hedge, San Francisco

Howard Scott Gallery, New York

James Kelly Contemporary, Santa Fe

Jerald Melberg Gallery, Charlotte

Klemens Gasser %26amp; Tanja Grunert, New York

Lennon, Weinberg, Inc., New York

Michael Kohn Gallery, Los Angeles

Moody Gallery, Houston

Newzones, Calgary

Pace Prints, New York

Peter Fetterman Gallery, Santa Monica

Stewart Gallery, Boise

Tanner-Hill Gallery, Chattanooga

Thomas Solomon Gallery, Los Angeles

Turner Carroll Gallery, Santa Fe

William Campbell Contemporary Art, Inc., Fort Worth

William Shearburn Gallery, St. Louis

Zach Feuer Gallery, New York

Zane Bennett Contemporary Art, Santa Fe

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Top Fare at the Dallas Art Fair 2012: The Booths, the Buzz and Best in Show: Your Insider Guide to Year Four of Texas%26rsquo; First and Foremost International Art Fair. Catherine D. Anspon Reports.%26nbsp;

Year Four Makes a Stand %26mdash; A Peek Behind the Curtain

As I pen these words, Dallas Art Fair 2012 emits rays of excitement. A palpable and persistent pulse of anticipation begins at Fashion Industry Gallery, the vital hub and key command center of all the Fair action, then travels out in concentric circles of energy that are powerful and compelling enough to summon gallerists of vision in such numbers that the Fair co-founders %26mdash; private art dealer Chris Byrne and real estate developer/civic leader John Sughrue %26mdash; have an enviable%26nbsp; dilemma for year four of this boutique international art fair. (Dallas, we have a problem.)

At press time, Byrne and Sughrue and their accomplished team are bustling to accommodate 78 international, national and Texas participants, configuring and re-configuring the ample modernist F.I.G. building and its surrounding sculpture garden and environs to choreograph what is stacking up to be another powerhouse lineup. What Texas dealer will work best next to Pace Prints? Where should all those L.A. gallerists be placed? Who best to feature next to Feature Inc.? What space is best for the booth of Lennon, Weinberg, Inc., where H.C. Westermann holds court? Who will rub shoulders with returning prodigal son C. Sean Horton of Horton Gallery? You get the picture.

Upon reflection, it has been thrilling to watch the growth of this Fair in terms of the quality and quantity of gallerists. Reaching its apex at 78 dealers this year, after starting with 30 in 2009, it truly does mirror the carefully curated caliber of fairs such as the ADAA%26rsquo;s The Art Show. When my colleagues ask, I describe this Fair as being about %26ldquo;the vision thing.%26rdquo; The vision of Byrne and Sughrue. The vision of the gallerists that will be coming to Dallas including 20-something curator/dealer Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld who brings a Euro, film and fashion-shaped aesthetic. We could go on and on. I am also personally looking forward to reconnecting with Lisa Cooley and checking out her stable. Then there are a sharp dozen from L.A., beginning with Perry Rubenstein, where appropriationist Zoe Crosher is arguably the it-girl of the 2012 Dallas Art Fair. Finally, you can find me at Andrew Edlin Gallery and Webb Gallery, havens for the ultimate visionary talents, where I%26rsquo;ll have, respectively, Thornton Dial and Dan Phillips in my sights.

Along the way, we%26rsquo;ve worked closely not only with Byrne and Sughrue but also with Lauren Christensen, who brilliantly organizes all details regarding Fair sponsors; Lauren Kennedy, our go-to for updates on exhibiting gallerists, who patiently corralled the images on these pages and organized the lively Fair tours (including one led by Houston lenswoman/curator Libbie Masterson); and the dynamic Beth Shapiro, who joined the Fair team after working in PR in NYC for the last decade.

Texas Connections

The Dallas Art Fair 2012 showcases as exhibitors nearly a dozen gallerists who have participated in the Texas community by donating works to the 2011 TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art: these include New York octet Zach Feuer Gallery, Jos%26eacute;e Bienvenu Gallery, D%26rsquo;Amelio Gallery, UNTITLED, Franklin Parrasch Gallery, ZieherSmith, Horton Gallery and Lisa Cooley, joined by Texas dealers Talley Dunn Gallery and Holly Johnson Gallery, both of Dallas, and Fort Worth patriarch William Campbell Contemporary Art, Inc. Also manifesting ties among the Fair and Dallas/Houston, a number of the artists showcased in the booths are also on view concurrently (or have recently shown) outside the Fair at museums, nonprofits or other walls, or have a history of being collected by the Dallas Museum of Art. Evidence the upcoming exhibition at the Dallas Contemporary%26ndash;organized Dallas Biennale for L.A. conceptualist Zoe Crosher and the just-exhibited-by-the-DC king of the wheat paste poster, Shepard Fairey, both in the stable of Perry Rubenstein Gallery; Texas sculptor Erick Swenson, who promises surprises with beer steins and snails at the Nasher Sculpture Center, represented by Talley Dunn Gallery; and a dramatic sculptural installation by E.V. Day at the Rosewood Crescent Hotel (the NYC-based artist also designed a suspended spectral gown for the Houston Grand Opera%26rsquo;s recent production of La Traviata and is in the lineup of Salomon Contemporary, New York). More Houston connections are the FotoFest 2012 Russians Oleg Dou and Olga Tobreluts, which are show-stoppers at Deborah Colton Gallery%26rsquo;s booth, coinciding with their debut at the international photo biennial. Finally, William Powhida, exhibiting with Charlie James Gallery of L.A., and Bill Haveron with Kirk Hopper Fine Art both headlined last month at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary with, respectively, a sendup of the current art world and obsessive pencil drawings peopled with an idiosyncratic cosmology. In terms of collecting, the DMA recently nabbed a Mike Williams painting from Canada (New York) and owns and exhibited painter Matt Connors, also with Canada, in a two-person show last spring during Fair time.%26nbsp;

Singular Solos

As in previous years, Fair gallerists continue the tradition of presenting in-depth exhibitions of individual artists%26rsquo; work. Three gallerists this April raise the banner of one-person shows, demonstrating a commitment to illuminating one historic figure in Texas art history, a late American master whose posthumous retrospective touched down at The Menil Collection in Houston in 2002 %26ndash;%26nbsp;2003, and a new generation U.K.-born, Berlin-based abstractionist/conceptualist. We are speaking respectively of pioneering Texas modernist Toni LaSelle at Barry Whistler Gallery, where the artist%26rsquo;s beautiful and nuanced geometric paintings reign; H.C. Westermann%26rsquo;s droll ink and crayon drawings (and more) at Lennon, Weinberg, Inc.; and, at Jonathan Viner, Dan Rees%26rsquo; redefining contemporary art-making with gentle wit, intelligence and authenticity %26ndash;%26ndash; plus everyman materials Artex and Plasticine. Now just in at press time, a fourth solo %26mdash; b mounts an installation for b%26rsquo;s satirical, pop-inflected assemblages.
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East Coast Meets West
We%26rsquo;re most excited about the developing conversation %26mdash; a friendly Fair rivalry %26mdash; between NYC power players and those from the West Coast, predominantly the Los Angeles/Santa Monica area, joined by a San Francisco duo, young lion Silverman and art furniture/design Mecca Hedge. In the New York corner are influencers including former Texans and first-year exhibitors Lisa Cooley (who once directed Mixture Contemporary Gallery in Houston) and Horton Gallery (co-based in Berlin; in his stable, we%26rsquo;re wild for Echo Eggebrecht%26rsquo;s wryly disarming paintings depicting domestic interiors); the aforementioned new-to-the-Fair trio of Feature Inc., UNTITLED%26nbsp; and b; as well as a strong returning contingent comprised of Canada, D%26rsquo;Amelio Gallery, Zach Feuer Gallery (who got his start curating out of his apartment), Howard Scott Gallery and Lennon, Weinberg, Inc. And from theopposite side of the country, investigate the proponents of the Los Angeles/Santa Monica scene, 12 West Coast denizens coming to Dallas including Perry Rubenstein Gallery, who just decamped from NYC to L.A. and is an apostle of the belief that the art world now rotates around Southern California; Michael Kohn Gallery, whose stars extend from Bruce Conner to Mark Ryden and Will Cotton; Rosamund Felsen Gallery, a grande dame of the scene whose roster is stocked with Karen Carson%26rsquo;s droll visages bearing snippets of word play and P-and-D king Kim MacConnel; plus Blythe Projects, showing Michael Salvatore Tierney, whose luminescent pigmented prints owe a debt to the %26rsquo;60s-era California Light and Space movement.

Then there are the farthest West Coasters of all: Western European exhibitors Londoner Jonathan Viner (rolling out a solo show for Dan Rees) and Berlin trend-
spotter Dittrich %26amp; Schlechtriem, guaranteed to stop traffic with erotically tinged Cibachrome prints by Larusson %26amp; Pyszczek.

New York or L.A.? London or Berlin? You decide.

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Texas%26rsquo; Best

Always dedicated to presenting an even playing field between the international, national and Texas gallerists, the Dallas Art Fair 2012 continues its inclusive tradition of featuring dealers from across our state in the lively Fair mix. Once again, 17 of the 78 Fair exhibitors are Texas based, mirroring the art scenes and energy of Dallas, Houston, Marfa, Fort Worth and Waxahachie. The list encompasses Dallas dealers Talley Dunn Gallery (who has participated annually since the Fair%26rsquo;s founding in 2009), Marty Walker Gallery, Holly Johnson Gallery, Conduit Gallery, newcomer PDNB Gallery (we%26rsquo;re hoping to see some Bill Owens%26rsquo; road portraits), Barry Whistler Gallery, Cris Worley Fine Arts, Galleri Urbane (which also has a Marfa outpost), Valley House Gallery %26amp; Sculpture Garden, Kirk Hopper Fine Art (ask to view Bert Long Jr. and Jesse Lott%26rsquo;s latest) and Russell Tether Fine Art, which is dedicated to preserving the early art history of our region; Fort Worth%26rsquo;s Artspace 111 (a portal for photorealism starring the Blagg Brothers) and William Campbell Contemporary Art, Inc.; Houston%26rsquo;s trusty trio of Deborah Colton Gallery (again, a four-time exhibitor), Wade Wilson Art and Moody Gallery (which won our vote for Best in Show at the 2011 Fair); and, from Waxahachie, the fabled Webb Gallery, a showplace for all things outsider, visionary and/or extraordinary %26mdash; witness guitarist/True Widow%26rsquo;s frontsman Dan Phillips%26rsquo; surreal gouache and ink drawings.

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%26ldquo;Art holds value because it belongs to all of us as an expression of our innate human drive to extend ourselves and create something meaningful. The Dallas Art Fair stimulates the conversation around art and its importance. Whether you are a collector or an inquisitive observer, this year%26rsquo;s Fair will be meaningful. We are again so proud to be involved in supporting Dallas Contemporary and Nasher Sculpture Center as the beneficiaries of the Preview Gala. We are also thrilled to involve our most valued clients in this compelling dialogue fostered by the Dallas Art Fair.%26rdquo; %26mdash; Trip Bomar, Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, managing director/market manager

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Stellar Sponsors

Making the Dallas Art Fair 2012 unique, special and exciting is the involvement and support of its sponsors, beginning with Presenting Sponsor Ruinart Champagne, the world%26rsquo;s first established champagne house, with a posh pedigree that incredibly dates back to 1729. Is it coincidental that Ruinart Champagne contains %26ldquo;Art%26rdquo; in its moniker? What can be better than perusing the Fair aisles and enjoying bottle service (plus macaroons) daily. Plus Ruinart provides the quaffs of bubbly for the Preview Gala.

Five Patron Sponsors also enhance the Fair experience. Rosewood Hotels %26amp; Resorts%26rsquo; storied Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek and Rosewood Crescent Hotel offer discounted rooms for all Fair guests (mention the Dallas Art Fair at time of reservation), while they also cater the luxe hors d%26rsquo;oeuvres passed during the Preview Gala. The aforementioned Neiman Marcus hosted artful dual kickoff parties in their Houston Galleria and Downtown Dallas stores. Cadillac will have fabulous cars on site for the second year in a row. Wells Fargo Advisors continues its munificent annual presence at the Preview Gala, hosting 75 to 100 of its Dallas Premiere Advisors and top clients. And, once again, Fashion Industry Gallery (F.I.G.) and its gleaming 55,000-square-foot modernist interiors serve as home to the Fair (stay tuned for some interventions in the green space surrounding F.I.G.; giant balloons make an appearance).%26nbsp;

Collector Sponsors encompass Realtors Dave Perry-Miller %26amp; Associates, which helped stock the coveted gift bag; the worldwide, Dallas-headquartered Heritage Auctions (visit them in the Fine Art Services lounge); and Museum Tower and U.S. Trust, which joined together to co-sponsor a collector party last month in Oklahoma City, as well as underwrite the exhibitor/sponsor luncheon at the Dallas Museum of Art presided over by DMA curator Jeffrey Grove.

Aficionado Sponsors include Arcodoro %26amp; Pomodoro, host to the exhibitor/patron/sponsor dinner the night before the Preview Gala; the distinctive Italian restaurant also serves up a Fair-inspired, prix-fixe, three-course menu during Fair time. Additional Aficionados are Ard-Knox Fine Art Insurance, presenting a lively, must-attend panel on Friday, April 13, %26ldquo;Art Smart: Knowing and Protecting the Value of Your Collection%26rdquo; co-hosted by James Ard; Berkley Asset Protection, an art-insurance product offer by Ard-Knox; and the invaluable U.S.Art, which offers installation and shipping services to exhibitors as well as packing, shipping and installation to Fair collectors. Also stepping up are Aficionados The Goss-Michael Foundation, the annual host of a very popular party for VIP, Premiere Patron and Patron Pass holders; Ben E. Keith Company, purveyor of specialty beers for events leading up to the Fair and the Preview Gala; and the trio that gives the Dallas Art Fair its beautiful aesthetic: floral designers Bel Fleur, Liland%26rsquo;s Special Events (crafter of the Fair walls and build-out), and Scott + Cooner, who furnish the cool contemporary seating nooks for Fair goers. Finally, seven media sponsors join Dallas Art Fair 2012, including PaperCity magazine, producers of the exclusive insider guide that you now hold in your hands.%26nbsp;

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The Official Calendar of the Dallas Art Fair 2012: Fair Days and Fair Nights: Who to See, Where to Be, April 11 through 15%26nbsp;

Wednesday, April 11

6 to 8 pm: The Power Station %26mdash; Exhibition Opening for occasional monochromist/wunderkind painter/sculptor Jacob Kassay (3816 Commerce Street). With a VIP, Premiere Patron or Patron Pass.

8 to 10 pm: Patron %26amp; Exhibitor Welcome Dinner at sponsor Arcodoro %26amp; Pomodoro (100 Crescent Court, Suite 140). With a VIP, Premiere Patron or Patron Pass.

Thursday, April 12

11:30 am to 12:30 pm: Dallas Art Fair Press Preview (Fashion Industry Gallery).

12:30 to 1:30 pm: Exhibitor and Collector Luncheon at Dallas Museum of Art (1717 North Harwood Street) led by Jeffrey Grove, The Hoffman Family Senior Curator of Contemporary Art at the DMA. With a Premiere Patron or Patron Pass.

6 to 7 pm: Dallas Art Fair and Dallas International Film Festival VIP Reception (F.I.G.). Private event.

7 to 10 pm: Dallas Art Fair Preview Gala (Fashion Industry Gallery). Benefitting the Nasher Sculpture Center and the Dallas Contemporary, this is your official first opportunity to peruse and acquire offerings from 78 top-tier international, national and Texas gallerists before the Fair opens to the public the next day. Rub shoulders with Dallas%26rsquo; top collectors. Savor bites from Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek while quaffing Ruinart Champagne or clinking cocktails by Mo%26euml;t Hennessy USA %26mdash; and doing some serious art gazing. Preview Gala tickets through Lauren Burgin, 214.220.1278, ext. 219; lauren.burgin@dallasartfair.com.%26nbsp;

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Friday, April 13

11 am to 7 pm: Dallas Art Fair 2012 opening day (Fashion Industry Gallery).

11 am to noon: Private collector%26ndash;led tour of the Fair. This year%26rsquo;s enlightened tour guides are a trio of Dallas most discerning collectors, Patrick Collins (board chair of the Dallas Contemporary), Rebecca Bruder and Christen Wilson; joined by international photographer/curator Libbie Masterson. With a VIP, Premiere Patron or Patron Pass. For details and a complete tour schedule, contact Lauren Kennedy, 214.220.1278; lauren.kennedy@dallasartfair.com.

5 to 6 pm: Panel Discussion, %26ldquo;Art Smart: Knowing and Protecting the Value of Your Collection%26rdquo; presented by James Ard of Ard-Knox FIne Art Insurance and Jamie K. Baker of Thompson, Coe, Cousins %26amp; Irons, L.L.P. (F.I.G., Beck Imaginarium, fifth floor). Includes insider information on appraisal, shipping and insurance issues with practical pointers for art collectors at every level. Included in Fair admission.

6 to 8 pm: Nasher Sculpture Center Exhibition Opening of %26ldquo;Sightings: Erick Swenson%26rdquo; (2001 Flora Street). Dallas-based Swenson concocts a tour de force that obsessively mimics some pretty strange objects and creatures. With a VIP, Premiere Patron or Patron Pass.

6:30 to 8:30 pm: The Goss%26shy;-Michael Foundation Exhibition Opening for British-born, New York%26ndash;based Adam McEwen, whose machined graphite sculptures metamorphose the banal and prosaic into beautiful precisionist objects (1405 Turtle Creek Boulevard). With a VIP, Premiere Patron or Patron Pass.

9 pm to midnight: Dallas Contemporary Exhibition Opening of Viennese-based sculptor/photographer/provocateur %26ldquo;Erwin Wurm: Beauty Business%26rdquo; and L.A.-based Zoe Crosher, one of 20-plus Dallas Biennale talents (161 Glass Street). Guaranteed Dallas Art Fair bar. Open to all.

Saturday, April 14

9 to 11 am: The Rachofsky House Open House (8605 Preston Road). Marvel at one of the most celebrated private collections in America, installed in a Richard Meier-designed gem. RSVP to thomas@rachofskyhouse.org by April 12.

11 am to 7 pm: Dallas Art Fair 2012, day two (Fashion Industry Gallery).

11 am to noon: A rare demonstration with master printer Justin Israels of Pace Prints and celebrated one-time Texan, now international artist John Alexander (Fashion Industry Gallery). Monoprints created during the demonstration will be for sale, with a portion of proceeds benefitting the Greenhill School. Included in Fair admission.

1 to 2 pm: Panel Discussion, %26ldquo;You Only Love Me When You%26rsquo;re In Dallas: Questioning Biennales,%26rdquo; organized by the Dallas Contemporary, featuring adjunct curator Florence Ostende as moderator and panelists including Michael Corris, chair, Meadows School of Art, Southern Methodist University; and Charissa Terranova, professor, University of Texas, Dallas (Fashion Industry Gallery, Beck Imaginarium, fifth floor). Included in Fair admission.

4 to 6 pm: Junior Associates Reception organized by the Dallas Museum of Art (Fashion Industry Gallery). Private Event.

Sunday, April 15

10 am to 1 pm: Tour of Dallas Cowboys%26rsquo; Stadium Art Collection (Arlington). With a VIP, Premiere Patron or Patron Pass.

11 am to 5 pm: Dallas Art Fair 2012, third and final day (F.I.G.).

1 to 2 pm: Dallas Galleries Off the Wall: Tales from the Back Room (F.I.G., Beck Imaginarium, fifth floor). Panel discussion involving local exhibiting gallerists Cheryl Vogel, Talley Dunn, Missy Finger and Cris Worley. Included in Fair admission.

