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FOR ART’S SAKE | may 2011

May 1, 2011

JESSE DAYTON

 

BECOMING-KINKY-(20-of-115)

Photo courtesy of “The Sinner”

If you’ve been out to see live music at any stalwart Houston venue over the last couple of decades (Rudyard’s, Fitz, Continental, Last Concert, Dan Electro’s), you’ve probably seen Jesse Dayton onstage at some point, somewhere. I know I have. He plays live a lot, and that’s real Texan of him. He’s also an actor, and this month and last he was in “Becoming Kinky,” a stage play based on the life of Texas legend Kinky Friedman.

 

If you’ve been out to see live music at any stalwart Houston venue over the last couple of decades (Rudyard’s, Fitz, Continental, Last Concert, Dan Electro’s), you’ve probably seen Jesse Dayton onstage at some point, somewhere. I know I have. He plays live a lot, and that’s real Texan of him. He’s also an actor, and this month and last he was in “Becoming Kinky,” a stage play based on the life of Texas legend Kinky Friedman.

 

It seems like everything happened really fast with this – you got a phone call in late January and then the play happened in late March. Was it a whirlwind or does something like this work better when it happens that way?
Yeah, I mean – I got the phone call… actually these guys from New York called me first, from XM Sirius. They had heard that Ted Swindley was going to be doing a Kinky Friedman play, so they kind of put me in touch with the folks. I got the phone call to come drive to Houston – I live in Austin – and it happened that day. They said ‘we want you.’ I was kind of expecting to at least get a phone call back like two or three days later.
But like that afternoon, huh?
Yeah, that afternoon, and obviously, it’s a character I’m very fond of and he has an incredibly rich life. It’s an original play, which takes the heat off of me. Nobody’s going to compare me to Romeo, or some Sam Sheppard character (laughs).
Did you know Kinky personally before that?
I’d met him once before, at Willie Nelson’s 4th of July picnic, but it was in passing. We didn’t really talk, just said hello. But we got to hang out while I was preparing for the play. And then of course he came down and saw the first two nights and just loved it. He was just bouncing off the walls. He really liked it.
And he was there for the rehearsals, too, right?
Yeah, he was there for the rehearsals and we did some press together and we still are doing some press together. You know, we’re just trying to figure out what the next step is after this next run in Houston. I’m going to be doing a film all of May, so I’m hoping in June we can go to New York.
Did that make you nervous at all having Kinky around? Did that make it better?
I was brutally nervous the first time he came to rehearsal because you know, you’re playing a living person… and I mean, I don’t know if you can tell, but I’m actually talking a little bit like Kinky. Until I start thinking about it, you know what I mean? He’s our kind of Hunter S. Thompson of Texas, rolled in with Bob Wills or something. Or as he says, “I’m the demented love child of Lenny Bruce and Bob Wills.” But, yeah, it was terribly frightening, but then when we got done he came in and clapped for us and just put everyone at ease. And then we went and had a few adult beverages and got to know each other.
Having two other actors there playing Kinky, did you guys kind of feed off of each others’ interpretations of each other, did you kind of keep each other in check?
Well, it really helped me because while I’ve done some film stuff, I haven’t really done a lot of theater, and I’m flanked by two really talented theater actors. And so this has been a big education for me. The main reason I wanted to do it is because my friends in the film world told me ‘you need to go do some theater because it’ll be really great for your chops, and you’ll learn so much.’ This is a damn near perfect outlet for me to do this.
You really are starting to kind of sound like Kinky.
Oh, man… you don’t know the half of it, brother.
It seems like everything happened really fast with this – you got a phone call in late January and then the play happened in late March. Was it a whirlwind or does something like this work better when it happens that way?
Yeah, I mean – I got the phone call… actually these guys from New York called me first, from XM Sirius. They had heard that Ted Swindley was going to be doing a Kinky Friedman play, so they kind of put me in touch with the folks. I got the phone call to come drive to Houston – I live in Austin – and it happened that day. They said ‘we want you.’ I was kind of expecting to at least get a phone call back like two or three days later.
But like that afternoon, huh?
Yeah, that afternoon, and obviously, it’s a character I’m very fond of and he has an incredibly rich life. It’s an original play, which takes the heat off of me. Nobody’s going to compare me to Romeo, or some Sam Sheppard character (laughs).
Did you know Kinky personally before that?
I’d met him once before, at Willie Nelson’s 4th of July picnic, but it was in passing. We didn’t really talk, just said hello. But we got to hang out while I was preparing for the play. And then of course he came down and saw the first two nights and just loved it. He was just bouncing off the walls. He really liked it.
And he was there for the rehearsals, too, right?
Yeah, he was there for the rehearsals and we did some press together and we still are doing some press together. You know, we’re just trying to figure out what the next step is after this next run in Houston. I’m going to be doing a film all of May, so I’m hoping in June we can go to New York.
Did that make you nervous at all having Kinky around? Did that make it better?
I was brutally nervous the first time he came to rehearsal because you know, you’re playing a living person… and I mean, I don’t know if you can tell, but I’m actually talking a little bit like Kinky. Until I start thinking about it, you know what I mean? He’s our kind of Hunter S. Thompson of Texas, rolled in with Bob Wills or something. Or as he says, “I’m the demented love child of Lenny Bruce and Bob Wills.” But, yeah, it was terribly frightening, but then when we got done he came in and clapped for us and just put everyone at ease. And then we went and had a few adult beverages and got to know each other.
Having two other actors there playing Kinky, did you guys kind of feed off of each others’ interpretations of each other, did you kind of keep each other in check?
Well, it really helped me because while I’ve done some film stuff, I haven’t really done a lot of theater, and I’m flanked by two really talented theater actors. And so this has been a big education for me. The main reason I wanted to do it is because my friends in the film world told me ‘you need to go do some theater because it’ll be really great for your chops, and you’ll learn so much.’ This is a damn near perfect outlet for me to do this.
You really are starting to kind of sound like Kinky.
Oh, man… you don’t know the half of it, brother.

