Saturday, August 25, 2007

Outsourced Labor


Lei Yixin, Stone of Hope

Outsourced labor? Not new. Outsourced monuments? Not new either. With the current blitz of Chinese artists and artwork on the international scene, xenophobia is creeping into critiques of a new Washington DC monument dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr. Don't forget that many American monuments have been created by foreign nationals and canonized in our iconography. The Statue of Liberty is by Eiffel Tower designer Gustave Eiffel and many mid-20th century monuments are by European artists (including the St. Louis Gateway Arch by Eero Saarinen).

Friday, August 24, 2007

Real Live Paul McCarthy!!!

Anyone familiar with this art piece?




Reality catches up to fiction!!!

(real) Artworld Phipps



pics from Patrick Phipps' corner at Diverseworks' Real (art)World... here.

YES!!!!



The Chron comes down hard on Dallas today, calling out the North Texas cattle rustlers and bullshitters are little more than Houston's shadow. While the 'ol #4th biggest city in the nation tag is kind of a stretch (we're the 6th largest urban area, Dallas is #4) blasting theatre funding, architecture, and museum spaces up I-45 out of the water is something the paper should devote time to regularly.

Civic pride starts with a good enemy!


best comment on the article: mekv

1. JFK got out alive.
2. Houston has much better looking women.
3. Rich folk in Houston come from all communities.
4. Yankees hate to leave Houston after living here a little while.
5. Dallas is a pit stop on their career track.
6. Houston, San Antone have all the jobs, Austin has the beauty and Dallas takes all the credit.
7. I'll take a hurricane with 2 weeks notice any day over a flipp'in tornado with 15 minutes notice. 8. Houston's marina district is the 3rd largest in the US after the Mud Ducks in San Diego and the big boys down in South Florida.
9. High school grads can find respectable life time employment in Houston.
10. From Houston, Cancun is closer than El Paso

Thursday, August 23, 2007

DEBRIS: Dan Freeman is still a Spook



Kirsten Hassenfeld, Installation in progress, 2007


The fall season is big time this year, and it kicked off early with the blockbuster navel-gazer Red Hot: Asian Art Today at the Museum of Fine Arts. With the Chronicle giving collector Robert Chaney (no relation to Dick) blowjobs in print, attendance has been up; I hope the same is true for sales at the eight or so galleries the museum encouraged to dive into contemporary Chinese and Japanese art. Unfortunately lacking the collusion of the MFAH show, Nexus Texas at the Contemporary Arts Museum puts Texans at the fore- hopefully they’ll sell some work down the road because of the show. The buzz is hot around El Franco Lee II, a University of Houston graduate who paints scenes from Houston rap and basketball folklore with a flat, naïve style and an almost religious reverence; both T.I. sucker-punched by Lil’ Flip and Big Moe sippin’ on some syrup in his Escalade are deified by this rising star artist.

Another emerging talent is having her first solo show this fall, as Lisa Marie Godfrey moves into the limelight with an opening September 14th from 6-9 pm at Domy Books. Godfrey draws copious amounts of ghosts, piles of intestines and landscapes all in her endearing, lilting lines and soft pastel watercolors. Stop by the bookstore on the corner of Westheimer and Dunlavy to find out about their upcoming movie nights too!

On September 8th from 6-9pm the new exhibit at the Blaffer Gallery of University of Houston arrives, look for French artist Jean Luc Mylayne and his gigantic photographs as he focuses on Fort Davis, Texas in a new series- his first American solo exhibition. Also on display, Amy Sillman’s oil on canvas works attempt to make a case for ‘painterly’ paintings by channeling Cezanne and German Expressionism.

Over at Rice University, the gallery continues to stay a step ahead of the rest of the city with innovative installation artists. September 27th their latest exhibit opens; a stunning collection of translucent paper sculptures by Kirsten Hassenfeld. Referencing giant droplets of water or the onion domes of Russian and Arabic religious architecture, Hassenfeld brings her experience seducing collectors and curators at the Armory and NADA art fairs to Houston in her largest installation to date.

Lessons From Below, a take on the Menil Collection’s large holdings of art, focuses on juxtaposing ephemera from the civil rights movement with African tribal art, Native American Hopi masks and figures and one of Warhol’s Mao silkscreens. Art collective Otabenga Jones has scoured the treasure troves of the museum in search of divisive racial politics “to mess wit whitey.” Weekly classroom sessions will focus on politics, poetry, racial identity and hip hop. Opens Thursday September 13th, classroom events will continue through October and November.

Go Hunting!