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IMAGES:

Mark Flood%26rsquo;s Jag, 2010, at Zach Feuer Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and Zach Feuer Gallery, NY

Zoe Crosher%26rsquo;s Almost the Same (Fan), 2011, at Perry Rubenstein Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and Perry Rubenstein Gallery, LA; %26copy; Zoe Crosher.

Luke Butler%26rsquo;s Untitled, 2011, at Silverman. Photo courtesy the artist and Silverman, San Francisco.

Gabriel Dawe%26rsquo;s Untitled from %26ldquo;End of Childhood%26rdquo; series, 2010, at Conduit Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and Conduit Gallery, Dallas.

Dan Rees%26rsquo; Untitled (diptych), 2011, at Jonathan Viner. Photo courtesy the artist and Jonathan Viner, London.

Dan Phillips%26rsquo; Untitled, 2011, at Webb Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and Webb Gallery, Waxahachie.

Echo Eggebrecht%26rsquo;s Winterport, ME, 2011, at Horton Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and Horton Gallery, NY/berlin; Private Collection, Dallas; Photo Mark Woods.

Alexis Rockman%26rsquo;s Tropical Migrants, 2011, at Salomon Contemporary. Photo courtesy the artist and Salomon Contemporary, NY.

H.C. Westermann%26rsquo;s A Beautiful New City, 1961, at Lennon, Weinberg, Inc. Photo courtesy Lennon, Weinberg, Inc., NY.

Ken Solomon%26rsquo;s Pandora Portrait (London Calling), 2011, at Jos%26eacute;e Bienvenu Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and Jos%26eacute;e Bienvenu Gallery, NY.

Thornton Dial%26rsquo;s Lost, 2004, at Andrew Edlin Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and Andrew Edlin GaLlery, NY

Michael Salvatore Tierney%26rsquo;s The Perfectly Good Place Is Really No Place, 2011, at Blythe Projects. Photo courtesy the artist and Blythe Projects, LA

Ritsue Mishima%26rsquo;s Spin Cloud, 2011, at Hedge. Photo courtesy the artist and Hedge, San Francisco.

John Alexander%26rsquo;s The Beast of Arnemheim, 2007, at Pace Prints. Photo courtesy the artist and Pace Prints, NY.

Karen Carson%26rsquo;s Insatiable Desire, 2011 at Rosamund Felsen Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and Rosamund Felsen%26nbsp; Gallery, Santa Monica.

Tony Matelli%26rsquo;s Stray Dog, 2011, at Leo Koenig, Inc. Photo courtesy the artist and Leo Koenig, Inc., NY.

Russell Crotty%26rsquo;s Far North, 2011, at Shoshana Wayne Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Santa Monica.

Rosha Yaghmai%26rsquo;s Love Forever, 2011, at Thomas Solomon Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and Thomas Solomon Gallery, LA.

Yi Chen%26rsquo;s Part of Me Was Something Else, 2011, at Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld . Photo courtesy the artist and Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld, NY.

Ry Rocklen%26rsquo;s Second to None, 2011, at UNTITLED. Photo courtesy the artist and UNTITLED, N.

Michael Bauer%26rsquo;s Elogia de la Sombra %26ndash; LES %26ndash; MOB, 2012, at Lisa Cooley. Photo courtesy the artist and Lisa Cooley, NY.

Toni LaSelle%26rsquo;s Untitled (Green and White), 1952, at Barry Whistler Gallery. Photo courtesy Barry Whistler Gallery, Dalla.

Scott Reeder%26rsquo;s Suicidal Shape, 2011, at The Green Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and The Green Gallery, Milwauke.

Kinke Kooi%26rsquo;s Fitting, 2011, at Feature Inc. Photo courtesy the artist and Feature Inc., N.

Michael Williams%26rsquo; Chub Insurance, 2011, at Canada. Photo courtesy the artist and Canada, N.

Vernon Fisher%26rsquo;s Under the Deep, Deep Sea, 2011, at Talley Dunn Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and Talley dunn Gallery, Dalla.

Larusson %26amp; Pyszczek%26rsquo;s Your History Is Not Our History (Portrait No. 1/Part 1), 2011, at Dittrich %26amp; Schlechtriem. Photo courtesy the artists and Dittrich %26amp; Schlechtriem, Berlin.

The Idylls of Idlewood

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 01:29:39 GMT

Inside the art nest of photographer, collagist, feminist, craftsman, collaborator, fervid collector of objets trouv%26eacute;s, memoirist, naturalist, gardener and blogger Mary Margaret Hansen. She and beau, painter Earl Staley, call the East Side home.

From the Fifth Ward to Montrose, plus a heaping helping of the Houston Heights, we%26rsquo;ve covered artists%26rsquo; domiciles%26nbsp;and the studios where inspiration strikes. But not until recently were we smitten with the East Side of Houston %26mdash; an attraction that began the moment we entered the romantic and fiercely independent kingdom of Mary Margaret Hansen. (One of my favorite days ever in the art world was a Sunday brunch I shared with Hansen and her larger-than-life romantic lead, grand master Texas painter Earl Staley, plus their charming long-time pals Margaret and H.J. Bott.) Peruse these pages for clues to the multifaceted three-decade career of this engaging home%26rsquo;s owner, evidence of the trails she%26rsquo;s blazed and the fellow artists she%26rsquo;s mentored, and a new tableau vivant, forming now, as Staley shares her domestic bliss. The stage where all the action takes place? A handsome 1948 bungalow in the revitalized neighborhood of Idylwood, complete with a pleasingly unruly garden that meanders to a heavily treed ravine, giving cover to all manner of avians and fauna, as well as a studio with an old-timey screen porch, its cozy interior formerly the garage. Now, enter the Hansen household.

The studio, completed in 2008, displays Hansen%26rsquo;s photographic collages, including a discarded Hurricane Ike faux tapestry with images of Jell-O salad molds applied to it %26mdash; an example of the artist%26rsquo;s sense of whimsy. She%26rsquo;s as enthralled by fabric, hangings and coverlets as she is about photography. The sunflower in the needlepoint chair is a metaphor for the improving fortunes of the area. %26ldquo;Every new day in Houston begins in the East End,%26rdquo; she proclaimed to the Greater East End Management District at their annual luncheon (she was district president from 2000 to 2007).

In a second bedroom, files groan with evidence of a life lived behind the camera; Hansen estimates her archives hold %26ldquo;thousands of negatives.%26rdquo; Front and center is the Walzflex camera with coveted Zeiss lens that launched it all %26mdash; a gift from her father, a Standard Oil executive, when she was nine years old and the family lived in Aruba. (He was a director of the oil company%26rsquo;s private school system, while her mother was a singer, conductor of choral music, writer and role model.) Now rusted after constant exposure to saltwater, the Walzflex led to photographic study at Cornell, and then prompted her later to co-found the Houston Center for Photography.

This wall in Hansen%26rsquo;s studio proclaims her obsession with a personal search. The self-portrait on the right dates from 1980 to 1981. The corrugated green sheet-metal walls were salvaged from the warehouse of friend/fellow East End civic leader Mike Garver.%26nbsp;

In the kitchen windowsill, pottery cupcakes by San Francisco ceramic artist Sharon Virtue take on an architectural quality; they%26rsquo;re from the wedding of Hansen%26rsquo;s eldest daughter, Caroline. At their base, miniature plastic quincea%26ntilde;era dolls parade like a convocation of little women. This grouping inspired Hansen%26rsquo;s 2005 exhibition %26ldquo;La Folie Innocente du Coeur%26rdquo; at the International Woman%26rsquo;s Foundation in Marfa.%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

The screen porch that shades the studio serves as a retreat for Hansen and Staley to read, write, sketch and quaff morning coffee or end-of-day wine. The pair reconnected at a DiverseWorks Gala that honored Staley after an interval of not seeing each other for 20 years. Both artists are ensconced in new endeavors. Hansen is formulating her next collaborative/conceptual adventure after directing, selecting and overseeing the entire public art project for the City of Houston%26rsquo;s Central Permitting and Green Resource Center, administered through the Houston Arts Alliance, last year. Staley, who has just joined the stable of New Gallery/Thom Andriola, will headline there this month in his first major Houston solo since his return from New Mexico.%26nbsp;

A big Mexican jug has pride of place in the well-tomed library. In the foreground, an oyster dish scored from the Guild Shop. Hansen%26rsquo;s parents gave her the gift of the library for her housewarming: they paid for the shelving and hired the contractor. The library was previously the dining room of the bungalow. In a coincidence of synchronicity, the home was designed by an empowered woman of a different time: Mrs. D.C. Teer, an amateur architect/mother of three girls/housewife who, back in the day, %26ldquo;drew her own house plans and then spent eight hours a day supervising construction work,%26rdquo; as reported by the Houston Chronicle. This comfortable middle-class postwar dwelling was built in 1948 for $20,000. Forty-five years later, Hansen, by then divorced and also a mother of three girls, bought the Teer house and became its second owner.

In the dining room, Hansen holds court amid a sea of canvases by Staley, circa 2008 to 2009.%26ldquo;We%26rsquo;re continually rehanging the house, and it looks different now from the day it was photographed,%26rdquo; she notes. To the left, a spun-sugar cathedral from East End baker Claudio Garcia, acquired after he retired and sold his business.
The tiled dining table came from a furniture maker in Fredericksburg and was purchased in the early 1970s.%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

The screened porch, once an open-air patio, that adjoins the studio attests to Hansen%26rsquo;s eye for objets trouv%26eacute;s. The antique metal European bed with its delicate 19th-century landscape was found in Warrenton, Texas. The metal chair, part of a set of four, was another find that made its way into Hansen%26rsquo;s 2009 collaborative endeavor %26ldquo;Second Seating,%26rdquo; a multi-month installation in downtown Houston that tapped seven fellow East Enders for a dinner-party tableau comprised of inventive forms of recycled, reclaimed and transformed materials. The $30,000 project%26rsquo;s initial check (for $3,500) came from a DiverseWorks grant through the Warhol Foundation Idea Fund. %26ldquo;This was the first money raised for %26lsquo;Second Seating,%26rsquo; and I cried when I opened the envelope,%26rdquo; recalls Hansen.

The eiderdown quilt that covers the guest bed was a find from the period when %26ldquo;I went nuts on eBay,%26rdquo; Hansen reveals, as were a few of the gelatin mold%26ndash;inspired clocks with shells and rocks embedded in resin %26mdash; an homage to the Rococo period. Vintage chenille bedspread, discovered at a Wimberley flea market. Of her art, Hansen says: %26ldquo;Concept and collaboration, that%26rsquo;s it. However, my home is a slightly different story. It%26rsquo;s over 40 years of collecting odd and weird and whimsical things I loved at first sight.%26rdquo;

Inside the heart of the studio are more examples of Hansen%26rsquo;s diverse interests and wide range of art-making. The crocheted collars rest on mannequins in readiness for her next trunk show. The mod chair in the foreground was decorated by Gonzo247 for %26ldquo;Second Seating%26rdquo;; the chandelier is another unique relic from the project. On the left, more scenes from our heroine%26rsquo;s photographic/collage oeuvre. Hansen says, %26ldquo;I can%26rsquo;t just go into my studio and make a picture; I%26rsquo;d rather be working on something that has a many moving parts and a big concept.%26rdquo; She dedicated %26ldquo;Second Seating%26rdquo; to her late mother, Doris Bain Thompson, %26ldquo;for passing along the wherewithal to see visions of what can be.%26rdquo;

In the living room, Staley%26rsquo;s Studio Night was painted in 1979. %26ldquo;I bought it in the early 1980s for my darkroom studio,%26rdquo; remembers Hansen. For the rest of the story, read the artist%26rsquo;s chapter in Coping with Transition: Men, Motherhood, Money, and Magic (signed copies at Brazos Bookstore). The chair is a Marcel Breuer classic Wassily. Alongside, Graciela Iturbide%26rsquo;s instantly recognizable image of a peasant woman carrying a boombox, circa 1979. The Mexican mask on the pedestal, the exact one used in Staley%26rsquo;s above canvas, was a gift to Hansen after the couple reunited.%26nbsp;

%26nbsp;

A Respected Redux:

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 01:01:44 GMT

Now that he%26rsquo;s decamped from Colquitt, what about major denizen Thom Andriola, who has been a force in Houston for a quarter century? Set to relocate to the Sicardi Gallery space next to McClain Gallery once their new building on West Alabama completes%26nbsp; %26mdash; ETA this summer; what a hopscotch in our gallery scene %26mdash; Andriola has taken up residence until then in a historic 1920s-era storefront at Midtown, where he neighbors PG Contemporary and Christy Karll McWhorter%26rsquo;s studio, thereby setting up a nice little arts district. Billing his new location as Temporary Contemporary, Andriola is now ensconced in an ample 3,500-square-foot HQ, where monumental works such as Thedra Cullar-Ledford%26rsquo;s Five Thousand Trashy Romance Novels, a cheeky marriage of Judd-ian minimalism and a feminist battle cry, can have pride of place. Other best bets, which New Gallery represents, are Lester Marks%26rsquo; futuristic photo abstractions (showing with Michele Wambaugh, through April 13, in a strong FotoFest pairing); Ibsen Espada, an accomplished abstract painter who is in Texas%26rsquo; art historical canon; photo-realist Cheryl Kelley of the souped-up American car canvases; and the always very grand pigment master Earl Staley, who opens April 13 in one of the most anticipated solos this season (through May 26). 3225 Milam Street at Elgin, 713.520.7053; newgalleryhouston.com.

IMAGE:%26nbsp; Thom Andriola, Angela Morra, Thedra Cullar-Ledford with Cullar-Ledford%26rsquo;s Five Thousand Trashy Romance Novels, 1997%26ndash;ongoing, and Cheryl Kelley%26rsquo;s Hot Wired, 2007. Photo courtesy New Gallery/Thom Andriola.

%26nbsp;

Taniguchi Takes Off

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:54:16 GMT

It%26rsquo;s a big architecture month, as Yoshio Taniguchi%26rsquo;s first freestanding building in America unveils April 12 through 15. Revel in the quiet, contemplative splendor of the new $48.4 million Asia Society Texas Center, one of the most important art stories from Houston since The Menil Collection opened in 1987. A major destination in the heart of the Houston Museum District, the museum%26rsquo;s inaugural show highlights the storied collection of Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Rockefeller 3rd (through September 16, 2012). Stay tuned for our complete coverage coming in May. 1370 Southmore Blvd., 713.496.9901; asiasociety.org/texas.

IMAGES:

Yoshio Taniguchi%26rsquo;s Asia Society Texas Center, opening April 2012. Photo by Paul Hester.

The second floor looking toward the Elkins Foundation Water Garden. Photo by Paul Hester.

Newly Minted: Peveto

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:51:01 GMT

Change in the art word is always good. And nothing revives a stalwart lineup of dealers like a new arrival. Enter Peveto on Colquitt%26rsquo;s Gallery Row. The man at the top, Scott Peveto, has been in the Houston art world for more than a decade, most recently at one of the key players at McClain Gallery, where he brought a focus on Texas artists and emerging talent to that Richmond Avenue power player. Now Peveto has branched out on his own, tapping recent colleagues Leigh Manley and Felipe Contreras to join him. The trio has taken over the former New Gallery/Thom Andriola digs (where did Andriola go? More on that on these pages). Architect Shane Cook was enlisted to revive the space, the key and pivotal anchor of the Arquitectonica-designed all%26eacute;e of galleries. The result? A front window that was formerly boarded over is now revealed to flood a viewing room with light. The fluid and more pleasantly open 4,000-square-foot floor plan also features zones of privacy, as well as a cool office area where sleek desks suggest the efficiency of a visual hive. At Peveto%26rsquo;s grand opening %26mdash;%26nbsp;owner director Peveto bills himself as a fine art resource management company and plans to %26ldquo;transform the idea of an exhibition%26rdquo; %26mdash; a bevy of next-generation collectors rubbed shoulders with respected talents such as CAMH-exhibited Jason Villegas (one of Peveto%26rsquo;s discoveries) and two-time Whitney Biennial talent Trenton Doyle Hancock, whose NYC-based friend William Villalongo was included in the opening show %26ldquo;Game On%26rdquo; (through April 7). Also on our radar from their stable: the late Virgil Grotfeldt%26rsquo;s son, Andy, whose deft mixed-media and foil canvases are compelling and concise; Alejandro Diaz%26rsquo;s buoyant neon phrases; and long-time Peveto pal, West Coaster Andy Moses, whose paintings recall the L.A. Light and Space movement. 2627 Colquitt, 713.360.7098; peveto.org.

IMAGE:%26nbsp; Scott Peveto, Leigh Manley, Felipe Contreras with Greg Miller%26rsquo;s The Searcher, 2011. Photo by Nash Baker.

Sherman's Brigade

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:48:35 GMT

More than any other American artist, she redefined photography and moved it from a lower rung to the upper echelons of the art stratosphere %26mdash;%26nbsp;including the image shown on this page, Untitled #96, which set a record when it sold last May at Christie%26rsquo;s for an incredible $3.89 million. She has also been a figure on the front lines of a radical rethinking of the power
of self-portraiture. Can you name her? If you said Cindy Sherman, you are correct. That%26rsquo;s why serious art denizens are making pilgrimages to take in one of the year%26rsquo;s most provocative retrospectives, %26ldquo;Cindy Sherman%26rdquo; at New York%26rsquo;s Museum of Modern Art. Go see how the work that began with black-and-white untitled film stills in 1977, measuring a modest 8 by 10 inches, forever changed contemporary art. Next spring, the Sherman show arrives at the Dallas Museum of Art for the fourth and final leg of its national tour. And hurry, Sherman is closer than you think. Catch the final days of the feminist exhibition narrative %26ldquo;The Deconstructive Impulse%26rdquo; at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, where a cache of Shermans steals the show. In a perfect coincidence, the artist%26rsquo;s CAMH PA comes almost 32 years to the day of her first-ever museum show, which was organized at the CAMH by the trend-spotting Linda Cathcart, who mounted %26ldquo;Cindy Sherman: Photographs%26rdquo; in February and March 1980. %26ldquo;Cindy Sherman,%26rdquo; at MoMA through June 11; at the DMA March 17, 2013 %26ndash;%26nbsp;June 9, 2013. %26ldquo;The Deconstructive Impulse: Women Artists Reconfigure the Signs of Power, 1973 %26ndash; 1991,%26rdquo; at CAMH, through April 15.

IMAGE:%26nbsp; Cindy Sherman%26rsquo;s Untitled #96, 1981, at MoMA and CAMH. Photo courtesy Collection MoMA, NY; Gift of Carl D. Lobell; %26copy; Cindy Sherman 2012.

PC Acquire

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:21:42 GMT

This month%26rsquo;s PC Acquire talent is one of our most multifaceted to date, manifesting a rock %26rsquo;n%26rsquo; roll vibe that marries street photography %26agrave; la Garry Winnogrand with the fashion eye of Terry Richardson, plus a dose of %26rsquo;70s-era grunge and glam tossed in. Meet Brent Bruni Comiskey, a native Texan known for his passion for indie music %26mdash; he%26rsquo;s a founding member of the experimental art-rock-noise band Diamond Shamrock and published the alternative %26lsquo;90s music mag Thora-Zine %26mdash; but mostly as the man with the lens. For decades, Comiskey%26rsquo;s documented the odd, the random, the nonsensical and the beautiful, from Tokyo to Paris, plus his own EaDo Houston neighborhood. Now from a cache of more than 100,000 images, we cull a collection of 24, offered in suites of three archival prints. You curate your personal trove of three. Each limited-edition image is 16 x 20 inches; a mini portfolio trio is $995, or acquire the complete collection of 24 images for $4,995. All images are mounted upon acrylic and ready to hang. To view Comiskey%26rsquo;s %26ldquo;Shoot for the Stars%26rdquo; series, navigate papercitymag.com/Arts. Inquiries Seth Vaughan, 713.524.0606, ext. 239; seth@papercitymag.com.