 

 

Filed Under: For Art's Sake

FOR ART’ SAKE | april 2011

April 1, 2011

Emily Johnson’s “The Thank-you Bar”

laskan-born and current Minnesota resident, Emily Johnson brings her own interpretation of the notion of displacement to Houston with her performances of the original dance experiment and installation, The Thank-you Bar.
Consisting of dance, live experimental music, storytelling and film, the question the project proposes is “What is a true home?” The venue, DiverseWorks ArtSpace, will feature a companion piece to the dance performance entitled, “This is Displacement: Native Artists Consider the Relationship Between Land and Identity.” Curated by Johnson, who is herself of Yup’ik descent, and Carolyn Lee Anderson, the “Displacement” show will be comprised of 50 Native artists who represent 19 tribes. It will be featured in the main gallery and the flickerlounge at DiverseWorks ArtSpace from the end of April through early June with performances of The Thank-you Bar occurring April 28-April 30 in the theater space.
An accomplished choreographer, Johnson began her own dance company, Catalyst, in Minnesota. This versatile company works in collaboration with artists, poets and the audience in a unique way. The name of the show, The Thank-you Bar, is a nod to the Que-Ana Bar Johnson’s grandmother owned while she grew up in Alaska. The word “que-ana” in Yup’ik means “thank you.” The many hours Johnson spent preparing food at the fish-cleaning hill, shelling clams, drinking Shirley Temples and hearing stories during her childhood all contribute to this intense longing she understands as “displacement.” The show also addresses the “igloo-myth,” a term coined by Johnson herself. “People ask me if I ever lived in an igloo; I am fascinated by this and horrified. Where does this igloo myth come from and how does it continue to drive the image so many people have of northern indigenous peoples?” This misunderstanding of native cultures encourages Johnson to explore different types of indigenous and urban homes, learning about the histories of the architecture of the buildings she performs in and even going as far as to build a beaver lodge one summer as research and a miniature igloo. While these are not part of the set design of The Thank-you Bar there will be paper sculptures that are presented to the audience as one particular image; however when the images change, the meaning of the sculptures becomes altered. Some of the costumes are made of fish-scales while some feature storied beadwork by Karen Beaver, a fellow native Alaskan.
The music will be reminiscent of her grandmother’s bar, where true (emphasis on the word true) country music blared from the jukebox. The experimental duo BLACKFISH actually developed alongside the creation of The Thank-you Bar and takes its name from one of the story themes that run throughout the dance. With James Everest playing nylon and steel string acoustic guitars and Joel Pickard performing on a pedal steel guitar, they explore the roots of country and give a nod to the authentic country of Johnson’s memory. With the addition of looped electronic music, BLACKFISH provides an eerie and original soundtrack for the intense performance.
DiverseWorks is known as a space which tests new ideas and involves its audience. It is a perfect fit for a performance piece which includes the audience in experiencing sights, sounds and smells as well as the visual aspects of dance. Called “post-post-modern” by Minneapolis Star Tribune dance critic Camille LeFevre, Johnson’s intensity and physicality are intimately shared with the audience. Inviting you to wonder about the ground beneath your own feet, how it has changed over time and what architecture contributes to the concept of “home” are all especially meaningful to Houstonians who experienced two devastating storms in recent years. As a part of the performance, in her own words, “…Once we begin seeing our home towns/cities/communities as living and changing places, we respect our place in it a little more. Houston will become a part of The Thank-you Bar.”
Learning a bit of the Yup’ik language from her grandmother is a new endeavor for the accomplished dancer/choreographer. And the significance of the name “Thank-you Bar” is in reality a bit of gratitude directed towards her childhood home – its smells, textures and land which are forever an integral part of her memory.

