DEBRIS: Mashed Potatoes

Houston Center for Photography (1441 Alabama) has been active and upbeat lately; they had a rare mention in Artforum in an ad associated with their Anne Senstad’s Light Always Writes in Plural. This November Michele Grinstead and Nancy O´Connor hit hard at Texas’ role in national politics with their installation Immigrant Memorial Site, composed of photographs and video capturing a truck stop in Victoria, Texas where 19 illegal immigrants asphyxiated while trapped in the back of a truck bound for Houston. The other half of the show doesn’t keep up with the vibe though, as Carlos and Jason Sanchez deliver photoshop-happy compositions lacking just enough space to be not considered accidentally bad. Delivered in oversize gigantic format the images reference back to advertising language- from whence they came.

Anyone out there like porn? Well I guess I should rephrase that, anyone out there like gay porn? Well y’all can get your fill of the enigmatic Tom of Finland (he really was from Finland) and his scandalous subject at Inman Gallery (3901 Main) any day of the week. One part Disney, two parts sadistic sodomy, the place for his work- in the gallery or in the porn store- has never solidified. From softcore submitted to magazines to Nazis fucking, you should be guaranteed to get a rise in an art gallery for once.

Spend a day wandering the warehouse district this November 17^th for the 15^th Artcrawl in Houston. There is a myriad of artists participating, and no definition or denunciation can really hold true. Really, there are over 150 artists- it’s impossible to pigeonhole this bunch. I’m sure you’ll see the American Consumer Consortium riding the busses between warehouses; Natali and her performance pieces have ended in “Louis Vuitacos” and black pepper taste tests before. Poets from all over town will be out at Atelier Jacquinet, the represented include Houston Community College , University of Houston Downtown, Art Institute of Houston, Women in the Visual and Literary Arts, and poetry magazine Panhandler Quarterly. It may be impossible to get out of CSAW and not be impressed with Whitney Riley, Elaine Bradford or Kathy Kelley, three new residents who have taken to the old hulk of a building.

Elder Street Lofts sic The Jefferson Davis Hospital is opening up for studio visits and exhibits for Artcrawl, after the drubbing at the hands of the Houston Press a few months ago Derek Shumate, Doomsday Wrestling, Iskra Ivanova and Shu Latif have more than just their tiny corner of the world to overcome. Here’s something though, have you seen the Jefferson Davis Hospital since they cleaned it up? Wouldn’t it be a trip to go there for the first time since Brad saw a ghost and you heard gunshots in the woods? During the daytime? Besides, the perfect view of downtown from the front steps in worth the extra mile. Lisa Marie Godfrey and Ellen Orseck are up north at the Foundry now, Leila Dallal will be across the street from CSAW at Kap & Suzie’s Place, and stalwart gearhead and art car builder WT Burge is heading up the new fabrication workshop and studio space M.A.N.

Visit artcrawlhouston.com or call 713.229.9760 for more information. There’s too many new people and new places to say you’ve seen it before. You haven’t.