IMAGES:

Heart + Star, 2011

Amour, 2010

Paw, 2011

Glossy-D, 2011

Mink + Honey, 2012

Blossom, 2012

Ice is Nice, 2010

Green Alert, 2012

Ring-a-Ling, 2012

Chocolate, 2012

Leaf + Fur, 2011

Pride, 2011

Owl, 2012

Love Backwards, 2004

Dirty Pink, 2006

Turn It Up, 2010

Rusty Gate, 2011

To The Future, 2012

Ode to W, 2011

Clean, 2011

Feather in a Crack, 2011

Crawfish Cowboy, 2005

Donkey Primer, 2011

My Heart the Empress, 2008

Collector's Conversation

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 02:53:52 GMT

Internationally known interior design Steven Volpe, co-founder and co-owner of Hedge, San Francisco, takes questions from Jay Shinn, Dallas- and New York-based artist and collector.

Tell us why you co-founded Hedge. Frankly, as a designer, I got tired of getting on a plane every time I needed a piece of furniture.

You have been exhibiting at the Dallas Art Fair since its inception. Why are you coming back in 2012? Continuing relationships.

Hedge has been at the forefront of the interface between art, design and architecture. What are the next trends coming up in these fields? [We try] not to be trendy but to transcend trends, and work to create lasting appeal.

Which new design talent are you most excited about? Morten Lobner Espersen, a sculptor who is breaking new ground with clay.

Is there a special aesthetic with the curated interiors in Dallas that relates to the aesthetic of Hedge? Do you have special Texas connections/friendships with collectors and museum curators, since you have been coming to Dallas for quite a while? Last year, we had the pleasure of meeting the curators of the Fort Worth [Modern Art] museum and were impressed with the parallels between what we%26rsquo;re working on and similar sensibilities.

Where is your next trip, and how is design involved? Japan. There is no culture as immersed in design as Japan.

What affinities do the West Coast and Texas share in terms of design? A history of pioneering influential modern collecting and thinking outside of the box.

Where do you scout new talent? Milan, Paris, West Coast? Really, all over the world.

What is on your personal wish list to acquire? A Morton Lobner Eperson vessel.

What are you most excited about in the art/design world this spring? Fragmentation of planes.

IMAGES:

Jay Shinn. Photo by Jeremy Keas.

Steven Volpe. Photo by Alan Purcell.

Fair Game: The Houston Sequel

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 01:08:01 GMT

Now what%26rsquo;s going on in our fair city regarding art fairs? Here%26rsquo;s the latest: Houston Fine Art Fair and Texas Contemporary both return this fall for year two. The first, and reportedly the larger of the two offerings, HFAF, leads the way September 14 through%26nbsp;16, with an Opening Night Preview Party Thursday, September 13, once again benefitting the MFAH Core Program. MKG Art Management%26rsquo;s respected duo Melissa Grobmyer and Janet Hobby have been tapped as advisors and are actively tweaking the look of this Fair, including adding Art Basel%26ndash;style sections such as Fahrenheit (highlighting hot new galleries less than five years old) and Focus (for dealers that showcase a single talent). A host committee is being readied too. Also new is%26nbsp;the Houston Fine Art Fair%26rsquo;s venue; the show relocates from the George R. Brown Convention Center to the more commodious Reliant Center. Weeks later, we get Texas Contemporary Fair, a lively brash upstart that takes place October 19 through%26nbsp;21, returning to the George R. Brown, with an opening-night preview bash Thursday, October 18. It%26rsquo;s going to be a big art fall and collecting is definitely, decisively in the air.

IMAGE: Matt Magee%26rsquo;s Greentext, 2010, at Hiram Butler Gallery, showing at Houston Fine Art Fair. Photo courtesy the artist and Hiram Butler Gallery, Houston.

Meet You at the Dallas Art Fair

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 01:01:42 GMT

One of our most intriguing rites of spring in the Texas cultural firmament is Dallas Art Fair 2012 %26mdash; and it%26rsquo;s happening this month, unveiling April 13 through 15 at Fashion Industry Gallery, in the Dallas Arts District. Are we going? You can count on it. (Follow our daily blog from the Fair at papercitymag.com/Arts.) Meanwhile, as media sponsor, we%26rsquo;ve once again compiled an advance preview of all the Fair action %26mdash; the international, national and Texas power players; the most scintillating artists; the lively programming; and all the openings. Peruse our guide in advance of your Fair days for info about securing limited-edition Premiere Patron Passes and Patron Passes, as well as Preview Gala and ticketing details. This year, we%26rsquo;d say the theme is %26ldquo;iconoclasts,%26rdquo; from the Fair co-founders Chris Byrne and John Sughrue to the exhibitors, who range from a performing artist transformed into Lower East Side gallerist (Hudson of Feature Inc.) to 20-something dealer Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld, whose sensibility is filtered through a Euro, film and fashion lens. We%26rsquo;ll see you at the Preview Gala Thursday, April 12; I%26rsquo;ll be quaffing Ruinart Champagne, pen in hand, by the Kinke Kooi. Dallas Art Fair 2012, Friday through Sunday, April 13 %26ndash; 15; Preview Gala Thursday, April 12; Fashion Industry Gallery, 1807 Ross Ave., 214.220.1278; dallasartfair.com.

IMAGES:

Karen Carson%26rsquo;s Insatiable Desire, 2011, at Rosamund Felsen Gallery. Photo courtesy the artist and Rosamund Felsen Gallery, Santa Monica.

Michael Salvatore Tierney%26rsquo;s The Perfectly Good Place Is Really No Place, 2011, at Blythe Projects. Photo courtesy the artist and Blythe Projeccts, L.A.

PC Theatrics: "La Cage" and More

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:31:30 GMT

From Zorro The Gay Blade to La Cage aux Folles%26hellip;

IMAGE: George Hamilton as Georges and Christopher Sieber as Albin in the national tour of La Cage aux Folles. Photo by Paul Kolnik.

Young audiences may know George Hamilton from his turn on the second season of Dancing With the Stars. I remember him best, however, as Dracula in the hilarious yet romantic Love at First Bite and as the lead characters in Zorro, The Gay Blade. Now he's coming to Dallas as nightclub owner Georges in the national tour of the Tony Award%26ndash;winning revival of La Cage aux Folles. Joining him as the more flamboyant Albin is Tony nominee Christopher Sieber, who actually played Georges in the Broadway production opposite Harvey Fierstein. Sieber also originated the roles of%26nbsp; Lord Farquaad in Shrek: The Musical (on his knees, no less) and Sir Galahad in Spamalot, among countless other stage credits.

As part of the Dallas Summer Musicals series, La Cage will play at The Music Hall at Fair Park April 10 through 12. For tickets, visit dallassummermusicals.org. Want to know more about this hilarious production? Check out the official Web site at lacage.com.

*%26nbsp; *%26nbsp; *

Phantom Shadows on the Boardwalk

In the mood for a thrill ride? Not only is the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier opening in May (just in time for summer travel planning), but many musical theater fans will be rediscovering Coney Island on May 29 as well. That%26rsquo;s when Andrew Lloyd Webber%26rsquo;s Love Never Dies, the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, reaches American shores via DVD and BluRay.

Those of us who follow Lloyd Webber%26rsquo;s career first experienced this musical via the concept album starring Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess (who both went on %26mdash; or rather, back in time %26mdash; to star in The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall, already out on DVD and Blu-Ray). Much has changed, however, since that original recording. Immortalized on film is the revamped production staged in Melbourne, Australia, and starring Ben Lewis and Anna O%26rsquo;Byrne. Fans who saw the Fathom broadcast in cinemas back in February know that the opening no longer focuses on Madame Giry recalling what tragedies befell the Phantasia attraction at Coney Island. Instead, the Phantom himself appears alone to serenade his long-absent Christine with %26ldquo;%26rsquo;Til I Hear You Sing.%26rdquo; The rest is a whirlwind of soaring melodies and carnival-esque visuals with the Phantom characters at its core: the Phantom himself, Christine, Raoul, Madame Giry and Meg, as well as Christine%26rsquo;s son, Gustav, who was named for her long-lamented father. (Speaking of whom, did you realize that Karimloo appeared briefly as Christine%26rsquo;s father in the feature film?)

To bring either Love Never Dies or The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall into your living room, visit amazon.com. (I%26rsquo;ve spotted Phantom locally at Barnes %26amp; Noble, Best Buy and Target as well; no word yet on how wide the release of LND will be.) And if you find your appetite whetted for amusement parks, check out the aforementioned Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier at pleasure-pier.com.

* * *

Back to the Barricades

Seeing Lloyd Webber%26rsquo;s productions filmed live on stage makes me long for the same treatment for Les Mis%26eacute;rables. Someday, perhaps... In the meantime, we can look forward to the feature film directed by Tom Hooper (The King%26rsquo;s Speech), which will star Australian powerhouses Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean and Russell Crowe as Inspector Javert. They%26rsquo;re joined by a m%26eacute;lange of Hollywood sorts and musical theater stalwarts, including Sweeney Todd film alumni Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen as the Th%26eacute;nardiers, Amanda Seyfried (Sophie in the Mamma Mia! film) as Cosette, Samantha Barks (from the West End production and 25th anniversary concert) as Eponine, Aaron Tveit (Broadway%26rsquo;s Catch Me If You Can) as Enjolras and original Les Mis cast members Colm Wilkinson as the Bishop and Frances Ruffelle as one of the Lovely Ladies. Look for stage alumni to be peppered among the students as well. A release is tentatively set for December 2012.

Longing to see this beloved show performed live on stage again? Then catch the reimagined 25th anniversary tour of Les Mis%26eacute;rables at the AT%26amp;T Performing Arts Center December 20 through January 1, as part of the 2012%26ndash;2013 Lexus Broadway Series Season. Tickets are going fast, so visit attpac.org soon to secure your seats. (There's already talk of restricted-view seats still being available for sold-out performances, so don't delay.)%26nbsp;

Don't want to wait that long? The tour will also perform at Austin%26rsquo;s Bass Concert Hall, May 29 through June 3. Plan your trip at austin.broadway.com.%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

*%26nbsp; *%26nbsp; *

Horse Play

Sure, we%26rsquo;ll be able to buy Steven Spielberg%26rsquo;s War Horse on BluRay and DVD on April 3. But I'm more intrigued by the Tony Award%26ndash;winning stage production that gallops into town via the aforementioned 2012%26ndash;2013 Lexus Broadway Series Season September 12 through 23. While I%26rsquo;m sure the film is brilliant %26mdash; somehow I never made it to the cinema over the holidays %26mdash; what I really want to see are the award-winning horse puppets that have captured hearts (and honors) internationally. Talk about a one-time Breyer collector%26rsquo;s dream... For info about season tickets now and%26nbsp; single-ticket sales later this year, visit attpac.org.

*%26nbsp; *%26nbsp; *

Much Ado About %26hellip; Guitar Hero?

I was thrilled to hear that Brian D%26rsquo;Arcy James would be singing on this week%26rsquo;s episode of Smash, the NBC-TV series about producing a musical about Marilyn Monroe. Unfortunately, his number ended up being little more than a tease for fans who know his work, with D%26rsquo;Arcy James hamming it up with a video game. Not sure where you've seen him before? Perhaps it%26rsquo;s because his face was buried under green prosthetics as everyone%26rsquo;s favorite ogre in Shrek: The Musical. It%26rsquo;s his powerful voice you hear on the original cast recording (along with Christopher Sieber, by the way). You might also remember D'Arcy James' appearance on the Rosie O%26rsquo;Donnell Show many years ago, performing %26ldquo;Fare-Thee-Well%26rdquo; as the stoker Frederick Barrett in Maury Yeston%26rsquo;s tuneful Titanic. While his Smash character may not frequent his wife%26rsquo;s musical theater world, we can only hope for a future dream sequence that will utilize his voice more fully.

*%26nbsp; *%26nbsp; *

No Anklets Required Here

Are you a fan of the USA Network%26rsquo;s popular White Collar series? If so, you%26rsquo;ll want to catch Glee on FOX Tuesday, April 10, when WC star Matt Bomer (we know him best as conman Neal Caffrey) guest-stars as the brother of series regular Blaine (Darren Criss) and joins him for some Duran Duran tunes. Trivia: Did you know that Bomer is a native of Spring, Texas?

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Just Thinkin' About %26hellip; Your iPod

I saw the Melbourne production of Annie with musical theater legend Anthony Warlow (The Phantom of the Opera, Les Mis%26eacute;rables, Jekyll %26amp; Hyde%26rsquo;s second concept album) as Oliver Warbucks back in 2001. The world went insane a few months later, and I haven%26rsquo;t made it back to Australia. But meanwhile, Warlow has been playing the billionaire again, and this time there%26rsquo;s a cast recording %26mdash; of a live performance, no less. You%26rsquo;ll have to track it down online, as the CD has not been released in the States, but it%26rsquo;s well worth the pursuit. Unfortunately, %26ldquo;Why Should I Change a Thing,%26rdquo; the song that lyricist Martin Charnin wrote specifically for Warlow back in 2000, isn%26rsquo;t here (nor was it included in subsequent productions for long, but it would%26rsquo;ve made a great bonus track). But all the traditional numbers are delivered with high energy by the whole Australian cast, including the political subtext sadly lost in the movie version via songs such as %26ldquo;We%26rsquo;d Like to Thank You Herbert Hoover%26rdquo; and %26ldquo;New Deal for Christmas.%26rdquo; Keep an eye on eBay, as the CD surfaces there regularly.

%26nbsp;

Watch here for future updates about the performing arts %26mdash; locally and around the world.

PC Theatrics: "Annie" and More

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:31:18 GMT

"Tomorrow" %26mdash; and Yesterday%26hellip;

IMAGE: Theater Under The Stars' current production of Annie at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. From left: Glory Crampton as Grace Farrell, Michele Ragusa as Miss Hannigan and Sadie Sink as Annie herself. Photo by Bruce Bennett Photography.

Fortunately, it doesn%26rsquo;t require an eBay search to enjoy this family favorite, as Theater Under The Stars is staging Annie at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts through Sunday, April 1. The orphan at the heart of it all is played by Sadie Sink, a Brenham girl who was born for the role; perhaps you saw her as little Susan Waverly in TUTS%26rsquo; production of White Christmas. Houston also has a powerful baritone playing Warbucks: George Dvorsky, a veteran of countless TUTS productions including A Wonderful Life and The Sound of Music. And his assistant, Grace Farrell? We discovered her at the Music Hall as Christine in Kopit and Yeston%26rsquo;s Phantom many years ago: Glory Crampton (she%26rsquo;s also on that CD, if you can find a copy). The dreaded Miss Hannigan is played by Michele Ragusa, a comic genius one can easily imagine playing Elizabeth in Broadway%26rsquo;s Young Frankenstein, one of her previous credits.

Despite Annie%26rsquo;s famous song, don%26rsquo;t wait too many tomorrows to purchase your tickets, as the show closes this weekend. Book your seats at 713.558.8887; tuts.com.

*%26nbsp; *%26nbsp; *

Phantom Shadows on the Boardwalk

In the mood for a thrill ride? Not only is the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier opening in May, but many musical theater fans will be rediscovering Coney Island on May 29 as well. That%26rsquo;s when Andrew Lloyd Webber%26rsquo;s Love Never Dies, the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, reaches American shores via DVD and BluRay.

* * *

Back to the Barricades

Can%26rsquo;t wait? Then catch the reimagined 25th anniversary tour of Les Mis%26eacute;rables at Houston%26rsquo;s Hobby Center for the Performing Arts November 6 through 11, as part of the Gexa Broadway series. Scenic design, which incorporates Victor Hugo's own moody artwork, is reminiscent of what we saw in the stellar production staged locally by TUTS in 2009. For tickets, visit houston.broadway.com/shows/les-miserables-baa/.

Don't want to wait that long? The tour is also stopping at Austin%26rsquo;s Bass Concert Hall, May 29 through June 3. Plan your trip at austin.broadway.com. Or be a real fan and follow up your movie viewing with a road trip to Dallas to catch the tour again at the AT%26amp;T Performing Arts Center December 20 through January 1, as part of the 2012%26ndash;2013 Lexus Broadway Series Season. Tickets are going fast, so visit attpac.org soon to secure your seats. (There's already talk of restricted-view seats still being available for sold-out performances at the Dallas venue, so don't delay.)

*%26nbsp; *%26nbsp; *

Over There %26hellip;

I%26rsquo;m jealous. While we%26rsquo;ll be able to buy Steven Spielberg%26rsquo;s War Horse on BluRay and DVD April 3, Houston may have a long wait before we can see the original stage production. Instead, the Tony Award winner gallops into Dallas via the aforementioned 2012%26ndash;2013 Lexus Broadway Series Season September 12 through 23. While I%26rsquo;m sure the film is brilliant %26mdash; somehow I never made it to the cinema over the holidays %26mdash; what I really want to see are the award-winning puppets. Talk about a one-time Breyer collector%26rsquo;s dream... To saddle up for a Dallas trek, you%26rsquo;ll need to buy season tickets right now. Or wait for individual ticket sales later in the year. For info, visit attpac.org.

*%26nbsp; *%26nbsp; *

Much Ado About %26hellip; Guitar Hero?

I was thrilled to hear that Brian D%26rsquo;Arcy James would be singing on this week%26rsquo;s episode of Smash, the NBC-TV series about producing a musical about Marilyn Monroe. Unfortunately, his number ended up being little more than a tease for fans who know his work, with D%26rsquo;Arcy James hamming it up with a video game. Not sure where you've seen him before? Perhaps it%26rsquo;s because his face was buried under green prosthetics as everyone%26rsquo;s favorite ogre in Shrek: The Musical. It%26rsquo;s his powerful voice you hear on the original cast recording. You might also remember his appearance on the Rosie O%26rsquo;Donnell Show many years ago, performing %26ldquo;Fare-Thee-Well%26rdquo; as the stoker Frederick Barrett in Maury Yeston%26rsquo;s tuneful Titanic. While D%26rsquo;Arcy James%26rsquo; Smash character may not frequent his wife%26rsquo;s musical theater world, we can only hope for a future dream sequence that will utilize his voice more fully.

*%26nbsp; *%26nbsp; *

No Anklets Required Here

%26nbsp;

Watch here for future updates about the performing arts %26mdash; locally and around the world.

Snail Story

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 04:52:29 GMT

We%26rsquo;re enthralled with Erick Swenson. What nerve, what talent. The Whitney Biennial%26ndash;exhibited, Saatchi Collection sculptor, who lives in our own midst (we even once made his Wild West Halloween party), has been tapped for a site-specific creation for the Nasher Sculpture Center%26rsquo;s Lower Level Gallery. Kudos to director Jeremy Strick for branching out from the greatest hits of modern sculpture and choosing someone with Texas chops (April 14 %26ndash;%26nbsp;July 8).

Image:

Erick Swenson%26rsquo;s Schw%26auml;rmerei (in process), 2012; photo courtesy the artist, Talley Dunn Gallery, Dallas, %26amp; James Cohan Gallery, NYC %26copy; Erick Swenson. Photo ManTiger Studio 2011.

Erick Swenson%26rsquo;s studio with Schw%26auml;rmerei in process, 2011; photo ManTiger Studio, 2011.

%26nbsp;

Arrested by Russell

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 04:50:33 GMT

It%26rsquo;s hard to get any better than Western legend Charles Russell, who loosens up his compositions and adds humor (you can always tell a Russell from a Remington, even at 40 paces). More than 100 of his greatest works on paper come together at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in %26ldquo;Romance Marker: The Watercolors of Charles M. Russell,%26rdquo; including many loaned from the Montana Historical Society, which holds many treasures in the Russell trove (through May 13). You don%26rsquo;t have to be a Western devotee to want to see this show.

Image: Charles Russell%26rsquo;s When Cows Were Wild, 1936; photo, collection Montana Historical Society.