thankyoubar_143Alaskan-born and current Minnesota resident, Emily Johnson brings her own interpretation of the notion of displacement to Houston with her performances of the original dance experiment and installation, The Thank-you Bar.

Consisting of dance, live experimental music, storytelling and film, the question the project proposes is “What is a true home?” The venue, DiverseWorks ArtSpace, will feature a companion piece to the dance performance entitled, “This is Displacement: Native Artists Consider the Relationship Between Land and Identity.” Curated by Johnson, who is herself of Yup’ik descent, and Carolyn Lee Anderson, the “Displacement” show will be comprised of 50 Native artists who represent 19 tribes. It will be featured in the main gallery and the flickerlounge at DiverseWorks ArtSpace from the end of April through early June with performances of The Thank-you Bar occurring April 28-April 30 in the theater space.

An accomplished choreographer, Johnson began her own dance company, Catalyst, in Minnesota. This versatile company works in collaboration with artists, poets and the audience in a unique way. The name of the show, The Thank-you Bar, is a nod to the Que-Ana Bar Johnson’s grandmother owned while she grew up in Alaska. The word “que-ana” in Yup’ik means “thank you.” The many hours Johnson spent preparing food at the fish-cleaning hill, shelling clams, drinking Shirley Temples and hearing stories during her childhood all contribute to this intense longing she understands as “displacement.” The show also addresses the “igloo-myth,” a term coined by Johnson herself. “People ask me if I ever lived in an igloo; I am fascinated by this and horrified. Where does this igloo myth come from and how does it continue to drive the image so many people have of northern indigenous peoples?” This misunderstanding of native cultures encourages Johnson to explore different types of indigenous and urban homes, learning about the histories of the architecture of the buildings she performs in and even going as far as to build a beaver lodge one summer as research and a miniature igloo. While these are not part of the set design of The Thank-you Bar there will be paper sculptures that are presented to the audience as one particular image; however when the images change, the meaning of the sculptures becomes altered. Some of the costumes are made of fish-scales while some feature storied beadwork by Karen Beaver, a fellow native Alaskan.

The music will be reminiscent of her grandmother’s bar, where true (emphasis on the word true) country music blared from the jukebox. The experimental duo BLACKFISH actually developed alongside the creation of The Thank-you Bar and takes its name from one of the story themes that run throughout the dance. With James Everest playing nylon and steel string acoustic guitars and Joel Pickard performing on a pedal steel guitar, they explore the roots of country and give a nod to the authentic country of Johnson’s memory. With the addition of looped electronic music, BLACKFISH provides an eerie and original soundtrack for the intense performance.

DiverseWorks is known as a space which tests new ideas and involves its audience. It is a perfect fit for a performance piece which includes the audience in experiencing sights, sounds and smells as well as the visual aspects of dance. Called “post-post-modern” by Minneapolis Star Tribune dance critic Camille LeFevre, Johnson’s intensity and physicality are intimately shared with the audience. Inviting you to wonder about the ground beneath your own feet, how it has changed over time and what architecture contributes to the concept of “home” are all especially meaningful to Houstonians who experienced two devastating storms in recent years. As a part of the performance, in her own words, “…Once we begin seeing our home towns/cities/communities as living and changing places, we respect our place in it a little more. Houston will become a part of The Thank-you Bar.”

Learning a bit of the Yup’ik language from her grandmother is a new endeavor for the accomplished dancer/choreographer. And the significance of the name “Thank-you Bar” is in reality a bit of gratitude directed towards her childhood home – its smells, textures and land which are forever an integral part of her memory.

DiverseWorks ArtSpace 1117 East Freeway, 77002. | April 28-June 11 with The Thank-you Bar performances April 28-April 30.