Want to look like a fool in front of Houston's elite? To be treated like a second-class citizen? Enter the third annual Houston Hunting Art Prize, sponsored by oil giant Hunting LLC. This year's event provoked a bit of outrage 'round here, and here. Next year's call for entries has just gone out, and all representational painters without self-worth are encouraged to apply.

Bun B + UGK





Houston Screwston rap stars Bun B and UGK are performing at Warehouse Live September 8th, only 13 bucks...




Who's At Fault Here?

What's worse? A gallery 'encouraging' its artists to do artworks about their employees and products, or the writer who think that artists should aspire to sneaker design? Either way this article really made me feel like graffiti-inspired artists are stuck between a rock and a hard place over at Premium Goods in the Village.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

New Art 21 List!

PBS has been running a series of shows that have become cult DVDs for art fanatics, and here's their new lineup! Set your tivo to 10PM Sunday night, Channel 8!




Courtesy of Modern Art Notes:

October 28, Romance: Pierre Huyghe, Judy Pfaff, Lari Pittman, Laurie Simmons

November 4, Protest: Jenny Holzer, Alfredo Jaar, An-My Lê, Nancy Spero

November 11, Ecology: Robert Adams, Mark Dion, Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle, Ursula von Rydingsvard

November 18, Paradox: Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla, Mark Bradford, Robert Ryman, Catherine Sullivan

El Franco Lee II


Little Flip Vs. T.I., 2006


What do you think of El Franco???

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Call for San Antonio Trips!!!

Call To Artists
For the October 13th S.M.A.R.T. Fair
At The LoneStar Studios


Needed: Artists to provide visual performance art while live musicians perform at the S.M.A.R.T. Fair LoneStar Studios stage.


The Bands:
Transmography http://www.myspace.com/transmography
The Blend? http://www.myspace.com/theblendtx
The Blowing Trees http://www.myspace.com/blowingtreesmusic
Morris Orchids http://www.myspace.com/morrisorchids
STX http://www.myspace.com/stx210
John McQuillen Sample driven electronic punk
DJ Rasta Mike http://www.myspace.com/digthefunk

Your responses need to include:
• Your top two choices of which band you would like to pair up with.
• A portfolio of your past work - it does not need to include performance pieces just
examples of what you have done in the past.
• A rough outline and rough drafts of your ideas for the show.
*Due Date: September 10, 2007*

Please keep in mind:
This is an all-ages show, children will be there, so keep it clean.
You must cover all of your costs and provide your own materials.
No fire, pyrotechnics, or other dangerous elements.
You are collaborating with the band, not choreographing their performance.

Contact information:
Sean FitzGibbons
107 Lonestar Blvd.
San Antonio TX 78204
Email: cclax45@gmail.com

Bring on the Pasties



The city of Houston is trying to shut down the strip clubs, or at least make it a little more like London around here. After a lawsuit was brought by Colorado Bar & Grill and The Men's Club to stop a 1997 city ordinance, and at least five other large businesses including the Ritz Cabaret, Treasures, Trophy Club, Gold Cup and Centerfolds joined the fray. Other businesses, including some bookstores, also joined in the appeal.

Barring a successful Supreme Court appeal, the businesses face some difficult choices. Topless and fully nude clubs could avoid regulation if dancers wear bikinis, or even skimpier opaque coverings, allowing them to get around the "sexually oriented" classification, police and city officials have said.

We Bleed Oil and We Pay For It

At 20% of the average Houstonian's budget, transportation costs are ballooning in Southeast Texas. As the rail down Richmond looks more and more like a mirage every day (have you heard about the rubber road plan?!?) there is nothing else in the pipe to ease congestion in the city. Even Dallas is building commuter rail lines, while the METRO corporation gorges itself on inefficient city funding. Read the Forbes article here.

Email my face

mayor@cityofhouston.net
Hey Bill, don't forget that we're projected to double our population by 2030!

Monday, August 20, 2007

Call for Retablos


19th century retablo "San Acacio Martir."
San Acacio, in full military regalia, is surrounded by military attributes; a shield, a helmet, a sword, a banner and a drum. According to popular legend, San Acacio and ten thousand martyrs were captured and crucified or decapitated.

Retablos are small oil paintings on tin, zinc, wood or copper used in home altars to venerate Catholic saints. The translation for "retablo" is "behind the altar."

Colorful, spiritual, symbolic, allegorical, historical, folkloric and charming, this genre of folk art represents the heart and soul of traditional religious beliefs in 17th through 19th century Mexican culture.

A process which was originally introduced by the Spanish, the retablo was an art form that flourished in Mexico and reached its pinnacle of popularity in the last quarter of the 19th century. Retablo 'factories' were established with a hierarchy of artists who worked to produce the same images. A typical "retablero," seldom recognized as an artist, may have reproduced the same image thousands of times in their career.