Impressionists A Go Go

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 04:49:00 GMT

A glorious peek at some terrific French paintings from the gilded age of Impressionism, borrowed from the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts, travels to the Kimbell Art Museum as the only stop on its three-year, multi-continental U.S./Asian/European world tour. See crowd pleasers from a roll call including Monet, Manet, Degas, Morisot and friends, alongside other distinguished painters of the day including Bouguereau, Corot, Gauguin, G%26eacute;rome, Toulouse-Lautrec and (new even to our eyes) Alfred Stevens, whose portrait A Duchess (The Blue Dress), circa 1866, is splendid, sumptuous and riveting %26mdash; and one of the exhibition%26rsquo;s surprises (March 11 %26ndash; June 17).

Image: Alfred Stevens's A Duchess (The Blue Dress), circa 1866; photo courtesy Collection Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts.

Visionaire Extraordinaire

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 04:47:11 GMT

He%26rsquo;s the ultimate outsider brought in from the cold: Bryan, Texas%26ndash;based Bill Haveron, who%26rsquo;s showcased in not one but two solos on view this month, at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary (through March 31) and Kirk Hopper Fine Art (through March 24). Visit both and discover what the fuss is all about. Why can%26rsquo;t this artist be in the 2012 Whitney Biennial?

Image: Bill Haveron%26rsquo;s Reverse Osmosis Post Pubescence, 2012, at Kirk Hopper Fine Art

Biennial Bound

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 04:45:36 GMT

Photo denizens take note: America%26rsquo;s most significant photographic convergence takes place in Houston this month. FotoFest 2012 unveils March 16, citywide %26mdash; more than 100 venues, 45 days, with hundreds of artists and thousands of images, many never before exhibited. Not to be missed are three thoughtful group shows curated by FotoFest co-founder Wendy Watriss and a team from Russia, focused on modern and contemporary Russian photography, spanning the post-Stalinist decade, through glasnost and onto today (through April 29; fotofest.org). FYI: World power players Dasha Zhukova and Roman Abramovich are involved as supporters/funders, so this will be a FotoFest like no other.

Image: Oleg Knorring%26rsquo;s Untitled, published in Ogonek No. 18, 1950.

Cocktail Shakers and Flappers

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 04:43:17 GMT

The 1920s roar at the Dallas Museum of Art as “Youth and Beauty: Art of the American Twenties,” arrives from its organizing institution, the Brooklyn Museum. All things Jazz Age are in the air; don’t miss the major and minor players from this buoyant epoch, from the inimitable Edward Hopper to under-known Luigi Lucioni, as well as the always fresh Joseph Stella, whose fictionalized portrait The Amazon, is this show’s showstopper (March 4 – May 27).

Image: Joseph Stella’s The Amazon, 1925–26, at at the Dallas Museum of Art; photo courtesy Brooklyn Museum.

Thrift-a-Rama

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 01:01:49 GMT

The mad, brilliant mind that brought you Pee-wee%26rsquo;s Playhouse, reformed puppeteer Wayne White, returns to Marty Walker Gallery with another batch of thrift-store canvases, upon which he has painted snippets of text. Just in: These are White%26rsquo;s actual paintings. Learn more at the opening on Saturday, March 31, and meet the irrepressible Monsieur White, in from L.A. (through May 5). Heading to Austin for SXSW? Be sure to catch a full-length doc on the life of this idiosyncratic talent, Beauty is Embarrassing, Saturday, March 10.

Images:

Wayne White%26rsquo;s Funny Sad Funny, 2010, at Marty Walker Gallery; photo %26copy; the artist, courtesy Marty Walker Gallery

Wayne White in studio; photo %26copy; Neil Berkeley, courtesy Marty Walker Gallery

American Beauty

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:59:54 GMT

For an understanding of where we are, see “Glenn Ligon: America,” a survey of one of the most seminal figures in contemporary art, organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art, landing at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth this spring (through June 3). In the show, Ligon moves from Basquiat-like primitivism and deceptively simple silkscreens of leaders such as Malcolm X to postmodern neon sculptures bearing startling text fragments. Go!

Glenn Ligon’s Sun (Version 2) #1, 2001, at Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth; photo courtesy collection of Eileen Harris Norton.

Meadows Meets its Man

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:36:35 GMT

If March has a gentleman of the moment, it%26rsquo;s Santiago Calatrava. The Spanish architect jets into town the first weekend of the month for the debut of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge %26mdash; the massive civic project of Calatrava%26rsquo;s design spanning the Trinity River. There are bridge-opening parties galore (most notably those held atop the MHH March 2, 3 and 4 and benefitting The Trinity Trust), but the monument%26rsquo;s inauguration has also stirred several art happenings, particularly one at the Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University. The exhibit premiere of Calatrava and SMU: A Decade in Motion coincides with the MHH-opening weekend on Sunday, March 4, and spotlights a rarified peek at Calatrava%26rsquo;s sculptural oeuvre. A highly curated collection of the architect%26rsquo;s work will go on view %26mdash; from a watercolor-and-graphite sketch of his famous Wave sculpture to several abstract works in marble, granite and brass, and even personal correspondences, inscriptions and mementos. Meadows Museum, 5900 Bishop Blvd., 214.768.2516; meadowsmuseumdallas.org; Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge Celebration Party information, 214.740.1616; mhhbridgecelebration.com.

%26nbsp;

Santiago Calatrava%26rsquo;s Il Dente, 1999. Meadows Museum, SMU, Dallas, Algur H. Meadows Collection, Gift of Santiago Calatrava photo Michael Bodycomb.

Inside the Heads of Maxwell %26 Jacqueline Anderson

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:23:16 GMT

Together, Max and Jacqueline Anderson agreed it was time to exit his post as The Melvin %26amp; Bren Simon Director and CEO of the Indianapolis Museum of Art to embark on new quests in Dallas. You%26rsquo;ll see we have much to absorb from Max %26mdash; he comes armed with a master of arts and a doctor of philosophy in history of art from Harvard, a five-tier aspiration plan for our museum, a new book debut and ArtBabble launch experience. And did we mention his affinity for hot pepper flakes?

Max Anderson

Three favorite contemporary artists? Some one million Americans declare themselves to be artists on their tax returns. %26nbsp;I%26rsquo;m not keen on alienating the other 999,997.
%26nbsp;
What type of art are you amassing these days? For the DMA, we will be focused on building on strengths in European, American, Asian, African, Decorative Arts and Design, and augmenting contemporary art holdings from Europe, the U.S. and Asia with works from Latin and South America. I%26rsquo;m also interested in Islamic art, self-taught African American art, and other fields newer to American museums.
%26nbsp;
Your uniform? I wear suits and ties because it%26rsquo;s easier than improvising with business casual, an expression that flummoxes me.
%26nbsp;
What do you collect? Cuff links for me, jewelry for Jacqueline and souvenirs for our daughter when on trips. Our son has outgrown interest in tchotchkes.
%26nbsp;
Items in your attach%26eacute;?%26nbsp; Dell Inspiron, iPad, iPhone charger, keys, pens, magnifying glass, white gloves, hot pepper flakes.
%26nbsp;
Where do you purchase your suits? When next I do, Neiman Marcus, of course.
%26nbsp;
Three shops in Dallas you frequent? We just arrived, so %26lsquo;frequent%26rsquo; would be overstating it. I love scouring hardware stores for tools I may need when we build our house.
%26nbsp;
The word you%26rsquo;d best use to describe yourself? Insatiable.
%26nbsp;
Books on your bedside table? Michael Axworthy%26rsquo;s Iran: Empire of the Mind.

What would surprise people most about you? How much I love splitting a face cord of firewood.

Three small luxuries you wouldn%26rsquo;t want to do without? Two-cup stovetop Moka Express, bittersweet chocolate and my brand-spanking-new Dallas North Tollway tag.
%26nbsp;
Favorite vacation spot? The Bay of Naples, ideally from a cutter-rigged sloop.
%26nbsp;
Signature drink? Laphroaig, neat.
%26nbsp;
Three favorite restaurants in Dallas? We%26rsquo;ve not been to many more than three, and loved them all: Urban Taco, The Mint Asian Fusion Cafe and, of course, In-N-Out Burger.
%26nbsp;
One favorite architectural moment in Dallas? The Arts District is a feast for the eye. And I am eager to see the Trinity River Corridor Project unfold.
%26nbsp;
Favorite architect and project? The Pantheon in Rome by Apollodorus of Damascus.
%26nbsp;
Piece of furniture you covet? Hella Jongerius%26rsquo; Polder sofa.

What impact do you hope to make on the DMA? I want it to be the nation%26rsquo;s most coveted art museum to work in because of its creativity, embrace of risk and the depth of experience offered our public.

What impact do you hope to make on the city of Dallas? I%26rsquo;d like to help the Arts District become a global force for our city.

A Dallasite you admire? Margaret McDermott. She has led by example, challenges received wisdom, has a keen eye for talent and is as bold and good company as anyone half her age.

%26nbsp;

Jacqueline Anderson

In your handbag? If I am organized, my driver%26rsquo;s license, a fresh-pressed juice and some vegan snacks.

The labels on your back? I am always excited about discovering new designers but love my staple pieces by Norma Kamali, Alexander McQueen, Jean Paul Gaultier, Andre Courr%26egrave;ges and H%26amp;M.

Most unexpected fashion staple in your closet? Adidas Superstars.

Favorite makeup item? YSL lipgloss.

Three shops in Dallas you%26rsquo;re mad about? Neiman Marcus has always felt like the mother ship I was dropped off on this Earth from; Forty Five Ten exceeds its fabulous reputation; and there seems to be a strong gravitational pull towards NorthPark Center.

Style muse? Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, Anita Ekberg, Queen Elizabeth I, Nefertiti and Cleopatra

The word you%26rsquo;d best use to describe yourself? Unpredictable.

Books on your bedside table? I just read Bossypants by Tina Fey and laughed until I cried. Next up is The Quality Instinct by Maxwell L. Anderson.

Three small luxuries you wouldn%26rsquo;t want to do without? Taking and picking up my kids from school, fashion and my Vitamix.

Three favorite hotels? The Taj Tashi in Bhutan, Acacia Cliffs Lodge in New Zealand and Hotel St. Cecilia in Austin.

Signature drink? Organic Avenue%26rsquo;s Green Love juice.

Three favorite restaurants in Dallas? V-Spot Cafe, Dive Coastal Cuisine, Spiral Diner.

Favorite architectural designs? The Lotus Temple in Delhi and the Atomium in Brussels.

Your home interiors %26hellip; describe your style. Never too serious, always glamorous and aspiring to be minimal.

Impact you hope to make on the city of Dallas? It%26rsquo;s too soon to tell, as I%26rsquo;m still trying to master the carpool line at Lamplighter %26hellip; but I have big plans
and promise to keep you posted.

Images:

Jacqueline %26amp; Max Anderson; portrait Justin Clemons.

Moka Express

Hella Jongerius' Polder sofa

Atomium

Vitamix

Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra

Pantheon

Anita Ekberg

Paper City is Music to Our Ears

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:09:23 GMT

First there was PaperCity the exhibition; next, we inspired a couture gown. Now when we insert our earbuds and unlock our iPads, we have our own album playing. We%26rsquo;re mad for Popular Talk by up-and-coming indie pop sensation Paper City, which coincidentally (or not?) shares our moniker %26mdash; and our sensibility. Smart, upbeat writing and clever turns of phrase are manifested in pitch-perfect lyrics backed by compelling chords, led by West Coast songwriter/vocalist Marisa Predisik. Information myspace.com/papercityband.

Border Crossing

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:08:16 GMT

Peel Gallery now represents L.A.-based artist/furniture designer/crafty lady Tanya Agui%26ntilde;iga. The internationally exhibited avant-gardist,%26nbsp;shown from Mexico City to Milan, was raised in Tijuana, which gives her work an authentic resonance. Agui%26ntilde;iga, you see, crosses the border and shops for tchotchkes on the other side, bringing back pottery knickknacks of odd yet endearing taste. Once home, she obsessively transforms them with exuberantly hued, multicolored yarns, covering everything from ceramic burros to chihuahua-shaped garden statues with a wild cape of riotous fabric pompoms. Besides being cute and attention-getting, these sculptures smuggle a sociopolitical message.

Image: Tanya Agui%26ntilde;iga%26rsquo;s Crafta, 2011, at Peel Gallery

Gazing East

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 06:07:10 GMT

It%26rsquo;s most definitely an Asian spring in Houston. The Eastern action begins this month with Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei%26rsquo;s poignant, yet provocative Circle of Animals / Zodiac Heads, which take up residence rimming the southeast corner of McGovern Lake in Hermann Park as part of an international, multi-year tour (March 3 %26ndash;%26nbsp;June 3). Weighing in at 1,000 pounds and standing 10 feet high (including base), the recreated bronze menagerie makes a statement about the original 18th-century sculptures%26rsquo; looting in 1860 %26mdash;%26nbsp; French and British troops were the culprits %26mdash; from their perch as part of a fabled water clock at the Old Summer Palace outside Beijing. Presented by Houston Arts Alliance in an innovative partnership with the City of Houston, Houston Parks %26amp; Recreation Department, Hermann Park Conservancy and AW Asia, the weighty exhibition coincides with Architecture Center Houston%26rsquo;s presentation of Ai Weiwei%26rsquo;s %26ldquo;Five Houses%26rdquo; (April 19 %26ndash;%26nbsp;May 25) %26hellip; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, inaugurated its Arts of Japan Gallery last month, capping a five-year initiative that saw the establishment of the Arts of Asia Galleries at the MFAH%26rsquo;s Law Building. %26ldquo;Elegant Perfection: Masterpieces of Courtly and Religious Art from the Tokyo National Museum%26rdquo; is the Japan space%26rsquo;s debut show, culling rare works designated as National Treasures loaned by this prominent Tokyo institution, including masterpieces of Buddhist art starring a sculpture of chief cosmic deity Dainichi Nyorai, which dates from the 11th century (through April 8) %26hellip; Watch these pages in April for all the details on the most game-changing new building since The Menil Collection opened its doors a quarter century ago: We take you inside the marvels and preview the promise of the new Yoshio Taniguchi%26ndash;designed $48.4 million Asia Society Texas Center (opening April 12 %26ndash;%26nbsp;15).

Images:

Seated Dainichi Nyorai, 11th century, at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; photo courtesy Tokyo National Museum.

Ai Weiwei%26rsquo;s Dragon, 2011, coming to Hermann Park, April 2012; photo courtesy the artist and Houston Arts Alliance.

A Cool Place to Be

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 05:41:32 GMT

Our Rome Prize%26ndash;winning, Metropolitan Museum%26ndash;collected Texas Artist of the Year, Bert Long Jr., will headline the Houston Museum of African American Culture%26rsquo;s official unveiling, set for the fall. Meanwhile, Long%26rsquo;s given us an exclusive sneak peek at the self-contained room-sized vitrine that will be one of the show-stoppers of HMAAC%26rsquo;s opening. (Hint: Refrigeration is required.) As an appetizer for what%26rsquo;s to come, Long%26rsquo;s new Houston dealer, Vaughan Christopher Gallery, showcases historic to recent works direct from the internationally exhibited senior master%26rsquo;s studio (March 22 %26ndash;%26nbsp;April 28).

Image: Bert Long Jr.%26rsquo;s proposed ice installation for the Houston Museum of African American Culture, Fall 2012; photo Joan Batson.

Mythic + Monumental

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 04:17:24 GMT

Richard Serra is arguably America%26rsquo;s greatest living sculptor. The master of the epic Torqued Ellipses and once embattled Titled Arc is best known for his way with Cor-Ten and hot rolled steel, and for his unerring ability to employ industrial materials to dramatically redefine and reconfigure space. Few know the depth of his drawings, which are dense and equally heroic. What is their relationship to Serra%26rsquo;s towering structures of bold simplicity? The Menil Collection posits, then answers this question, in the first-ever retrospective devoted to the artist%26rsquo;s drawings %26mdash; and the first major showing under the guise of the Menil Drawing Instituteand Study Center. Menil duo Bernice Rose and Michelle White, joined by SFMOMA%26rsquo;s Gary Garrels, curate this survey, which is both monumental and primordial. You%26rsquo;ll never look at drawing the same way again (March 2 %26ndash;%26nbsp;June 10).

Image: Richard Serra%26rsquo;s Taraval Beach, 1977 (as shown installed at the Whitney Biennial 1977), coming to The Menil Collection; photo courtesy collection of the artist, Richard Serra %26copy; 2010 Artist Rights Society (ARS), New York, photo BeVan Davies.

Hip Hop

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 03:59:46 GMT

FotoFest collides with art cars at the Art Car Museum. Catching our eye is the audacious imagery of lensmen Irv Tepper and Maurice Roberts, a reprisal of the pair%26rsquo;s solo shows at the Nave Museum in Victoria, respectively in 2010 and 2011, curated by the iconic Ann Harithas (March 16 %26ndash; June 17).

Image: Irv Tepper%26rsquo;s Rex the Rabbit, 2011, at Art Car Museum

Painters' Progress

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 03:58:33 GMT

While we%26rsquo;re mad for the Jules Olitski painting survey at the MFAH, one can look closer to home this month for au courant examples of ground-breaking painting. Case in point, Joe Mancuso%26rsquo;s swirly, whirly whorls of latex encased in resin, reminiscent of a couturier%26rsquo;s lace %26agrave; la Chanel, has us swooning due to its implied fashion reference (Barbara Davis Gallery, March 2 %26ndash; May 5). Then another Houston-based talent, Marcelyn McNeil, continues her investigation into 21st-century abstraction. Fresh from a residency at the MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire, McNeil strips her palette to a handful of colors, unfurled in looping swaths of oil and gesso on curvaceous layers of paper (Anya Tish Gallery, March 2 %26ndash; 31).

Images:

Marcelyn McNeil%26rsquo;s Yoke, 2012, at Anya Tish Gallery

Joe Mancuso%26rsquo;s Such a Lovely Garden (detail), 2012, at Barbara Davis Gallery

Art Notes

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 03:54:11 GMT

Inside Track: Here%26rsquo;s some of the buzz in the Texas art world this spring. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston%26rsquo;s retrospective for American master Jules Olitski includes his circa-1960 spray paintings %26mdash; beguiling trails of vapor that seemingly influenced James Turrell (through May 6).

Movie Night: Collector type Michel Muylle%26rsquo;s film debut, Collector%26rsquo;s Waltz, is all about the Houston scene, starring headliners such as artists McKay Otto, Nicola Parente, Lucinda Cobley and Joseph Cohen. The engaging doc is currently in post production, but Muylle screened the indie for me one night at his home and studio; in the room was Kristine Mills, whose jazzy riffs serve as soundtrack. Stay tuned for its reveal later this spring. Also in the works are a new cinematic bio of Ima Hogg, our lady of Bayou Bend, with a storyline telling of the little-known days in Miss Hogg%26rsquo;s life before WWI and introducing a long-forgotten beau. The script for Empress of Texas had a recent readings at Main Street Theater, attended by Bayou Bend patroness Jeanie Kilroy. The film is still in the fund-raising stages and has yet to be shot. Carole Keeney Harrington is securing financing, while Natasha Fissiak oversees casting and crew. For more info, visit empressoftexasfilm.com ... Then it%26rsquo;s kudos to Shushana and Jack Castle for coaxing Telluride Mountainfilm to town. The long-running festival will debut in Houston at Rice Media Center on March 30 and 31. Watch for the screening of Oscar-nominated Roko Belic%26rsquo;s moving crowd-pleaser Happy (mountainfilm.org).

Performance Art: Finally, the first-ever Lone Star Performance Explosion arrives this month, billed as a biennial of international, national and Texas performance art including Houston notables The Art Guys, Jim Pirtle, Jenny Schlief, Emily Sloan and Nestor Topchy (Thursday, March 8, at DiverseWorks; Friday, March 9, at AvantGarden Saturday, March 10, at Notsuoh; lonestarexplosion.org).
Sounds wild! %26mdash; see you there.