For more information, or to buy tickets, go to www.diverseworks.org or call 713.335.3445.­

By Sarah Gajkowski-Hill | Photography by Cameron Wittig & Jamie Long

Filed Under: For Art's Sake

FOR ART’S SAKE | march 2011

March 1, 2011
C’est
magnifique!

C’est magnifique!

Lynn Wyatt shows her love for all things French at 2011 Texas French Alliance for the Arts Award and Auction

Photography by Sofia van der Dys

Photography by Sofia van der Dys

Lynn Wyatt’s passion for the arts may already be legendary, but her legacy is still in the making. As Honorary Chair at this month’s Texan French Alliance for the Arts Art Award and Auction, Wyatt is once again helping ensure Texas’s vibrant future as an art hub. The auction features the carefully selected works of 40 artists, twelve of whom are French. One of them will be awarded a custom-made, ten-day residency in either Paris or Texas. “It opens the door. They get to meet other artists. They get to expose themselves to collectors and they get to go to galleries,” says Wyatt. “It would take years otherwise for them to do that.”

No stranger to France’s art scene, in 1982 Wyatt was admitted to the prestigious Order of Arts and Letters, rank of Chevalier, for her significant contribution to the enrichment of the French cultural inheritance. Not one to rest on her laurels, Wyatt further cultivated her relationship with France and was promoted in 2007 to the Order’s rank of Officier by the French government. When asked about what led to the endowments, Wyatt is extraordinarily modest. “I don’t know,” she says, “it’s not like I donated a lot of money!” Instead, it is her long-standing bond with the artistic community that led to the title. “I was involved in a lot of things. I was involved with Versailles,” she recalls. “I was going to the French collections for 30 years; I’m friends with all the designers,” she adds.

Her Washington, DC ceremonial meeting with France’s Ambassador, Jean-David Levitte, was to be a fortuitous one. “He personally asked me if I would be the chairman for the first TFAA Art, Auction and Award fundraiser. And who could turn down the French Ambassador, you know?” she ponders.

Wyatt’s involvement with TFAA is more than perfunctory. “I am very hands-on anytime my name is attached to anything. I like to approve things; I like to know all the details about it. That’s just the way I am,” she says. About helping to select sculptures, paintings, mixed media, drawings and photography for the auction, she adds, “I think art is very personal to the viewer and I look for balance, composition and how it appeals to me color- and design-wise. But I’m not an expert and I deferred to the gallery owner about which would sell most.”

Now in its second edition, the first TFAA Art Auction and Award in 2008 sent local artist daniel-kayne to Paris for a ten-day journey. As the organization’s biggest fundraiser, this event helps sustain collaborative projects. TFAA aims to further its mission to promote artistic and educational exchanges between Texan and French artistic institutions and artists. Founded in 2005 by the former Consul General of France, Denis Simmoneau, and the Levant Foundation, TFAA has facilitated cultural exchanges ranging from hosting a monumental sculpture exhibition by the internationally recognized artist Bernar Venet to orchestrating a collaboration between Houston’s musical ensemble Mercury Baroque and acclaimed French director Pascal Rambert on Lully’s Armide opera in 2009, marking the first time a Houston orchestra had performed in Europe in almost ten years.

2011 TFAA Art, Auction and Award Cocktail Reception

March 30, 6pm

Devin Borden Hiram Butler Gallery

4520 Blossom Street, Houston 77007

Tickets to attend the event may be purchased in advance for $80 per person or $150 per couple, and will be $100 per person at the door.  A percentage of the proceeds will benefit the Texas Children’s Cancer Center’s Arts in Medicine Program.

Lynn Wyatt’s Favorite French Things

French fashion “Because I have so many French haute couture garments in my closet that can be twenty years old yet look as perfect as the day I bought them!”

French cosmetics “I think Chanel and Sisley are great products that are very well made.”
The Made in France label “Anytime you see the label Made in France, then you know it is great quality.”