The oil paintings were sold to believers who displayed them in home altars to honor their patron Saint. There are hundreds of saints invoked to remedy different situations. San Ysidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers, is prayed to for good weather and prosperous crops. San Jeronimo is called upon for protection against temptations and want.

Counterpart to the retablo, ex-votos are devotional paintings on canvas or tin which offer thanks to a saint in the form of a short narrative. A small child becomes ill, a favorite animal disappears and returns or a family narrowly escapes death after their house burns to the ground. The petitioner, grateful for a miracle received, dedicates a small painting with a short testimonial text.

The Mexican retablo is a hybrid of Native American artistry, Catholic iconography and Spanish culture. This combination of subject and style reflects the links between the old and new world.



pick up a tin!!

Dia de los Muertos
Lawndale's 20th Annual
CALL FOR ENTRIES

Lawndale Art Center will celebrate Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) with a swath of programming.

The Retablo Silent Auction/Gala is on Friday, October 26.

Lawndale invites artists to create a retablo- inspired work for the auction using a small sheet of metal that is provided by and can be picked up at Lawndale Art Center. One sheet per artist. First come, first served.

TINS ARE AVAILABLE NOW!

Performance like the Eighties





Great! Someone is doing some stupid shit and getting press! Funny reading about a New York performance art show supposedly about immigration, but it is a nice little article.

Crochet Animals on Tour

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Elaine Bradford of Buffalo Bayou Art Park and the contagious creative crochet work (it's not knitting!!!) is busy as hell, check out her chock-full schedule!

Elaine Bradford
August 24- September 21, 2007
Opening reception Friday Aug, 24, 6-8pm
Cecille R. Hunt Gallery
8342 Big Bend
in the Visual Art Studios of Webster University
for more info contact 314.968.7171 or joness@webster.edu

Raised in Craftivity
September 7-September 29, 2007
Opening Reception Friday Sept 7, 7-9pm
Greenlease Gallery
Kansas City, MO

More Art, Less Filler
August 29th - October 12th
opening reception Sept 5th
Space 204
Ingram Studio Art Center at Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN

Susie cocks Her Hip


Cowboy pose, psychedelic plaid

The Chron is running a tiny little interview with painter and curator Susie Rosemarin where she breaks down the Op art vibe of a lot of Houston artists from the mid-nineties, and her new show at Texas Gallery.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Nexus Texas

Pics from the opening Friday night!


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Snacks!

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Trash!

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Bridges!

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Traffic!

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YAR!

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North Street

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Gary Sweeney

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Paul Slocum screen captures

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Lauren Kelley's wall of drawings

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Paul Slocum's dot-matrix printer/ musical instrument / porno printer


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Kyle!

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Joanne Park and Elaine Bradford

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George Smith

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Sterling Allen (Elaine Bradford owns this bushy dude)

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People looking at Amy Blakemore's photos

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Amy Blakemore

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Sterling Allen

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Gary Sweeney

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Artist Keijiro Suzuki in front of George Smith's Dogon inspired sculpture

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Julie DeVries and Sebastian, back from Haiti!

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Will Boone and Greg

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Andy Balajada

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XX, Sasha Dela and Lauren Kelley

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Benji and Greg

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Ebony and Robert Pruitt

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Jenny Schlief and Ed

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Toby Kamps gettin' some dude to laugh. Maybe it was that English Patterson guy.

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Yeah, Richard Patterson

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Ditto

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Michael Smith's class portraits

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Margarita Cabrera, Bicicletas

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Richard Patterson

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Margarita

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Agosto DiStefano

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Agosto DiStefano

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Agosto DiStefano

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Jeff Zilm

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Same dude

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Justin Boyd

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(Elaine Bradford own this one too!)

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Leslie Hewitt

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XX, Bryan Miller (CTRL) and Patrick Reynolds (Inman)

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XX and Maria Elena

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Martina and Andy

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Pruitt and Jim

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Cecil (Houston)

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Liz Rosenberg

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Allison and Michael Sieben

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Susie Rosemarie and Sharon Engelstein

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Quincy

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Katy and Joel

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Arturo (of Art Palace) and Cauleen Smith

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Gene got married!

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Gene got married to Jenny!

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Claudia

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Jack Massing

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Jack and Susie and crew

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Pruitt, Kenya Evans and Hodge

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Maya Schindler back in town (she opens a show at Devin Borden Hiram Butler in September)

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Cauleen Smith

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James!

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Quincy and Kenya

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Paula Newton

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A. and Cary Wolfe

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Jenny and Gene and tacos

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Meredith Goldsmith at the Mink