Coming Next Month: big gallery moves.

Image: Jules Olitski%26rsquo;s Pink Alert, 1966, at MFAH; photo courtesy collection The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., %26copy; Estate of Jules Olitski/Licensed by VAGA, NY, NY

The Russians Are Coming!

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 03:17:11 GMT

FotoFest 2012: Contemporary Russian Photography
March 16 –April 29, 2012
For complete programming, exhibitions, details and all the action, peruse fotofest.org.

Biennial Best

Every two years, FotoFest turns Houston into the international capital of the photo firmament. And every two years, I pen these lines and look forward to America’s greatest photographic convergence: 45 days, 1,000 artists, 10,000 works, 100-plus exhibitions, 300,000 visitors including top press, esteemed curators and savvy collectors. But there’s something different this year. It’s the nature of the theme and its ambitious, oh-so-topical reach and possibility of positive repercussions. The 2012 biennial intersects the rising arc of Russian art, mirroring its propulsion by two very committed individuals whose passion for art and artists is matched by FotoFest’s very own founders, Wendy Watriss and Fred Baldwin. We’re talking about Roman Abramovich and Dasha Zhukova, the billionaire energy mogul and his beautiful and brainy Russian-born, American-educated girlfriend. Together the pair are championing the new Russian avant-garde, from forging a new $400 million art complex on a historic island in St. Petersburg to showcasing under-known contemporary photographers in a wildly successful and internationally vetted FotoFest Meeting Place that took place last August at Moscow’s Garage Center for Contemporary Culture (thanks to the deep and benevolent pockets of Miss Zhukova’s Iris Foundation). Now here begins our story — FotoFest 2012, unfurling March 16 through April 29 in Houston.

Russian Revolution

It was once our mirror as much as our arch-nemesis: Much of the second half of the 20th century was spent in a delicate dance of diplomacy while we couldn’t keep our eyes off Russia. The iron grip of Stalin (which relaxed only upon his death), Khrushchev and the threat of the Cuban Missile crisis, the space race, glasnost and perestroika, the fall of the USSR and the free-wheeling Russian Federation with its oil- and natural gas–fueled economy defined American foreign policy and still shapes our own zeitgeist. Now the curtain is lifted on a time and place that figured upon and has long fascinated America’s social, political and cultural consciousness. Prepare to investigate this prescient, riveting biennial as FotoFest illuminates a half-century once cloaked by communism via images, most never before seen outside of their motherland, in the hypnotic “Contemporary Russian Photography 1950s –%26nbsp;2012.”

Curatorial Quintet

A true international collaboration, FotoFest 2012, the Fourteenth International Biennial of Photography and Photo-Related Art, signifies the vision of FotoFest co-founders/creative directors Wendy Watriss and Fred Baldwin, who tapped a triumvirate of independent Russian curators who, in the past 15 years alone, have organized more than 200 exhibitions focusing on the photographers of their homeland. Joining Watriss and Baldwin are Evgeny Berezner, head of the Russian photography project for the Iris Foundation and the man who brought Zhukova and her team to FotoFest; scholar/researcher at the Russian Academy of Fine Arts Irina Chmyreva; and writer/cultural consultant Natalia Tarasova. This Moscow-Houston quintet came together to organize a trio of major exhibitions at the heart of FotoFest 2012 — arranged chronologically, reflecting three distinct eras of post-Stalinist photography and encompassing 142 artists culled from the vast expanses of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. A total of 800 historic, modern and contemporary works are highlighted, serving up a broad picture of an almost mythic region that encompasses two continents and has played an outsized role in 20th-century and 21st-century world history.

Significantly, this biennial continues the relationship that began a decade earlier in 2002, when FotoFest presented a critically acclaimed exhibition of Russian pictorial photographers from the early 20th century. This was followed in 2004 by four exhibitions that traveled from Houston to Moscow and Samara; in 2006, by the presentation of the famed Russian collective AES + F at FotoFest; and, this past August and September, by Moscow’s first-ever Meeting Place Portfolio Review, juried by a world-wide team of curators, gallerists and photo authorities, spanning five continents, expertly orchestrated by and under the umbrella of FotoFest.

Your Go-To Guide Three Themes/six Venues/142 Talents

Here’s where you need to be and what to see:

“After Stalin, ‘The Thaw,’ The Re-Emergence of the Personal Voice — The Late 1950s – 1970s” at Williams Tower Gallery: Following Stalin’s death in 1953, artistic expression flourished despite the still firm grip of the Soviet regime on image-making. Increased contact with the West culminated in the U.S.-organized “Family of Man” by Edward Steichen and the “American National Exhibition,” both shown in Moscow to great fanfare in 1959. This section presents works from members of Novator, one of the most significant of the independent photography associations, established in the early 1960s, alongside rare vintage prints loaned from private collectors Natalia Grigorieva and Edward Litvinsky of the renowned, pioneering Lumiere Brothers Center for Photography in Moscow. Also watch for a roundup of 42 World Press Photo Award winners, spanning the years 1956 to 1991.

“Perestroika, Liberalization and Experimentation — The Mid/Late 1980s – 2010,” at Winter Street Studios and Spring Street Studios: Beginning in the mid-1980s, the new and extraordinary cultural openness of glasnost ended censorship and prompted a creative outpouring of new media, artistic diversity and a reexamination of Russian society. Included in this dual-venue exhibition are international art stars AES +F (shown at two Venice Biennales, a previous FotoFest and Houston’s Station Museum); influential teacher Vadim Gushchin; pivotal figure Andrey Chezhin with his thumbtack series; Alexander Gronsky’s lyrical landscapes, which deploy beauty and humor; and Oleg Duo’s “Tears” series, with subjects resembling sentient alien mannequins.%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

“The Young Generation — 2007 – 2012” at FotoFest HQ, Vine Street Studios: Today’s rising Russian talents have no memory of communism; instead, they are part of a web-connected consumerist society where the individual is free to look inward, delving into personal experiences shaped by growing up in the contemporary Russian Federation. Watch for Oleg Borodin’s nuanced collages; haunting portraits imbued with ambiguity by Tatiana Antonuk; and Ivan Mikhailov’s chilling take on children’s playgrounds.%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;%26nbsp;

Discoveries of 2010: Ten on Ten at One and Two Allen Center: In the always eagerly anticipated “Discoveries of the Meeting Place,” 10 jurors from FotoFest’s 2010 Meeting Place select their favorite find from hundreds of portfolios and days of reviews. Texans figure in this top-10 list, specifically Nancy Newberry of Dallas and her examination of the rite of fall depicting cheerleaders and football players in the “Mum” series; Austin-based Bill McCullough of the odd social vignettes; and Houston lensman Pablo Giménez-Zapiola for his futuristic studies of trains bearing projected fragments of texts.

Other Walls We Love: After you’ve explored the FotoFest-curated offerings, fan out to other spaces, museums, nonprofits and galleries. We’re particularly mad for American filmmaker turned photog John Waters, creator of not-to-be-forgotten ‘70s cult classic Polyester in Odorama, at McClain Gallery (March 15 – April 14, with a DiverseWorks performance on March 14); Libbie Masterson’s slow-action, diaphanous and deep-blue nighttime images snapped in the environs of the Dora Maar House in the South of France (Wade Wilson Art, March 2 –%26nbsp;April 14); and an important trifecta at Poissant Gallery starring Jawshing Arthur Liou, Osamu James Nakagawa and Laine Whitcomb, traversing, respectively, Tibet, the caves and cliffs of Japan loaded with political overtones and beds the artist has known (March 23 –%26nbsp;April 28). Also not to be missed is the American gallery debut of Sofia Tatarinova at PG Contemporary with her signature series, “People in Trees” (March 17 – April 14), and Houston-based Ariane Roesch’s unfurling of Unit, a pop-up space at Gallery Sonja Roesch premiering an affordable trio of Harry Gamboa Jr., Sage Paisner and Lewis Mauk (March 3 –%26nbsp;April 28).

Images:

Oleg Dou’s Ira’s Tears, from the series “Tears,” 2008

Tatiana Antonuk’s Untitled, from the series “Alienation,” 2011

Oleg Knorring’s Untitled, published in Ogonek No. 18, 1950

Ivan Mikhailov’s Untitled, from the series “Playground,” 2010

AES+F’s The King of the Forest, from the series “Le Roi des Aulnes,” 2001 – 2003; image courtesy Triumph Gallery, Moscow.

The Fairest of the Fair

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 03:15:13 GMT

Calendar these dates: Dallas Art Fair 2012: Preview Gala Thursday, April 12; Fair dates Friday through Sunday, April 13 through 15, at Fashion Industry Gallery, in the heart of the Dallas Arts District.

Hudson, Feature Inc. (New York City)

Established? 1984, April 1. By design, of course.

Gallery history in brief? Feature opened in Chicago in %26lsquo;84; after 10 years of working with not-for-profit artists spaces, moved to NYC (SoHo) in %26lsquo;88, then to another location in SoHo in %26lsquo;94 and became Feature Inc. [We] resistantly migrated to Chelsea (25th Street) in %26lsquo;94 and then happily fled Chelsea for NYC%26rsquo;s Lower East Side in 2007.

How has the art world changed since you started? The scale has increased several hundredfold. One used to be able to grasp it, but now that is impossible. There are many, many art worlds. The most dramatic change, however, has been the shift from aesthetics to business %26mdash; a bad idea, in my opinion.

What is the current art vibe in the Lower East Side? The vibe on the Lower East Side is easygoing, casual, friendly and diverse on many levels. Thankfully the neighborhood has an identity that is not dependent on the galleries %26mdash; it is just one of many things that goes down here. Lower East Side businesses are typically small by design and run by an individual with a personal investment in their opinion or style, and [an] interest to create alternatives.

How you got started? As a child, I was involved with making art, ditto in high school. Went to art school, then to reg university, got degrees in art education, MFA in painting, worked administratively for free in artists%26rsquo; orgs, danced professionally, managed dance company, made my living as a performance artist, became disgruntled with the artists%26rsquo; org%26rsquo;s need to use peer-panel review process for programming decisions, etc., as it watered down and limited the end result, so I went for autonomy and opened my own gallery. I felt there I could push the boundaries faster, more often and more easily, and the field seemed to need that. Artists%26rsquo; spaces were backing off of the front line, the activity and interest was moving to galleries ... generally small galleries that were being responsive to living artists.

Biggest break? Being born with eyes that perceive what they are looking at.

Most meaningful art experience to date? I don%26rsquo;t have any specific special experience; it is more categorical %26mdash; 45 years of living in and around and through refined levels of creativity.

Describe your stable? We like our personal connection to what we do, enjoy an adventure, love our materials and respect our skills but aren%26rsquo;t fussy. Like the brain and the body, [we] have some kind of subtle mystical or spiritual thread that has a connection to both science and social concerns, and we tend to like to blur boundaries. One critic, in a review of one of the gallery%26rsquo;s large group exhibitions, recently labeled Feature Inc.%26rsquo;s house style as %26ldquo;Voodoo Realism.%26rdquo;

Where do you find new talent? There is no set way to discover artists; schmoozing is the most obvious, but still unsolicited document review can work or has worked for me a number of times. Years ago, an artist called the gallery and said they were bringing by some paintings for me to see. I told them not to, yet they still did, and it led to [my] representing them. There are studio visits, visiting art schools, art fairs, recommendations from friends and artists, studio crawls ...

Why are you exhibiting in the 2012 Dallas Art Fair? Simply, a large percentage of business has moved from the galleries to the fairs, and I am finally needing to confront that reality. I did lots of fairs back in the %26rsquo;90s but stopped by the late %26rsquo;90s, as it was consistently just too toxic an endeavor. As to the crashed economy, I again need to do fairs, and so I am being highly selective and trying to choose ones that have a personal and friendly scale.

How does this Fair compare to others in which you participate? Well, this will be my first visit, so I can%26rsquo;t answer that until a bit after it is over.

How will you curate your booth at this year%26rsquo;s Dallas Art Fair? I choose one piece [that] feels right %26mdash; the David Deutsch painting I sent you an image of %26mdash; and playfully and intuitively build out from there. I don%26rsquo;t have an agenda.

Leo Koenig, Leo Koenig Inc. (New York City)

Established? 1999.

Gallery history in brief? The gallery started in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with a series of shows by emerging artists and established masters. Within a year, it moved to Manhattan, first to a space in Tribeca, then %26mdash; after September 11, 2001 %26mdash; to Centre Street in SoHo, where we were for four years. In 2005, we opened a new space on 23rd in Chelsea. It is important to us that an artist%26rsquo;s work be seen in an appropriate context, so the gallery has been dedicated to producing catalogs with scholarly essays and limited-edition artist books.

How you got started? I moved to New York from Germany out of high school and started interning at David Zwirner%26rsquo;s gallery. After a few months and with the encouragement of some close friends %26mdash; many of whom would become artists in the gallery%26rsquo;s stable %26mdash; I decided I wanted to be my own boss and just went for it.

Biggest break? I am fortunate enough to have had a couple of big breaks as an art dealer.%26nbsp;When I opened my first space, I presented an artist, Aidas Bareikis, who made a massive, difficult installation for the first show. I sold the work in its entirety, which allowed me to continue and pay the rent and steeled my commitment to becoming a gallerist.%26nbsp;Later, I did an exchange curatorial project with the legendary dealer and friend John Weber where I installed Erik Parker, Sarah Braman and Michael Tong in John%26rsquo;s space and organized a number of artworks from his inventory %26mdash; including Sol LeWitt and Michael Heizer %26mdash; into an exhibition at my Williamsburg space.%26nbsp;In the early 2000s, I negotiated the sale of George Baselitz%26rsquo;s collection and castle in Derneburg to a private collector, who in turn is in the process of transforming the latter into a center for art and education. Most recently, the gallery mounted an exhibition of photoworks by Sigmar Polke %26mdash; the second exhibition of such work in the United States and the fourth in history.

Most meaningful art experience to date? The Tantamounter show with Gelatin. The artist group Gelatin built,%26nbsp;for lack of a better word, a trailer inside the gallery taking up most of the front space. For one week, the group %26mdash; along with a guest artist and their personal %26ldquo;therapist%26rdquo; %26mdash; locked themselves inside the trailerwith a massive amount of materials, paint, paper, pens, stuffed animals, various sundry, you name it. During this week, people could come by the gallery at any time of day or night and drop an item into a chute. After some time went by, the person would get their item along with a handmade %26ldquo;copy%26rdquo; of it. It was one of the most enchanting moments I had ever experienced in my career. For one week, people converged, exchanged conversations and got a memento of their time spent ...

Describe your stable? We work with mid-career and established artists who engage with traditional, Western notions of media %26mdash; painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, etc. %26mdash; but who are notable for disrupting hierarchical distinctions within the field of fine art. We have two gallery spaces and will often devote one of them to artist projects with emerging artists who are not represented by the gallery, such as the performance artist M.P.A., or to concept shows that provide greater context for the work on view in the adjacent space.

Where do you find new talent? We are usually introduced to new artists by our colleagues, curators, critics and artists in the primary stable.

Why are you exhibiting in the 2012 Dallas Art Fair? Firstly, we are big fans of Texas (and barbecue) and have a number of long-time colleagues who have taken root in the state (Max Anderson, Toby Kamps, Bill Arning, Dean Daderko, Fairfax Dorn). Secondly, we are committed to broadening the exposure of our primary artists nationwide, in addition to supporting and participating in art events outside of the East and West Coasts.

How does this fair compare to others in which you participate? It%26rsquo;s our first year participating in the Fair, but we were very attracted by the intimate atmosphere and vast collector and institutional support.

How will you curate your booth at this year%26rsquo;s Dallas Art Fair? We will present a selection of objects by artists that we work with on both the primary and secondary market, including works by Nicole Eisenman, Tony Matelli, Sigmar Polke, Gerhard Richter and Ed Ruscha. As for the curation of the booth %26hellip; we%26rsquo;ll leave that as a surprise!

Betty Moody, Moody Gallery (Houston)

Established? 1975.

Gallery history in brief? Moody Gallery opened in the River Oaks Shopping Center. In 1983, my husband Bill Steffy and I purchased the land at our current location; he designed the building, and we moved into the new building in 1985.

How you got started? I was an art major in college, graduated in 1966, moved to Houston in 1969 and began working at DuBose Gallery. I found my niche %26mdash; I thoroughly enjoyed the gallery business and continue to.

Biggest break? I have been very fortunate over the years in that I have had many good breaks with artists and with clients.

Most meaningful art experience to date?%26nbsp;There are three events: 2005 %26ndash; 2006%26nbsp;International Association of Art Critics USA Award, Best Show in a Commercial Gallery Nationally, for the %26ldquo;David Ireland, Jess and Al Souza%26rdquo; organized by Moody Gallery;%26nbsp;2004 %26ndash; 2005%26nbsp;International Association of Art Critics USA Award, Best Show in a Commercial Gallery Nationally, second place shared with Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago, for %26ldquo;James Drake %26mdash; City of Tells%26rdquo; organized by Moody Gallery in 2004; and in 2000,%26nbsp;Legend Award 2000, Dallas Visual Arts Center [now the Dallas Contemporary].

Describe your stable. Moody Gallery represents contemporary American artists with an emphasis on Texas artists.%26nbsp;The artists%26rsquo; aesthetic/conceptual sensibilities and media are quite diverse.

Where do you find new talent? I look at new work all the time. For instance, last year Melissa Miller, whom we represent, asked me to visit her in Austin to see the graduate show at the University of Texas. Bethany Johnson%26rsquo;s drawings were extraordinary %26mdash; we kept in touch, and we now represent her.%26nbsp;I have not been adding to my representation for quite some time, so this was an exceptional occasion %26mdash; but then Bethany is an exceptional artist!

Why are you exhibiting in the 2012 Dallas Art Fair? We exhibited at the Fair last year ,and it was a very great experience%26nbsp;%26mdash; it was very %26ldquo;good%26rdquo; for us in many ways.%26nbsp;I like the participating galleries, the Fair%26rsquo;s management and the location.%26nbsp;We have many%26nbsp;friends and clients in Dallas, so we are looking very forward to being there again this year.

How does this Fair compare to others in which you participate? Since it is organized for%26nbsp;Dallas only and has years of history,%26nbsp;it is extremely %26ldquo;smooth running.%26rdquo; All of the participants needs are met promptly.%26nbsp;But most of all, collectors, museums and interested people come to the
Fair %26mdash; it is very well attended.

How will you curate your booth at this year%26rsquo;s Dallas Art Fair? We have a large booth, and I will curate a group exhibition, as I would for the gallery.%26nbsp;All of our gallery artists are making new work for the Fair.%26nbsp;The Dallas Fair will happen during FotoFest in Houston, when we will be showing %26ldquo;Picture Books%26rdquo; by Suzanne Bloom and Ed Hill %26ndash; MANUAL, so we will be exhibiting some of their new pieces.

Joel Mesler, Untitled (New York City)

Established? September 2010.

Gallery history in brief? I previously owned and ran Rental, first in Los Angeles, then in New York. [Co-owner] Carol Cohen was previously at White Cube in London. We make a nice team. Carol studied sociology; she%26rsquo;s the brain and sees to operations. I studied painting at the San Francisco Art Institute but gave it up because I was more interested in other artists than just my own voice.

How you got started? I met Carol when I began working with Jay Jopling of White Cube on an exhibition [at Rental].

Biggest break? We scoured the streets of New York, day to night, to find our space on Canal and Hester, with 2,200 square feet. And it%26rsquo;s not in Chelsea. We%26rsquo;re in the Lower East Side. It%26rsquo;s a nice neighborhood not overshadowed by art. You can breathe. Being in Chelsea is like being in an art fair every day!