By Nadia Michel

Filed Under: For Art's Sake

FOR ART’S SAKE | february 2011

January 30, 2011
February 2011. The second month of the year in the United States usually triggers the mind to embrace red as its signature color. After all, many of us adorn red attire on the first Friday to show our support for the awareness of heart disease (National Wear Red Day). And, of course, Valentine’s Day screams red at every turn: red stemmed roses, red wine, red heart-shaped boxes full of sweet delights – the list truly can go on.
And, February 5 at 1pm, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH) may be full of advocates embellished in red garb for heart disease awareness and arts enthusiasts alike – to partake in pioneering and thought-provoking, Franco-Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz-Diez as he makes a guest appearance at the Glassell School of Art to participate in the lecture, Conversing with Color: Carlos Cruz-Diez and Mari Carmen Ramirez. This seminar/lecture aims to examine the unstable nature of color and the resulting dialogue that emerges subsequent to color being processed by the human eye. Per Cruz-Diez, “The new experience that we are starting at the Glassell School of Art endeavors to awaken the senses and perception of sensitivity. It is likely that from these proposed sensory experiences, new ideas will emerge which will open additional paths of artistic creation.”
And, this intriguing conversation with Cruz-Diez and Ramirez (MFAH, Wortham Center of Latin American Art and Director, International Center for the Arts of the Americas) occurs on the eve of MFAH’s first, large-scale exhibition of Cruz-Diez’s stunning works, spanning a 60-year career. The exhibit, on view from February 6 through July 4, will feature artworks amassed from the Cruz-Diez Foundation collection at the MFAH and major private and public collections from around the world. Heralded by many as one of the most remarkable, pioneering artists of the 20th- century, Cruz-Diez’s monumental body (150-plus) of works on display will include rarely seen paintings; silk-screen prints and innovative chromatic structures; room-size chromatic environments; architectural models and videos; and a virtual re-creation of the artist’s studio in Paris where visitors will be required to wear 3D glasses for the experience – all which will engage the response of the human eye while insisting on the participatory nature of color.
The impact? International audiences will be introduced to Cruz-Diez’s pervasive production, which will position his theoretical and artistic contributions to 20th century Modernism in a broader context than their traditional observation.
Born in Caracas in 1923 and a resident of Paris since 1960, Cruz-Diez first emerged as an artist in the mid-1950s, at the peak of the Kinetic Art Movement. A scholar, having earned the degree in applied and manual arts from the Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Aplicadas de Caracas in 1945, Cruz-Diez joined McCann-Erikson, an international advertising agency, where he soon rose to the position of art director. Shortly thereafter, he began work as a full-time artist and teaching at the Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Aplicadas and other institutions for a number of years, including teaching at his very own El Estudio de Artes Visuales, a graphic arts and industrial design workshop in Caracas. His life’s work has been dedicated to experimenting with the origins and optics of color, while simultaneously illustrating how color can be transformed into a sovereign experience capable of invading space.
“As a student at the art school and without the sophistication or knowledge of what my future would unfold, I pondered why everyone appeared to paint in the same manner. As years passed, I discovered that this inquiry had already been touched on and theoretically examined by many, except for one fundamental component – the color. There had been movements, such as Impressionism and Fauvism, which proposed change regarding the color, but such proposals offered solutions to the same concept, i.e., color applied over the static support of canvas. From that moment on, I devoted my life to the investigation of the world of color examining the thoughts and realizations of other artists; the philosophical concepts through history; and the scientific and industrial achievements of others. A long and difficult task began in the early ’50s, culminating in ’59 with the structuring of a conceptual platform that I continuously enhance, even today: the color no longer on the canvas, but rather as an episode invading space and continuously evolving in time,” explains Cruz-Diez. “My paintings may very well be applied on canvas, yet the color in my paintings is able to leave the space through light effects of the environment and the placement of the viewer. This has truly been my life’s work that I am most proud of. I am hopeful that the perceptual information that visitors will receive from the exhibition will help broaden their notions of art and their experiences of different, existing stereotypes of this colorful universe.”
The exhibition is organized by the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and the Cruz-Diez Foundation, Houston. Additionally, major support has been provided by the MetLife Foundation, with generous funding provided by Mrs. Linnet F. Deily, The Boeing Company and Leslie and Brad Bucher.
For more information about Carlos Cruz-Diez:
Color in Space and Time, please visit the
Cruz-Diez Foundation at www.cruz-diezfoundation.org or The Museum of Fine Arts Houston
at www.mfah.org.
THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON
1001 Bissonnet ● Houston, Texas 77005 ● 713.639.7300 Information Line

Physichromie 48 (1961). Cardboard and synthetic polymer paint on wood. IMPACT.

The second month of the year in the United States usually triggers the mind to embrace red as its signature color. After all, many of us adorn red attire on the first Friday to show our support for the awareness of heart disease (National Wear Red Day). And, of course, Valentine’s Day screams red at every turn: red stemmed roses, red wine, red heart-shaped boxes full of sweet delights – the list truly can go on.