What about your signature blog, a copy of the gallery guestbook, updated daily? It%26rsquo;s really about this unique relationship everyone has in New York to the sign-in book ... Like Knight Landesman, the publisher of Artforum always brings his own pen so he can sign in red and everyone knows he was there.

Most meaningful art experience to date? It is steadily unfolding and years ahead. We live in the everyday. We want to be transparent about the ego, with the mottos %26ldquo;Go Big or Go Home,%26rdquo; %26ldquo;Hold %26lsquo;Em or Fold %26lsquo;Em.%26rdquo;

Describe your stable? We have a tight group, seven at the moment, and may go up to 25. More than half of those we represent are from L.A., one is from Berlin, two from New York. But we have to be able to give 150 percent to our artists. This is why we are here.

Where do you find new artists to exhibit? It%26rsquo;s an organic process. But I can tell if they are a good artist before I see their work. And I will be planning to do studio visits in Dallas.

Why are you exhibiting in the 2012 Dallas Art Fair? We%26rsquo;ve just done Art Basel Miami Beach for the second year, with great interest in Brendan Fowler and Matthew Chambers. We are coming to the Dallas Art Fair because ... Texas is exotic. It%26rsquo;s really as exotic as Italy to us.

London and Berlin Calling

Also on our radar: Making their Dallas Art Fair debut are a duo of ground-breaking European gallerists who define, challenge and increasingly raise the bar on the avant-garde.

Jonathan Viner Gallery is traveling to Texas from London. Associate director Emma Astner writes, %26ldquo;Jonathan Viner Gallery opened in December 2005, seeking from the start to present an international program and often offering artists their first solo exhibition in the UK ... The gallery has had a number of group shows and special projects developed in collaboration with independent curators and artists [and] has also often served as the site of production for shows, inviting artists to use the space as a studio %26hellip;%26nbsp;The gallery will do a solo presentation of Dan Rees%26rsquo; paintings at the Dallas Art Fair.%26rdquo;

We%26rsquo;re equally excited about Berlin-based Dittrich %26amp; Schlechtriem, established 2011, which represents the shared vision of Lars Dittrich and Andr%26eacute; Schlechtriem %26mdash; respectively, an entrepreneur/founder of Pool Gallery in Berlin and an art historian who curated the Judith Rothschild Foundation Contemporary Drawing Collection, which became part of MoMA. The pair then founded Dittrich %26amp; Schlechtriem, representing merging to mid-career, all media, but with an emphasis on Berlin-based talents who contribute to the international dialogue.

Images:

David Deutsch%26rsquo;s Untitled, 2008, at Feature Inc.; photo courtesy the artist and Feature Inc., NYC.

Hudson, Feature Inc. (detail of portrait by Judy Linn)

Leo Koenig in his eponymous gallery with Ed Ruscha%26rsquo;s Long, Stormy, 1995; photo courtesy Leon Koenig Inc., NYC.

Nancy Shaver%26rsquo;s Energy, 2011, at Feature Inc.; photo courtesy the artist and Feature Inc., NYC.

Dan Rees%26rsquo; Artex Painting, 2011, at Jonathan Viner Gallery; photo courtesy the artist and Jonathan Viner Gallery, London.

Betty Moody; photo courtesy Moody Gallery, Houston.

Ed Hill / Suzanne Bloom (MANUAL)%26rsquo;s The Pawn Game (Jose Raul Casablanca), 2012, at Moody Gallery; photo courtesy the artists and Moody Gallery, Houston.

Ry Rocklen%26rsquo;s Duplication Station 1, 2011, at Untitled; photo courtesy the artist and Untitled, NYC.

Dennis Loesch%26rsquo;s The Blueish, 2011, at Dittrich %26amp; Schlechtriem; photo courtesy%26nbsp; the artist and Dittrich %26amp; Schlechtriem, Berlin.

Collector's Conversation

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:37:29 GMT

James Cope, gallery director of Marc Straus in New York City, takes questions from artist Libbie Masterson, exhibitions coordinator at Houston Center for Photography.

The Texas art community remembers you vividly from your days at The Goss-Michael Foundation. How did you get to GMF originally, and what led you from there to your current role at Marc Straus Gallery? I%26rsquo;m from the South of England, where I grew up skateboarding and traveling around the UK and Europe. From an early age, I was involved in organizing small exhibitions for my friends. I lived for a while in Edinburgh, where I got to become very good friends with a lot of artists who went the Glasgow School of Art. I used to travel a lot to the U.S. for skateboarding, mostly to San Francisco and Los Angeles, but also had a strong connection to Texas as well. I met George Michael and Kenny Goss right as they were opening The GMF, and it was an opportunity I couldn%26rsquo;t pass up. After several years at The GMF, I needed a new challenge, and it was time for me to move on. I had been planning on moving to NY for a while but was just waiting for the right opportunity, and that%26rsquo;s when I met Marc Straus.

Why are you exhibiting at the Dallas Art Fair 2012? Because I have a very strong connection to Dallas, and I feel that we have artists that people will respond well too. Dallas and Texas as a whole have such a strong tradition of supporting and collecting contemporary art. And it%26rsquo;s a good excuse for me to visit my friends and get a good margarita and Mexican food.

How will you be curating your booth at the Fair? Whose work will you bring that will resonate with Texas audiences and why?We will be bringing a selection of our gallery artists such as American painter John Newsom, who has a large Texas presence. American sculptor Michael Brown, German painter Marin Majic and German painter Marin Majic and Danish photographer Thomas Bangsted. I%26rsquo;m really excited to show Korean sculptor Jong Oh %26mdash; he has never shown ever! His work is so elegant and poetic

How did you meet Marc, and what factors were behind your decision to go to New York and become a gallerist?%26nbsp; Through a gallerist friend Blaize Lehane, whom I%26rsquo;ve known for some time. It was a no-brainer for me to move to NY %26mdash; it%26rsquo;s the center of the contemporary art world. I%26rsquo;ve spent a lot of time here, and it%26rsquo;s always felt like home. The idea of becoming a gallerist has always appealed to me, and when I ran a pop-up gallery with my friend Brian Gibb, it became obvious that this would be my next step.

What are the challenges of a being a director of a commercial gallery versus curating at a foundation? Are you still involved in a curatorial role? Are the rewards the same? The challenges are that you are doing more shows and are constantly having to re-invent yourself. And that you are only as good as your last show. You are having to always stay current and relevant, which is exciting to me. Yes, I am still involved curatorially; Marc and I work very closely on deciding whom we will show.

Please describe your stable at Marc Straus and how your gallery has made a mark for its self in the ecology of New York galleries? We have 14 artists from nine countries. It%26rsquo;s primarily an emerging program, with many of the artists never showing in NY before. This way it gives us a true original voice and helps us to contextualize our artists and the gallery. We purposefully didn%26rsquo;t poach from other galleries ... that would be too easy.

How would you describe the gallery%26rsquo;s aesthetic? From looking at the Web, there seems to be an implied interest in architecture (even in your painters) and a sense of a post-apocalyptic experience? We have a strong focus on painting, which I find myself being more drawn to at the moment. But that%26rsquo;s not to say we are a painting gallery, because we are not. We have several sculptures and a photographer on our roster too.

Is there something you look for when you add an artist to your roster? Is it in the work alone or in the person you meet at the studio? Will you be adding any Texans to your stable? When Marc and I are looking at an artist, we are firstly looking at%26nbsp;the work, but it%26rsquo;s only natural to take into consideration who the artist is as a person. I think it has to be a combination of both. There are some great unrepresented artists in Texas! There are one or two I have my eye on.

What are you most excited about for 2012 in the international art world? What shows are down as your must-sees? Inspirations? Hmmm, not much really %26hellip; Maybe the 2012 Olympics in London. There will be some great art on display for that.

What is your favorite aspect of your new role as gallerist? Getting to meet new people, doing studio visits with new artists, and working with a stable of artists of my generation that I can grow with.

If you could bring one person, place or thing from Dallas to NYC, what would it be? Ojedas Mexican Restaurant!!

%26nbsp;

DALLAS ART FAIR

April 13 %26ndash; 15, 2012; Preview Gala April 12

www.dallasartfair.com

Images:

Libbie Masterson; photo courtesy the artist

James Cope; photo courtesy Marc Straus Gallery, NYC

Fair Thee Well: Dallas Art Fair 2012

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:29:35 GMT

Ready, set, acquire! Year four of the Dallas Art Fair unfurls in just six weeks, and this year%26rsquo;s roster of exhibiting national, international and Texas gallerists is exciting and expected to exceed 75, proving again that everyone wants to come to Texas. Who%26rsquo;s in the lineup? For insider interviews, turn to page 54 for our annual Fairest of the Fair feature and page 6 for our monthly Collector%26rsquo;s Conversation %26mdash; engaging little t%26ecirc;te-%26agrave;-t%26ecirc;tes between exhibiting gallerists and noted collectors, artists and/or Texas art-world power brokers. Kudos once more to Fair co-founders Chris Byrne and John Sughrue, who have nurtured the Dallas Art Fair into a truly important destination and the state%26rsquo;s only homegrown international fair. For your definitive guide to Dallas Art Fair 2012, save our Special Section coming in the April issue%26nbsp; %26mdash; and plan to attend, peruse and collect! Hottest ticket to this Fair? A $325 Patron Pass, which offers all-access to every scintillating event, from the Preview Gala and all three days of the Fair to the parties (including the official Fair kickoff at Neiman Marcus Downtown). Preview Gala, Thursday, April 12; Dallas Art Fair, Friday through Sunday, April 13 through 15, at Fashion Industry Gallery, Dallas Arts District; information and tickets 214.220.1278, dallasartfair.com; for Patron Pass tickets, contact Tracy Moberley, 214.220.1278, ext. 224, tracy.moberley@dallasartfair.com.

Image: Andrew Masullo%26rsquo;s 5244, 2010, at Feature Inc. Photo courtesy Feature Inc.

PC Acquire

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:26:46 GMT

They call up vivid, otherworldly associations %26mdash; a whirling dervish that suggests a man transforming into an anthropomorphic carrot, a tilt-a-whirl ride twirling through the night sky, an alien ship on its way to a ghostly landing and an utopian metropolis whose skyscrapers resemble the spines of books. Surreal, for sure. The creator of these strange yet compelling dreamscapes? None other than top collector turned artist Lester Marks, whose name often appears on our pages for his munificence to every art nonprofit in town, as well as the way he and physician-wife Penelope know how to throw a party at their Cornell-esque box of a casa%26nbsp; (where every wall, nook and cranny is bursting with art pieces, including more than a few real Cornells). Fresh from his ArtHouston debut last summer at New Gallery/Thom Andriola, Marks has photographed/labored/created for the past year to unveil a collection exclusively for PaperCity readers (one that will entice beginning to advanced collectors, with works that are offered 15 to 20 percent less than his gallery prices, in extremely limited editions of just five per image). Best of all, because he aims to %26ldquo;trigger a response, an experience in and for the observer,%26rdquo; Marks allows each owner to title his or her acquisition and records its new moniker by image/edition number in his master art catalog. %26ldquo;My work is about the future,%26rdquo; he says of these hypnotic digital photographic constructions, which are based upon the actual world and free of any Photoshop or Web manipulation. Each image available in two sizes, editions of five per size: 11 x 14 inches $500; 22 x 28 inches $950; signed verso, printed on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper, with UV-laminated surfaces, cold-mounted on Sentra with hardwood cleating (no framing needed, ready for hanging). Inquiries/orders Seth Vaughan, seth@papercitymag.com.

Image: Lester Marks%26rsquo; Untitled (#4573), 2011 %26ndash; 2012

PC Acquire: Lester Marks

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 03:11:29 GMT

They call up vivid, otherworldly associations — a whirling dervish that suggests a man transforming into an anthropomorphic carrot, a tilt-a-whirl ride twirling through the night sky, an alien ship on its way to a ghostly landing and an utopian metropolis whose skyscrapers resemble the spines of books. Surreal, for sure. The creator of these strange yet compelling dreamscapes? None other than top collector turned artist Lester Marks, whose name often appears on our pages for his munificence to every art nonprofit in town, as well as the way he and physician-wife Penelope know how to throw a party at their Cornell-esque box of a casa%26nbsp; (where every wall, nook and cranny is bursting with art pieces, including more than a few real Cornells). Fresh from his ArtHouston debut last summer at New Gallery/Thom Andriola, Marks has photographed/labored/created for the past year to unveil a collection exclusively for PaperCity readers (one that will entice beginning to advanced collectors, with works that are offered 15 to 20 percent less than his gallery prices, in extremely limited editions of just five per image). Best of all, because he aims to “trigger a response, an experience in and for the observer,” Marks allows each owner to title his or her acquisition and records its new moniker by image/edition number in his master art catalog. “My work is about the future,” he says of these hypnotic digital photographic constructions, which are based upon the actual world and free of any Photoshop or Web manipulation. Each image available in two sizes, editions of five per size: 11 x 14 inches $500; 22 x 28 inches $950; signed verso, printed on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper, with UV-laminated surfaces, cold-mounted on Sentra with hardwood cleating (no framing needed, ready for hanging). Inquiries/orders Seth Vaughan, seth@papercitymag.com.

Image: Lester Marks’ Untitled (#4573), 2011 – 2012

Mondo Michael with Cique du Soleil

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 05:17:35 GMT

The world premier of Cirque du Soleil's, Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour, last night at the Toyota Center was something that even the king of pop would have been happy with. Employing its signature arsenal of awe-inspiring acrobatics, creative costumeary and overall caliber of execution Cirque's latest creation is mesmerizing; and, in some senses it had to be, after all they were performing material created by the master of showmanship himself. The central theme of this show is the King of Pop's fragile yet intensely creative inner being, which has been the wellspring of the countless songs that have come to define pop over the past 30 some odd years. Highlights of the show include the incorporation of technology into costumes in ways that only emphasize the beauty of certain moments in the show, as well as the splicing of video clips (shown on multiple onstage screens) that result in fantastically overpowering numbers. For anyone interested in music, Michael, or the magic of performance attendance to either tonight%26rsquo;s 8pm show or tomorrow's matinee is highly recommended. (For tickets: houstontoyotacenter.com/events/Cirque_MJ2.php)

Art Notes

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:03:01 GMT

Painters Progress: How does it get better than this? At Conduit Gallery, it%26rsquo;s a trifecta of Texas%26rsquo; adroit and most original painters. Joe Mancuso motors in from Houston to showcase his continued nuanced obsession with the blossom; this is floral painting like you%26rsquo;ve never seen. On other Conduit walls, Dallas-based Ludwig Schwarz mounts a suite of lush six-by-six-foot paintings that are sure-footed and bold takes on patterned abstraction. Then Austin newcomer Erin Curtis takes over the project room, experimenting with un-stretched canvases that suggest the textiles of today%26rsquo;s India, offering an ode to her 2009 Fulbright Scholarship destination.

A Big Biennial + Texas%26rsquo; Original International Fair: Turn to these pages next month for a preview of spring%26rsquo;s most intriguing art trends and topics, plus insider conversations with the game-changing gallerists of the Dallas Art Fair 2012 (Preview Gala Thursday, April 12; Fair days Friday %26ndash; Sunday, April 13 %26ndash; 15) %26hellip; Meanwhile, photo denizens are encouraged to plan a trip to Houston for March%26rsquo;s major international biennial, FotoFest. Russia is the topic, and power players including Dasha Zhukova and Roman Abramovich are involved (March 16 %26ndash; April 29) ... Dallas Art Fair co-founder Chris Byrne has been busy in the months leading up to that convergence, curating not only the Fair but also other exciting endeavors. He organized a 2011 solo for abstract painter Charles Andresen at up-and-coming NYC Chelsea gallery Guided by Invoices that garnered a recent Artforum review by international critic Barry Schwabsky, followed by another worthy exhibition: Erik and Martin Demaine%26rsquo;s creased, curved sculptures up now at Guided by Invoices. The MoMA-collected duo (Erik is a MacArthur %26ldquo;Genius%26rdquo; Grant recipient/MIT professor; his dad, Martin, is a glass artist) serve up an absolutely fascinating take on computational origami (through March 3).

Image: Ludwig Schwarz's Untitled, 2007-2008, at Conduit Gallery

Collector's Conversation

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:18:15 GMT

Why are you exhibiting at the Dallas Art Fair 2012?

So that I have an excuse to eat at La Calle Doce in Oak Cliff, of course! I%26rsquo;m excited to introduce several new artists in Dallas. I hope to offer a sense of discovery for collectors and curators %26mdash; the Texas art community has always been very supportive of my various endeavors, and I appreciate the opportunity to have a dialogue within the context of an intimate fair like the Dallas Art Fair. The group of galleries that has been assembled this year rivals the major fairs in other cities; it%26rsquo;s impressive to see the Dallas art community foster this kind of high-quality event.

How will you be curating your booth at the Fair? Will we be seeing some of your star painters such as the always amazing Keltie Ferris?
All of my artists are stars, Bill! I%26rsquo;ll be debuting two new works by Texas-born, New York%26ndash;based Daniel Rios Rodriguez. His work, which was recently featured in a solo show at White Columns [New York, New York], tends to begin as depictions of everyday, vernacular scenes from his and his family%26rsquo;s life in a style that marries the mannerisms of Forrest Bess with the figurative lines of Picasso.%26nbsp;A new carved wood bas-relief sculpture by Minnesota-based Aaron Spangler %26mdash; who, as you know, was seen late last year at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston in the traveling exhibition %26ldquo;The Spectacular of Vernacular%26rdquo; %26mdash; will be featured. Also on view will be Tisch Abelow%26rsquo;s new paintings, which address some of the formal issues introduced by color theorists and early abstract artists such as Josef Albers and Hilma af Klint but with a solipsistic sort of humor.

I met you first as a very talented sculptor, then as a curator, then as a dealer. What were the motivations behind those self-transformations, and what are the common threads between all of your roles? Are the satisfactions the same?
That%26rsquo;s very kind of you, Bill. I%26rsquo;ve enjoyed our dialogue over the years. I think I%26rsquo;ve told you this before, but your exhibition %26ldquo;Influence, Anxiety, and Gratitude%26rdquo; at MIT%26rsquo;s List Visual Art Center in 2003 is still one of my all-time favorites.

I probably have one of the most unlikely trajectories in the art world. I was raised in Fannin County in North Texas, where there was absolutely no contemporary art. I discovered my interest in art by accident while taking an elective painting class simultaneously with an aesthetics class as a Christian theology major in college. After bouncing around a few Dallas-area colleges, the indie music scene led me to Denton. Around this time, at the age of 20, I went into the Dallas Museum of Art for the first time and discovered a whole new world. I landed in the drawing and painting department at the University of North Texas, where I spent my time reading back issues of art magazines to catch up with my peers and seeing a lot of amazing concerts. When I finished college, I took a job as a security guard at the DMA. My favorite days were those when I was stationed with the expansive collection of Mondrian paintings.

It was a gradual transition, and I followed the opportunities as they arose. After attending graduate school in Boston, I realized that I was better at organizing and promoting exhibitions than making art. The goals have always been about the same: to be engaged in conversations about art and somehow try to find ways to make the projects successful. In 2006, I was inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit of a lot of young start-up businesses in the Lower East Side of New York City, so I rented a small storefront and opened with a solo show of Bible paintings by Fort Worth artist Ed Blackburn. In the year following, the New Museum opened, and other young galleries began migrating to the neighborhood, positioning the gallery as a pioneer to the new scene emerging there. In 2009, I expanded to open a second location in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York, and in 2010, I launched a space in the Kreuzberg neighborhood of Berlin, Germany. Dealing contemporary art isn%26rsquo;t a bad job, and after all %26hellip; Someone has to do it.

You were always a big champion of artists working in Texas. What do you think of the scene today?%26nbsp;Has being in Berlin changed your perspective?
I learned a lot about contemporary art from seeing shows at David Quadrini%26rsquo;s Angstrom Gallery; he was always ahead of the curve and had the ability to help Texas-based artists grow while importing those who were emerging on the international scene. There are these great fixtures, like Bill Davenport in Houston, Hills Snyder in San Antonio, and Bruce and Julie Webb in Waxahachie that help retain a sense of vernacular. The last time I was in Houston, I picked up a sculpture called Monument to Masculinity at Bill%26rsquo;s Junk, which was a bargain (after some tough negotiation) for $60. Texas museums are obviously world-class resources and are supported by some of the most loyal patrons in the country. Berlin probably has the highest concentration of international artists outside of New York, but it is still provincial, just like Texas is provincial. Jerry Saltz once called New York City%26rsquo;s provincialism its %26ldquo;dirty little secret.%26rdquo; I think we all take a sense of pride in our respective art communities as a way to identify ourselves.

How do you balance running galleries in Chelsea and Berlin?
I%26rsquo;m not sure that there is much balance in operating any commercial art gallery %26mdash; it%26rsquo;s a profession for those who are imbalanced, actually! I am based in New York and travel to Europe a few times a year. Berlin is truly a magical place in the summer. Colin Huerter is my full-time director in Berlin, and we are in constant contact to determine the programming in both locations as they become more interdependent.

Is your program divided between American and European artists? Does the commercial sphere give you the freedom you desire to follow your passions? Having known your gallery since %26ldquo;day one%26rdquo; I think I know your vision, but could you, if pressed, define your aesthetic in words?
I initially thought of the Berlin gallery as a European venue for the artists whom I represent, but in the past year, our goal has been to discover new Berlin-based artists through a series of group exhibitions. From that, we have mounted New York solo debuts for two Berlin-based artists, including the embroidered still lifes of Natasza Niedsiolka and the slow, thick figurative paintings of Guy Rusha. It has become a great way to establish a dialogue between Berlin and New York, and that%26rsquo;s what I hope to develop more in the future.

In some ways, Roberta Smith of The New York Times was correct: The gallery%26rsquo;s aesthetic is one that exhibits %26ldquo;quirky paintings by unknown artists.%26rdquo; Obviously the artists are becoming more known with time. I favor painting that has some sort of conviction behind it, and I like materiality and formally striking objects. I also like the story behind what%26rsquo;s being made, so I think that I%26rsquo;m drawn to artists who have interesting personal stories. It helps me understand the work in terms of sincerity, and that%26rsquo;s important. I have tried to establish a niche by exhibiting work that deals with subjects like religion, sexuality, regionalism and semiotics. Over the five years, the roster has changed, and as I learned how to operate the gallery, my criteria has matured.

There was an anti-heroic, DIY aesthetic in your earlier shows, like %26ldquo;Twang: Contemporary Sculpture from Texas%26rdquo; (2004, Art Museum of Southeast Texas, Beaumont). Do you think that is a result of your time here in Texas?
When I was invited to curate a survey of Texas sculpture, I was interested in the use of colorful everyday materials as well a desire to both embrace and distance oneself from the idea of down-home Texas-ness, both of which seemed to be prevalent at that time. It somehow seemed akin to the indie music scenes of Denton and Austin. There was a simplicity and humble nature to the objects. Austin-based Brad Tucker%26rsquo;s Drum Solos and assemblages epitomize that moment in Texas art.

You have always taken risks and are clearly not driven by the marketability of an artist. Is there something you look for when you add an artist to your roster? Is it in the work alone or in the person you meet at the studio?
It%26rsquo;s important that I think the work is relevant to contemporary culture and has the potential to become historically significant, that I can have a good working relationship with the artist and that I can sell the work or that it helps form a critical context for the other artists whom I represent. Operating a gallery involves balancing a lot of different kinds of relationships, and in my experience, some of the best artists are the most difficult to represent. The reality is that I almost always go into a studio visit wanting to offer an exhibition %26mdash; I enjoy being surprised and impressed by what I see in studios. But I%26rsquo;m often dissuaded during the visits by a lack of originality, seriousness or commitment. It%26rsquo;s not easy to make great art, but a lot of young artists are under the impression that it is.   

What are you most excited about for 2012 in the international art world? What shows are down as your must sees? Inspirations?
In New York, some of my recent favorites have been George Ortman%26rsquo;s geometric constructions at Algus Greenspon, Matthew Brannon%26rsquo;s sculpture and prints at Casey Kaplan and %26ldquo;Other Bodies: A Collection of Vernacular Photography%26rdquo; amassed by artist Jason Brinkerhoff%26nbsp;at Zieher-Smith. In Berlin, I always enjoy the shows at Contemporary Fine Arts, Peres Projects and Reception. I%26rsquo;ll be teaching in Venice for a week this summer, and it%26rsquo;s my first time to Italy, so I hope to see a lot of Renaissance masters and hopefully some works by Morandi %26mdash; I%26rsquo;ve been obsessed with Luigi Ghirri%26rsquo;s photos of Morandi%26rsquo;s studio lately. Bruce Hartman, the director of the Nerman Museum [of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, Kansas], recently gave me a tour of the newly installed American Indian collection at the Nelson-Atkins [Museum of Art] in Kansas City, [Missouri] where I briefly met [curator] Gaylord Torrence; it sparked my interest in the abstract painting of American Indian parfleches and also in visiting the Santa Fe Indian Market this summer.

We note that you represent the DFW%26ndash;based painter Kirk Hayes. Which other Texas artists are you most excited about at the moment? Any plans to add more Texas talents to your lineup?
Kirk Hayes%26rsquo; next solo show in New York is scheduled for October, and his trompe-l%26rsquo;oeil technique continues to be over-the-top and his imagery even more visually complex. I have always been a huge fan of Dallas-based John Pomara%26rsquo;s scraped and stenciled color fields and Ludwig Schwarz%26rsquo;s multifaceted studio practice. They%26rsquo;re both overlooked outside of Texas and due New York solo shows. I don%26rsquo;t have any immediate plans to add more Texans, but somehow ex-Texans always find each other in New York City.  

I miss the days when your last dog greeted folks in your Lower East side location. Is the any chance there will be another gallery dog in your future?
I miss those days, too, but sadly my retired greyhound Zeus is in the sky, playing chase with your late, great dog Hannah. I%26rsquo;m newly married, and we%26rsquo;re enjoying the luxuries of being pet-free at the moment. Sharing a New York studio apartment with an animal has its challenges.

Images:

C. Sean Horton. Photo courtesy Horton Gallery.

Bill Arning. Photo by Jenny Antill.

%26nbsp;

Dallas Art Fair: April 13 %26ndash; 15, 2012; Preview Gala April 12

www.dallasartfair.com

Art Notes

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:04:08 GMT

It%26rsquo;s an explosive spring in the Texas art world, so follow these pages closely in the coming months for our insider preview of the Dallas Art Fair and FotoFest. Meanwhile, our top touts for February are Laura Lark%26rsquo;s incredible ink portraits on Tyvek at Devin Borden Gallery (February 11 %26ndash; April 17) and Gallery Sonja Roesch%26rsquo;s exhibition celebrating 21 years in the biz. Best bets at her temple of minimalism? Texans Hills Snyder, Myke Venable and Jonathan Leach, rubbing shoulders with European reductive abstractionists such as Regine Schumann (February 4 %26ndash; 25) %26hellip; There%26rsquo;s also the deep-space surfaces of Jules Olitski, in very important dual exhibitions at Meredith Long %26amp; Company (opening February 9) and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, encompassing five decades of the late American master%26rsquo;s pioneering abstraction (February 12 %26ndash; May 6) %26hellip; Ab exer Tony Magar and Fluxus painter Cecil Touchon channel the American West at Laura Rathe Gallery (February 18 %26ndash; March 17) %26hellip; And stay tuned for our big March art issue for news of Taft McWhorter%26rsquo;s coming collaboration with the always surprising, almost mythic David Adickes.

Images:

%26nbsp;Sonja Roesch, at her eponymous gallery. Photo by Ariane Roesch.

Laura Lark%26rsquo;s Janice R, 2011 at Devin Borden Gallery

What We Love: Out of This World

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:00:19 GMT

Two years after the wildly successful international debut of The Planets %26ndash; An HD Odyssey, the Houston Symphony has done it again, orchestrating yet another a wild ride through the solar system, but this time closer to home. Orbit %26ndash; An HD Odyssey, created and commissioned by the Houston Symphony, comes to Jones Hall for its world premiere Friday and Saturday, February 17 and 18. Orbit %26mdash; composed by new music champion Giancarlo Guerrero and set to the powerful strains of John Adams%26rsquo; Short Ride in a Fast Machine and Strauss%26rsquo; Also Sprach Zarathustra %26mdash; is produced and directed by British-based astronomer/filmmaker Duncan Copp, who samples NASA footage of planet Earth for this otherworldly, multimedia celestial experience. Tickets from $22, through houstonsymphony.org.

Image: China from %26ldquo;Orbit %26ndash; An HD Odyssey%26rdquo; at the Houston Symphony. Photo courtesy NASA%26rsquo;s Goddard Space Flight Center.

The Russians are Coming

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:53:40 GMT

FotoFest is mere weeks away, and Houston is readying to host the new power players in the international art world. (Hint: Dasha Zhukova and Roman Abramovich are involved via the Iris Foundation and the Garage Center for Contemporary Culture.) This Russian-themed international Biennial promises to be exciting, revelatory (lifting the veil about under-known schools of Soviet through Perestroika eras and contemporary lensmen) and highly relevant to today%26rsquo;s scene, where the axis of excitement has firmly shifted from China to the Russian Federation. And prepare to acquire images by 70 significant global photographers at the Fotofest International Fine Print Auction. Watch for our go-to Biennial guide next month detailing it all. FotoFest, March 16 %26ndash;%26nbsp;April 29, citywide; auction Tuesday, March 20, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown; info and auction tickets fotofest.org.

Image: Sergey Chilikov%26rsquo;s Untitled from the %26ldquo;Games of Chance%26rdquo; cycle, from the %26ldquo;Freaks%26rdquo; series, 2004, at FotoFest

Drama in Gargantuan Proportions

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:42:49 GMT

When the Dallas Theater Center sent word of its latest thespian venture, it wasn%26rsquo;t kidding when it said that it would be, well, giant. Those DTC wunderkinds have been busy assembling and producing what will be the Center%26rsquo;s largest show to date: a musical spin on author Edna Ferber%26rsquo;s treasured, Texas-themed novel Giant, produced in conjunction with The Public Theater in New York City. For such a sizeable production, Dallas Theater Center and its artistic director, Kevin Moriarty, have pulled out all the stops, with an A-list cast that boasts Broadway regulars (star actor Aaron Lazar), Tony Award nominees (actress Kate Baldwin, director Michael Greif) and top-notch storytellers (music and lyrics guru Michael John LaChiusa, writer Sybille Pearson). To toast Giant%26rsquo;s Dallas run %26mdash; it%26rsquo;s at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre January 28 through February 19, before making its Public Theater opening in NYC %26mdash; a Giant-sized, PaperCity-sponsored gala celebration has been planned. Note these deets: Celebration chairmen Pilar Henry and Barbara Baker Page and campaign chairman Rebecca Fletcher have dreamt up an opening-night bash for January 28 that will include the first performance of Giant, followed by a glamorous whirl of dinner and dancing on Flora Street. Consider yourself free to break out in epic, Texas-centric song and dance. Event sponsorship and ticket information 214.252.3915; robin.pomelnikov@dallastheatercenter.org. Tickets 214.880.0202; dallastheatercenter.org.

Drip, Drip, Drip!

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:43:45 GMT

Joseph Cohen headlines tonight at Wade Wilson Art in a tour de force show of his latest paintings influenced by a recent residency in Italia (through January 25).

Cohen's come a long way since his days in an off-the-beaten-path studio building downtown, where he was tucked away down a labyrinthian hallway, laboring in obscurity; the first time we met, he was patiently, obsessively and contemplatively piling oil upon surface, a technique he has continually refined. Cohen's latest, "Fatto in Italia" alludes to early Renaissance altar pieces while also raiding modernist art history. His gravity-defying drips perch along the precipice of the canvas, tempting the onlooker with their lush surfaces, which invite touch and conjure associations from frosting to banks of snow. This is truly painting for the new century.

A New Museum Rises

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:44:04 GMT

It%26rsquo;s the most watched story in the American museum world, and six weeks ago was the big reveal: Retail giant Walmart has given back to its hometown, region and, in a much broader context, all of America. You see, Alice Walton %26mdash; heiress to the discount giant%26rsquo;s fortune %26mdash; is the founder and board chairman of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. When the doors opened on 11-11-11, this venture turned the unprepossessing town of Bentonville, Arkansas (aka Walmart%26rsquo;s corporate HQ), into a Mecca for a bold, expansive and welcoming vision of American art. At a time when the Whitney in New York is tilting towards the contemporary and other bastions of American treasures, such as the Amon Carter in Fort Worth, are ensconced in slow-moving tradition, Crystal Bridges may do for Arkansas what the Guggenheim Bilbao did for the Basque region of Spain. And like the Bilbao with its dramatic Frank Gehry%26ndash;created sculptural edifice, Crystal Bridges did not play it safe: Instead, it erected a curvaceous, folding and dipping structure, artfully sited in rolling nature, designed by Boston-based international firm Safdie Architects and built by Houston%26rsquo;s Linbeck in a joint venture with Nabholz of Conway, Arkansas. And this is no second-rate collection. Its expansive 201,000 square feet are stocked with icons of American art, from the colonial period to today, including one of the most seminal canvases of 19th-century American painting: Asher Durand%26rsquo;s Kindred Spirits of 1849. This six-years-in-the-making new arrival (whose final price tag has been kept under wraps) promises to be %26ldquo;a very different type of museum,%26rdquo; notes director of collections David Houston. The brilliant, democratic Don Bagigalupi, who served as the Blaffer%26rsquo;s director in the 1990s, takes the helm at Crystal Bridges, which has secured a $20 million gift from the Walmart Family Foundation to ensure that admission is free to all. crystalbridges.org.

Images:

Crystal Bridges Museum, Bentonville, AK. Photo courtesy Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

Asher Brown Durand%26rsquo;s Kindred Spirits (detail), 1849, at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Photo courtesy collection Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

Thirty Candles on the (Art) Cake

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:42:32 GMT

Art doyenne Barbara Davis takes 10 questions on a landmark occasion: her 30th anniversary as a pioneering Houston gallerist. The accompanying exhibition, %26ldquo;Mile Marker,%26rdquo; is on view January 12 through March 2 at her eponymous space, Barbara Davis Gallery.

What were the most important exhibitions from the early years of the gallery? The Joseph Beuys exhibition in 1988, the abstraction exhibition in the mid-%26rsquo;90s and Julie Mehretu in 1998.

Who are your most significant discoveries? I gave internationally acclaimed artist Julie Mehretu her first gallery exhibition in 1998 when she was a Core Fellow.%26nbsp;Shahzia Sikander did her first wall drawing for her 1998 exhibition [with me].%26nbsp;In 2007, Andrea Bianconi had his first U.S. exhibition [here]. I discovered Mie Olise in 2007 during Frieze week, where she was a finalist in the %26ldquo;Saatchi Sensations%26rdquo; exhibition, and in 2008 she made her U.S. debut at my gallery ... These four stand out, as they have seen a great deal of success at an international level.

How has Houston transformed as a place to make and exhibit art in the last 30 years? After New York and Los Angeles, Houston has become the third largest art center in the United States, followed by Chicago.%26nbsp;In the last 30 years, the city has seen the founding of The Menil Collection; the expansion of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; the evolution of the %26ldquo;Perspectives%26rdquo; exhibitions at the Contem-porary Arts Museum Houston; and the birth of a number of area nonprofit art spaces, such as Lawndale Art Center, DiverseWorks and, most recently Box 13.%26nbsp;This multicultural city has cultivated a vibrant art scene that is nurturing and supportive of working artists ... As a result, Houston has become fertile ground for curators at the national and international level to make serious discoveries.

What characterizes the art-making of 2012 versus that of 1981, when you first opened? A lot has happened in 30 years with regards to society, politics and technology. However, with regard to art-making, it is not about what is hot and new; instead it is about what is moving and what is memorable. It is the difference between trend and timelessness.

What surprises are you planning for this month%26rsquo;s anniversary exhibition? We will be screening [video footage from] a dialogue on abstraction that was held at my gallery in the mid-%26rsquo;90s, which was moderated by Walter Hopps, the founding director of The Menil Collection, with a panel that included playwright Edward Albee, art historian Frances Colpitt, the late artist Dick Wray and artist Aaron Parazette.%26nbsp;The discussion was lively and, upon watching it again recently, it is still very relevant.

How do you see your role as a gallerist? Ultimately, education is an underlying goal of the gallery.%26nbsp;Facilitating discovery is an important driving force for me. It%26rsquo;s not just about selling; it%26rsquo;s about educating people about collecting and bringing important innovative contemporary artists who have never been seen in Houston.

How do you distinguish between trends and timelessness? Trends have their limitations.%26nbsp;If you look at work and you begin to see similarities amongst many artists, you can call it %26ldquo;zeitgeist%26rdquo; or you can call it a trend. To distinguish whether a work is timeless, you must ask yourself the following:%26nbsp;%26ldquo;How profound is the work?%26nbsp;Will the work be as relevant in 10 years as it is today?%26rdquo;%26nbsp; I tend to find that an artist with a uniquely profound voice will hold up over time.

What do you look for when you decide to represent an artist? I can see thousands of artists, but to find that magical combination is a rare thing.%26nbsp;It%26rsquo;s important for works to have the following characteristics:%26nbsp;You ask a question about what you are seeing; the work transports you some place; it moves you emotionally and has a profoundness that resonates; it becomes an experience.%26nbsp; The best works will shift your perspective and give you a new way of seeing and experiencing things.

What drives your personal collection? My own personal collection has been an ever-evolving journey from emerging artists to art historical figures.%26nbsp;My home is my sanctuary, and I collect works that I want to live with.

Which museum exhibitions are you personally most excited about for 2012? The Tate Modern will have an Alighiero Boetti exhibition in February.%26nbsp;Mie Olise has a major solo museum exhibition at the Kunsthallen Nikolaj in Copenhagen, also in February, which will have an accompanying monograph.%26nbsp;I anxiously await the Richard Serra drawing retrospective at The Menil Collection.%26nbsp;I am also eager to see the Houston Arts Alliance presentation of Ai Weiwei%26rsquo;s%26nbsp;Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads%26nbsp;at Hermann Park in Spring 2012. And as part of our anniversary festivities, the gallery will be donating%26nbsp;15 percent of our proceeds towards Ai Weiwei%26rsquo;s Houston installation. He is an artist with a strong sense of conviction and fearlessness, whom I greatly admire and support.

%26nbsp;

Museum Times Two

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:39:42 GMT

Big art news this spring swirls around two brick-and-mortar stories %26mdash; or glass and concrete, as it were. The Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston gets a new addition. The original 14,000-square-foot structure, designed by Caudill Rowlett Scott and dedicated on March 13, 1973, was originally intended to hold benefactress Sarah Campbell Blaffer%26rsquo;s Foundation Collection of Renaissance and Baroque masters (many of which are currently on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston), as well as temporary and traveling exhibitions. Flash forward 30 years. After a call for proposals, Blaffer director Claudia Schmuckli, a specially charged Blaffer board subcommittee and the UH facilities team tapped New York City%26ndash;based WORKac to design the museum%26rsquo;s fresh look. Months after the firm began plans for the Blaffer redux, they were awarded another plum: the New Holland commission for Roman Abramovich and Dasha Zhukova%26rsquo;s reported $400 million arts complex on the historic manmade island in St. Petersburg that once served the Russian navy. While the Blaffer%26rsquo;s modest $2.25 million budget is no match for the Russians%26rsquo; deep pockets, this jewel-box commission will be closely watched internationally for evidence of WORKac%26rsquo;s prowess. The Blaffer%26rsquo;s unveiling will be celebrated at its gala on Friday, April 13. Meanwhile, Asia Society Texas Center has scored its own architectural coup, with a grand-opening reveal planned for April 12 through 15. Grand patroness Nancy Allen and fellow board members have coaxed starchitect Yoshio Taniguchi
(of the famed MoMA expansion) to create his first freestanding building in America: a 39,000-square-foot, $48.4 million project in the Houston Museum District. Watch these pages in April for our exclusive preview of both projects, from the gleaming translucency of the Blaffer%26rsquo;s re-imagined facade and interior spaces to the exquisite, contemplative perfection of Asia Society Texas Center%26rsquo;s new home, complete with oh-so-Zen water elements. It%26rsquo;s a whole new chapter in the saga of Texas architecture.