And, February 5 at 1pm, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH) may be full of advocates embellished in red garb for heart disease awareness and arts enthusiasts alike – to partake in pioneering and thought-provoking, Franco-Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz-Diez as he makes a guest appearance at the Glassell School of Art to participate in the lecture, Conversing with Color: Carlos Cruz-Diez and Mari Carmen Ramirez. This seminar/lecture aims to examine the unstable nature of color and the resulting dialogue that emerges subsequent to color being processed by the human eye. Per Cruz-Diez, “The new experience that we are starting at the Glassell School of Art endeavors to awaken the senses and perception of sensitivity. It is likely that from these proposed sensory experiences, new ideas will emerge which will open additional paths of artistic creation.”

And, this intriguing conversation with Cruz-Diez and Ramirez (MFAH, Wortham Center of Latin American Art and Director, International Center for the Arts of the Americas) occurs on the eve of MFAH’s first, large-scale exhibition of Cruz-Diez’s stunning works, spanning a 60-year career. The exhibit, on view from February 6 through July 4, will feature artworks amassed from the Cruz-Diez Foundation collection at the MFAH and major private and public collections from around the world. Heralded by many as one of the most remarkable, pioneering artists of the 20th- century, Cruz-Diez’s monumental body (150-plus) of works on display will include rarely seen paintings; silk-screen prints and innovative chromatic structures; room-size chromatic environments; architectural models and videos; and a virtual re-creation of the artist’s studio in Paris where visitors will be required to wear 3D glasses for the experience – all which will engage the response of the human eye while insisting on the participatory nature of color.

The impact? International audiences will be introduced to Cruz-Diez’s pervasive production, which will position his theoretical and artistic contributions to 20th century Modernism in a broader context than their traditional observation.

Born in Caracas in 1923 and a resident of Paris since 1960, Cruz-Diez first emerged as an artist in the mid-1950s, at the peak of the Kinetic Art Movement. A scholar, having earned the degree in applied and manual arts from the Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Aplicadas de Caracas in 1945, Cruz-Diez joined McCann-Erikson, an international advertising agency, where he soon rose to the position of art director. Shortly thereafter, he began work as a full-time artist and teaching at the Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Aplicadas and other institutions for a number of years, including teaching at his very own El Estudio de Artes Visuales, a graphic arts and industrial design workshop in Caracas. His life’s work has been dedicated to experimenting with the origins and optics of color, while simultaneously illustrating how color can be transformed into a sovereign experience capable of invading space.

“As a student at the art school and without the sophistication or knowledge of what my future would unfold, I pondered why everyone appeared to paint in the same manner. As years passed, I discovered that this inquiry had already been touched on and theoretically examined by many, except for one fundamental component – the color. There had been movements, such as Impressionism and Fauvism, which proposed change regarding the color, but such proposals offered solutions to the same concept, i.e., color applied over the static support of canvas. From that moment on, I devoted my life to the investigation of the world of color examining the thoughts and realizations of other artists; the philosophical concepts through history; and the scientific and industrial achievements of others. A long and difficult task began in the early ’50s, culminating in ’59 with the structuring of a conceptual platform that I continuously enhance, even today: the color no longer on the canvas, but rather as an episode invading space and continuously evolving in time,” explains Cruz-Diez. “My paintings may very well be applied on canvas, yet the color in my paintings is able to leave the space through light effects of the environment and the placement of the viewer. This has truly been my life’s work that I am most proud of. I am hopeful that the perceptual information that visitors will receive from the exhibition will help broaden their notions of art and their experiences of different, existing stereotypes of this colorful universe.”

The exhibition is organized by the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and the Cruz-Diez Foundation, Houston. Additionally, major support has been provided by the MetLife Foundation, with generous funding provided by Mrs. Linnet F. Deily, The Boeing Company and Leslie and Brad Bucher.

IMPACT!

Museum of Fine Arts Houston presents Carlos Cruz-Diez: Color in Space and Time

February 6 to July 4, 2011

Theoretical Franco-Venezuelan Artist explores the world of color and its response on the human eye in rarely seen figurative oil paintings, unconventional color structures, architectural projects and interactive environments that are sure to wow and awaken the senses of museum participants.

For more information about Carlos Cruz-Diez:

Color in Space and Time, please visit the Cruz-Diez Foundation at www.cruz-diezfoundation.org or The Museum of Fine Arts Houston at www.mfah.org.

THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON

1001 Bissonnet ● Houston, Texas 77005 ● 713.639.7300 Information Line

by Susan M. Bynam | Carlos Cruz-Diez’s translation by Laura Baranda

Filed Under: For Art's Sake

FOR ART’S SAKE | january 2011

December 27, 2010

JAIME COLLIER

Tackling multiple genres as a photographer – weddings, portraits, landscapes, kitchens – do you draw common lines across them?
Well, my background is my Masters in photojournalism and I think I got really lucky that I had amazing professors that did all different kinds of things. And they had heavy photojournalism backgrounds, and so I think they just kind of taught me a passion for photographing life. And I think that can come in different types of situations, anywhere from a kitchen in a restaurant, getting to know the chef and the cooks and all of that stuff, or if it’s a family or a newborn – it sort of applies.
You feel like it gives people a chance to see things they otherwise wouldn’t?
Oh, definitely. It helps me from putting my experiences of what I see. I definitely stay true to the journalistic background, but I know that my experiences help influence the way that I see things, and I hope that makes my pictures different.
Is it your background that brought you to document the culture of kitchens?
You know, it’s not at all my background. My dad grew up on a farm but when he first came to Houston he helped run a restaurant, a family business. I never was around any of that, but I’ve heard stories of crazy kitchens and feeding mass amounts of people, so I think that did have an impact on it.
So how do you talk your way in?
Well, a lot of times they approach me; they want pictures and they want them different. Not every time can a kitchen can stop and cook for a review or for a story, but they want to have pictures that they can use.
You say you’re up to your neck in portraits right now. As times change, are people still kind of old school about portraits or are they looking for something new, something more now than Olan Mills?
I think, at least with my clients, they’re really excited and hope that I can document their family, their beauty, what makes their family click in a way that other photographers maybe haven’t done with them. And I also typically am really relaxed. I try to just let the kids be kids. It’s my job to get the picture; it’s not their job to perform or do something for me, you know? But I am starting to shoot some video, too. I’ve done it at a couple of births for people and it’s not… I’m not really a videographer. I’m calling them art trailers – typically it doesn’t have a whole lot of natural sound, either. People are liking that a lot, too. I think that’s looking into the future.
And then you have CrOp?
002 is featuring David Peck for CrOp. David… this past year, I’ve been to Uganda twice. David is a fashion designer and he saw some of my pictures from my first trip and had them printed digitally on fabrics and he did a collection for Houston Fashion Week. There’s talk that we’re going to show in New York in February. That scares me when I say that because we started to work on a second collection but we don’t have fabrics printed yet. We’re still toying with the idea, but part of the Uganda stuff, the money goes back to charity, and we did Living Water International and David’s considering… it’s his company, CrOp is, but he’s considering making Living Water International like a continuing theme. I don’t know if you’ve heard many water statistics, but something like 90% of the world’s hospital beds are filled with water-related diseases, and I think a child dies from a lack of clean water every 15 seconds. I think this next collection, the photos I think will be based more locally, dealing with objects found in water and keeping the water around Houston clean. I don’t know exactly what he’s going to use yet, but I’m sure that will be taking up quite a bit of my time in the coming year.
www.casadecamera.com
www.cropbydavidpeck.com

jaime-_-IMG_0468

Tackling multiple genres as a photographer – weddings, portraits, landscapes, kitchens – do you draw common lines across them?

Well, my background is my Masters in photojournalism and I think I got really lucky that I had amazing professors that did all different kinds of things. And they had heavy photojournalism backgrounds, and so I think they just kind of taught me a passion for photographing life. And I think that can come in different types of situations, anywhere from a kitchen in a restaurant, getting to know the chef and the cooks and all of that stuff, or if it’s a family or a newborn – it sort of applies.

You feel like it gives people a chance to see things they otherwise wouldn’t?

Oh, definitely. It helps me from putting my experiences of what I see. I definitely stay true to the journalistic background, but I know that my experiences help influence the way that I see things, and I hope that makes my pictures different.

Is it your background that brought you to document the culture of kitchens?

You know, it’s not at all my background. My dad grew up on a farm but when he first came to Houston he helped run a restaurant, a family business. I never was around any of that, but I’ve heard stories of crazy kitchens and feeding mass amounts of people, so I think that did have an impact on it.

jaime-IMG_1258

So how do you talk your way in?

Well, a lot of times they approach me; they want pictures and they want them different. Not every time can a kitchen can stop and cook for a review or for a story, but they want to have pictures that they can use.

You say you’re up to your neck in portraits right now. As times change, are people still kind of old school about portraits or are they looking for something new, something more now than Olan Mills?