Images:

Rendering of Blaffer Art Museum addition, opening April 2012. Photo courtesy WORKac.

Asia Society Texas Center, opening April 2012. Photo by Paul Hester.

Collector's Conversation Brought to You by the Dallas Art Fair

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:34:34 GMT

Describe briefly your trajectory. I opened the gallery during the second year of my masters program at California College of Arts in San Francisco. Looking back, I am not sure there was a clear trajectory, but I knew even in undergraduate school that I wanted to be involved in supporting artists. In fact, I transformed my artist studio at Otis College into an exhibition space. At the end of my first year at CCA, I took the opportunity to run programming and curate exhibitions in Frankfurt at the Kunstverein for four months, where I familiarized myself with numerous project spaces and small galleries. Upon my return to San Francisco, I decided I was ready and opened my own project space in the Dogpatch. Looking back, it was quite a brave move, and I%26rsquo;m glad I was young enough to not over-think it.%26nbsp;

Why are you exhibiting at the Dallas Art Fair 2012? 2011 was a great year fair-wise for the gallery, with a strong showing in Europe including Frieze, London, and FIAC in Paris. In 2012, we wanted to focus on expanding our U.S. presence and also reaching out to a new collector base. I have met so many wonderful people from the area, and Dallas is such a culturally diverse city, with amazing museums, collections and a growing art scene, that it seemed like the logical choice. I also like that it is an intimate fair with a thoughtful platform, and this resonated strongly with the gallery and its program.

What was your first big break? It is difficult to identify any one single thing. Opening a gallery is always a risk, and its success often relies on the support of the greater community and its involvement ...

Describe your aesthetic as a gallerist. What sets apart the exhibitions you curate and your stable of artists? How important is curatorial practice to owning/running a gallery? It is difficult to really define what we do as an %26ldquo;aesthetic%26rdquo; since our roster includes such a varied and rich group of artists, from photographers to installation artists, as well as everything in between. But the one strong link is our collective commitment to curatorial rigor. Since the beginning, I knew I was more interested in presenting compelling exhibitions, much more than simply showing art, and that is something we continue to pride ourselves on. It has always been my intention to contribute to a greater dialogue around contemporary art, and introduce new and unexpected perspectives. All of our exhibitions strive to present that through an engaging and challenging visual experience. This is an ethic we bring to everything we do, including booths at art fairs, which we conceive of as mini group shows. I come from a curatorial background and it%26rsquo;s impossible for me to see things from any other perspective.

Where do you find new talent? What do you look for in terms of artists you represent? There is no clear-cut answer for this, since it%26rsquo;s really an open-ended process, which simply means being as engaged as possible. Our collaborations arise from studio visits, a pivotal aspect of what we do, but also just seeing shows, tapping into what%26rsquo;s going on at art fairs (something which is harder than it sounds especially when you%26rsquo;re participating). I also cherish my dialogues with colleagues and individuals I respect, like curators, writers, advisors, etc. There is no real formula, but it is like any other relationship, a lot depends on chemistry and a common set of values.

What affinities are there between the California art scene and that in Texas, if any?%26nbsp;I don%26rsquo;t have enough of a nuanced grasp of the Texas scene to make such a qualification. However, from my initial impression, it seems that it has affinities to the Bay Area scene, which has long thrived on its independence. One of the reasons the gallery has developed in San Francisco is my ability to work according to my own rules and expectations. There is no given model for how a gallery functions and that has provided a lot of creative freedom. I suspect Texas functions in very much the same spirit. And I look forward to finding out.

Whom do you know in Texas? Any relationships with museum curators, artists, collectors or gallerists? I am just beginning to familiarize myself with the Texas scene and so far most of the people I know are advisors with the exception of a few curators who mostly reside in Houston. However, I have numerous colleagues who have been doing business in Dallas and participating in the fair and I look forward to making introductions to the collectors and art lovers they keep raving about.

When were you first introduced to the art world? Did you grow up in a family of collectors? My grandparents were collectors and I was exposed to a good deal of art from early on. However, I%26rsquo;m not sure how much this affected my trajectory as a gallerist, aside from giving me a taste for art and an interest in collections. I think my relationship to art was always intuitive; I was fascinated by the creative process, and also the rich collaborations that could arise. This is what initially attracted me and what continues to fuel what I do, this constant exchange of creative dialogues.

What artists do you collect personally? I have a modest collection, and largely it is comprised of pieces by the artists I work with or have worked with. I think collecting is much more than acquiring individual pieces; I think it is a way to enter into a dialogue with someone%26rsquo;s practice and to support that practice. Whenever I want to work with someone, I think it is important to show that support and confidence and build a relationship on something concrete; even if it%26rsquo;s just a small drawing, it can have a very weighty significance. A few of my most recent acquisitions are Florian Schmidt, Aspen Mays, Brock Enright, Liam Everett, Hugh Scott-Douglas and Hayal Pozanti.

Whom will you exhibit at the Dallas Art Fair 2012? Any surprises in store? We%26rsquo;re still developing the concept for our Dallas presentation, but as always we hope it is a discovery for collectors and viewers alike. We like to undertake fairs like any other exhibition, and present a thoughtful and visually engaging experience that will linger long after the show comes down.

%26nbsp;

Dallas Art Fair:

April 13 %26ndash; 15, 2012; Preview Gala April 12.

www.dallasartfair.com

%26nbsp;

Images:

Jessica Silverman. Photo by Nancy Rothstein.

Janet Hobby. Photo by Julie Soefer.

The New Man at the Top

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:22:22 GMT

Last year at this time, we brought sad news of the passing of Peter Marzio, the visionary director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, for nearly 30 years. The dashing, democratic and brilliant Marzio transformed not only the MFAH but also the dynamics of the Texas art world, as one of our greatest champions of diversity. Now his successor has been announced, and our community expectantly awaits the arrival of Gary Tinterow, who comes from a hallowed position at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where he most recently served as the Engelhard Chairman of the Department of Nineteenth-Century, Modern and Contemporary Art. Tinterow has academic and publication credentials aplenty: an undergrad degree from Brandeis University, followed by a graduate degree from Harvard, and more than 60 exhibition catalogs and other publications to his name. However, what really stands out is his opening up of the Met%26rsquo;s historical departments to contemporary art, including his directorship of the Met%26rsquo;s wildly popular %26ldquo;On the Roof%26rdquo; series. Curatorially, Tinterow%26rsquo;s command of art history is broad; he%26rsquo;s organized shows from Degas (1988) to Francis Bacon (2009). Houston audiences will recall his glorious presentation of %26ldquo;The Masterpieces of French Painting from the Metropolitan Museum of Art: 1800 %26ndash;%26nbsp;1920%26rdquo; in 2007. Equally promising is Tinterow%26rsquo;s across-the-board support from trustees such as Rich Kinder and discerning members of our art community including gallerist Hiram Butler. The most surprising Tinterow fact of all: He%26rsquo;s a hometown talent, a graduate of Bellaire High School who even worked in his early career as a curatorial assistant at the MFAH in 1975 and 1976. Former Bellaire classmate and Texas Radio Hall of Famer Doug Harris remembers him fondly, sensing he was destined for great things: %26ldquo;Gary was drawn early to the arts and was known for his sharp intellect and pleasant manner.%26rdquo; We wish our new director the best as he continues important projects such as the MFAH%26rsquo;s third building%26mdash; and adds his own imprint to the museum. We%26rsquo;ll leave you with this parting comment from former Texas Artist of the Year/Rome Prize winner Bert Long Jr.: %26ldquo;The fact that Gary Tinterow, chief curator at the New York Metropolitan, has taken time on several occasions to e-mail replies to me, an artist in Houston, leads me to believe%26nbsp;that he will follow the fine tradition established by Peter Marzio of welcoming interaction with actual live practicing artists. And he%26rsquo;s a local boy. Couldn%26rsquo;t be better."

Image: Gary Tinterow. Photo by F. Carter Smith.

PC Acquire

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:21:13 GMT

We launch 2012%26rsquo;s PaperCity Acquire with a senior Texas master: the obsessive, geometric wizard H.J. Bott, who celebrates the 40th anniversary of his Displacement of Volume principle (aka DoV) this year. What is DoV, you ask? It%26rsquo;s an all-encompassing spatial concept that has birthed some wondrously inventive paintings, sculptures and installations over the ensuing decades. This wild ride through an op-art universe makes Vasarely and Yayoi Kusama look tame %26mdash; and it%26rsquo;s epitomized by this month%26rsquo;s PC Acquire offering. Fresh from the artist%26rsquo;s studio, the never-before-seen Hip Hop Core of 2011 is an illusionary pyramid-evoking canvas on the diagonal that speaks of the pharaohs overlaid with an election-eve palette. And stay tuned: With statewide exhibitions upcoming at Blue Star Contemporary Art Center in San Antonio (April), long-time Houston dealer Anya Tish Gallery (May), Galveston Arts Center (June) and Kirk Hopper Fine Art in Dallas (October), we predict this is the year of Bott. PC Acquire January 2012 offering: H.J.Bott%26rsquo;s Hip Hop Core, 2011, co-polymer acrylic and vinyl on canvas, 42 by 42 inches diagonal; price $15,000; inquiries Seth Vaughan, seth@papercitymag.com.

Art Notes

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:18:02 GMT

Pick Three: From Barbie and her pals to babes who wear pearls, plus acres of white paint, the New Year yields pleasures aplenty. Here%26rsquo;s our top trio. Thedra Cullar-Ledford takes Colquitt %26mdash; New Gallery/Thom Andriola, to be precise %26mdash; with towering canvases that record America%26rsquo;s obsession with the cult of the doll. Cullar-Ledford%26rsquo;s paintings along the way say a lot about our notions of femininity, cultural constructs and the battle of the sexes (January 14 %26ndash;%26nbsp;February 11) ... Over at 4411 Montrose, Joseph Cohen comes home to reveal the results of a recent Italian residency, with impastoed abstractions that carry a bit of the sublime, at Wade Wilson Art (January 6 %26ndash; 25) ... Then stroll upstairs to see quite possibly the best acolyte of drawing in all of Texas, Neva Mikulicz, whose latest, %26ldquo;They All Wore Pearls,%26rdquo; pairs Prismacolor pencil with video projection, filtered through buoyant evocations of 20th-century America (January 12 %26ndash; February 11).

Newbies: Recent arrivals include a game-changing duo. Glenn Weiss is the new top man at Art League Houston, fresh from a plum position as the founding manager of the public art program for Times Square, NYC. Weiss has Texas artist ties, too, he%26rsquo;s collaborated with Rick Lowe and the Art Guys on seminal projects ... The Texan French Alliance for the Arts welcomes Karine Parker-Lemoyne as new director. Artist and catalyst Parker-Lemoyne most recently organized %26ldquo;Go West,%26rdquo; the international exhibition exchange between French and Texas visualists that traveled from UNESCO, Paris, to Williams Tower Gallery last fall.

Studio Pass: Resolve in 2012 to voyage into studios, investigate galleries and keep the Houston art scene front and center on your radar. We recommend Victoria and Marshal Lightman%26rsquo;s Looking at Art for lively, insider access and an in-depth dialogue with the creative types who make our universe orbit (lookingatart.com). FYI: The Lightmans, whose tin house brims with work by hometown notables, were recently anointed as Texas Patrons of the Year by Art League Houston.

Images:

Thedra Cullar-Ledford%26rsquo;s Annie Get Your Gun, 2011, at New Gallery/Thom Andriola

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Neva Mikulicz%26rsquo;s Hottest, 2011, at Anya Tish Gallery

The Holy Man of the Texas Art World

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:26:17 GMT

What's on our radar on this apocalyptic year? The politically-charged, consciousness-raising creativity of Forrest Prince, coming Spring 2012 to the Station Museum of Contemporary Art.

Stay tuned.

Now, here's a sample of a holiday card from "Brother Forrest," and an image of the Holy Man himself from our volume Texas Artists Today.%26nbsp;

Art Notes

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 12:20:10 GMT

From Buddhas to SpongeBob: The New Year ushers in everything from the ridiculous to the sublime. The former is represented by the KAWS exhibition at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, with the Brooklyn-based painter showing off his latest odd amalgamation of cartooning, pared down to a beguiling, smooth-surfaced abstraction laced with humor, with characters (think Mickey Mouse and SpongeBob) making PAs (through February 19) ... In extreme contrast, at the Meadows Museum the timeless, contemplative splendor of sixth-century Chinese art is highlighted in %26ldquo;Echoes of the Past: The Buddhist Cave Temples of Xiangtangshan%26rdquo; (through January 8).

Gallery-ama: Another recommended art (F)stop is Texas lensman Jay Rusovich%26rsquo;s show, in collaboration with philanthropic lady Carolyn Farb at Samuel Lynne Galleries. The pair creates a compelling series of photographic vignettes that signal a new, softer direction in Rusovich%26rsquo;s image-making (January 14 %26ndash;%26nbsp;February 18) ... A new-on-our-radar Dragon Street destination: Cohn Drennan Contemporary makes some raucous noise in the Design District. Investigate a fabulous duo of installationists in %26ldquo;Sublimation Simulacrum,%26rdquo; which serves up solos for Angel Fernandez and Kit Reisch. Dallas-born Reisch returns from residencies in Seoul and Prague to challenge us, while Fernandez, a Tarrant County College professor of art, plans to cook up some surprises that involve fabric and sewing (January 14 %26ndash; February 18) ... Speaking of provocateurs, NYC-based it-artist Rob Pruitt come to the Dallas Contemporary to concoct his most ambitious exhibition ever. You%26rsquo;ve gotta love glitter panda painting! Concurrently, check out Dutch master David Jablonowski%26rsquo;s new play on sculpture, which subverts the concept of the traditional museum take on a chunk of bronze or marble plopped on a stand. Then it%26rsquo;s wheatpaste, spray paint and collage in a full-on series of poster imagery by Austin-based street talent Failure (all exhibitions, through March 18).

Get on the Bus: CADD, aka Contemporary Art Dealers Dallas, enacts two clever events that are artful and insider-y. First, gear up for the Bus Tour of notable member spaces on Saturday, January 14: Plush Gallery, 500X, Photographs Do Not Bend and more (secure your seat at caddallas.net). End the month with a CADD Mystery Dinner. We%26rsquo;re intrigued: Eat Your Art Out, Saturday, January 28 (tickets, also caddallas.net).

Image:

Jay Rusovich%26rsquo;s Engaged, 2011, at Samuel Lynne Galleries. Photo courtesy Deborah Colton Gallery, Houston.

Fruit of His Labor

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 07:39:43 GMT

Ever uttered the hackneyed phrase %26ldquo;It looks too good to eat%26rdquo;? Well, in the case of the lavish buffets and tables groaning with the likes of galantine, oysters on the half shell and roasted wild turkey created by culinary artist Henri Gadbois, you%26rsquo;d be wise to take those words literally. You see, although Gadbois slaves away in his River Oaks kitchen, creating everything from sliced baked ham to pumpkin pie for his holiday table, his culinary creations are faux. Yes, he painstakingly makes food that%26rsquo;s pretty as a painting %26mdash; often re-creations of priceless museum works %26mdash; but it%26rsquo;s completely inedible.

At the sprite young age of 80, retired Lee High school art teacher Henri Gadbois has found a new career as proprietor of Faux Foods, crafting tromp l%26rsquo;oeil pieces for museum and historic-home displays. He%26rsquo;s often commissioned to make arrestingly realistic replicas of food served from the 18th century to the present day. This retirement career started in 1988 when his wife, Leila McConnell (a painter herself), became a docent at Bayou Bend, Ima Hogg%26rsquo;s historic residence turned museum that%26rsquo;s run by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Gadbois joined her two years later, and it was just a matter of time before his fellow volunteers discovered his talent for rendering fruits, vegetables and all manner of meat into appetizing renditions made of plaster, acrylic-painted earthenware, poly resins and water-based wood putty.

%26ldquo;I was a sponsor of the Key Club at Lee High School,%26rdquo; Gadbois recalls, %26ldquo;and we sold grapefruit as a fund-raiser. The trophies I cast at the end of the year were grapefruit awards made with a realistic-looking fruit atop the trophy.%26rdquo; As his skills and historical food knowledge broadened, humble Red Ruby grapefruits gave way to coffin pastry, a staple in most 18th-century kitchens. %26ldquo;I think it was in 1988 when Bayou Bend was planning a big fund-raiser for the restoration of the museum, and they invited a curator from Winterthur,%26rdquo; the soft-spoken artist recalls. %26ldquo;They decided to have their first Yuletide, and they needed a coffin pastry (a flour and water paste container). Martha Washington had evidently created a big coffin pastry filled with all kinds of poultry. Now, you never ate the pastry itself; it was just a vessel to cook what was inside. Before there was such a thing as a casserole dish, they used flour and water to actually make a dish, and it usually featured that design element on the outside of the vessel to indicate what was cooking inside %26mdash; a fish, a bird, etc.%26rdquo; And from this first coffin pastry, Gadbois has painstakingly created a groaning board of historical, fish, fowl, poultry, fruit, vegetables and sweets for museums across the land.

Gadbois works at home in both his kitchen and the large studio the couple added onto their home in 1968, diligently researching the historic recipes he%26rsquo;s asked to recreate. %26ldquo;I always start with the real thing,%26rdquo; he says. %26ldquo;I make a cake or any recipe from scratch so it%26rsquo;s as realistic as possible, then I make resin and silicon molds %26mdash; ones that harden in three minutes. Even for meat.%26rdquo; From there, he casts a ceramic piece that he then painstakingly sands with the tip of a small Dremel drill to render details and textures, such as the mottled edge of a wheel of brie cheese. Later the surfaces are gessoed and painted to render everything from beautifully tempered chocolate candy to the variegated skin
of a persimmon or plum.

Museums such as Bayou Bend, Mount Vernon, Strawberry Mansion (Philadelphia) and the Army Museum (Carlyle, Pennsylvania) regularly commission Gadbois%26rsquo; food reproductions, which he turns around in about six weeks. If you%26rsquo;d like to acquire some of your own Gadbois pieces, each of which bears the artist%26rsquo;s stamp, log onto realfauxfoods.com. It%26rsquo;s here the artist can be convinced to part with his stockpiles of gingerbread, plum pudding, quince, pomegranates, Jefferson crab apples, acorn squash, roasted dove and all manner of fruits and vegetables that will make your holiday guests do a double-take.

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Images:

Artist Henri Gadbois at home in his art studio.

Peaches and pomegranates are just a few of the permanent seasonal fruits Gadbois crafts to look like the real deal.

If that pecan pie looks too good to eat %26hellip; don%26rsquo;t. It%26rsquo;s completely made of painted ceramic.

Besides the large, light-filled studio Henri and his wife Leila share, Gadbois%26rsquo; garage is filled with even more materials necessary to craft his faux foods.

In the case of the faux oysters, Gadbois actually starts with a real oyster shell.

Step one: Before anything is cast, Gadbois heads to his home kitchen to make the real thing first. This serves as the basis for his mold.

In his studio, Gadbois gazes out into the adjoining courtyard.