I think, at least with my clients, they’re really excited and hope that I can document their family, their beauty, what makes their family click in a way that other photographers maybe haven’t done with them. And I also typically am really relaxed. I try to just let the kids be kids. It’s my job to get the picture; it’s not their job to perform or do something for me, you know? But I am starting to shoot some video, too. I’ve done it at a couple of births for people and it’s not… I’m not really a videographer. I’m calling them art trailers – typically it doesn’t have a whole lot of natural sound, either. People are liking that a lot, too. I think that’s looking into the future.

And then you have CrOp?

002 is featuring David Peck for CrOp. David… this past year, I’ve been to Uganda twice. David is a fashion designer and he saw some of my pictures from my first trip and had them printed digitally on fabrics and he did a collection for Houston Fashion Week. There’s talk that we’re going to show in New York in February. That scares me when I say that because we started to work on a second collection but we don’t have fabrics printed yet. We’re still toying with the idea, but part of the Uganda stuff, the money goes back to charity, and we did Living Water International and David’s considering… it’s his company, CrOp is, but he’s considering making Living Water International like a continuing theme. I don’t know if you’ve heard many water statistics, but something like 90% of the world’s hospital beds are filled with water-related diseases, and I think a child dies from a lack of clean water every 15 seconds. I think this next collection, the photos I think will be based more locally, dealing with objects found in water and keeping the water around Houston clean. I don’t know exactly what he’s going to use yet, but I’m sure that will be taking up quite a bit of my time in the coming year.

jaimeIMG_4337soft

www.casadecamera.com | www.cropbydavidpeck.com

Interview by Lance Scott Walker | Photography by Jaime Collier

Filed Under: For Art's Sake

FOR ART’S SAKE | december 2010

November 30, 2010

Coolidge

COOLIDGE | Chances have it you’ve seen the work of Coolidge on walls around town. That’s all there is to say about Coolidge in advance.

Do you look at your pieces as separate stories, separate perspectives, or are they all one greater piece of work?

A lot of the work is related. Animals, dinosaurs, you know, there are some common themes for sure. I’m not committed to any one theme or concept though. Occasionally I’ll decide to do something totally unrelated, a Johnny 5 or Frankenstein. I think I’ll do holiday-specific stuff as well for the people to be on the lookout for. I don’t get too super analytical about my stuff and no one else should either. If you’re having any deep and profound discussions about the meaning of a Coolidge stencil, well, you’re probably missing the point.

Coolidge

What is it about Houston that lends its surfaces so well to your work?

It’s sprawling, lots of concrete, lots of abandoned buildings. Oh, and a lot of traffic, which means more people will see your stuff. There are millions of spots in this city. I take a lot of time picking spots. I love when I can find an old wall with grass growing at the bottom. That way I can make the animal or creature look like its really fitting into the environment. Placement is key sometimes.

Coolidge

Do you think it would work in any other city?

Yeah. I mean, as long as there are walls and humans, I think it would pretty much work. Get rid of the walls or the humans though and it’s not gonna work.

Coolidge

Does street art reflect mainstream consciousness at all now, or are we getting too spread out as a society?

I wouldn’t say mainstream consciousness, no, although it has gained a lot of recognition over the past few years. I think there is a good group of people in this city who are really into street art, they know the artists, they follow new work and they really appreciate good stuff. Even so, I would bet that at least 90% of the population passes street art or graffiti every day without even giving it a thought. I was driving around with my dad the other day and we passed a few of my pieces and he didn’t notice a thing. I thought it was funny. And you know – that’s not a bad thing. I mean, let’s be real here: It would be a lot less cool if your parents were into it.

Oh, two Houston street art notes. David Elizondo recently put out a great book featuring several artists working in Houston. You can get a copy of “Stay Up: A Collection of Houston Street Art” at www.blurb.com. Alex Luster has also been working on a very cool documentary about Houston street art called “Stick ‘em Up” which should come out next year.

Coolidge

A lot of people might think the anonymity is just for the sake of not getting caught, but any street artist who vies to remain anonymous also has his or her own set of personal reasons. What are yours?

Oh, I love the alter-ego thing. I would totally be Iron Man but my soldering skills aren’t up to par. No, mainly I don’t want to be hassled by the cops or anybody else. I don’t know; I do this mainly for myself. Something to break up the monotony of life and add some fun and excitement. It’s separate from my normal life though, and I like to keep it that way.

Interview by Lance Scott Walker
Photography by David Elizondo

Filed Under: Arts + Entertainment, For Art's Sake

FOR ART’S SAKE | november 2010

October 30, 2010

CAI GUO-QUIANG | IGNITES FOR THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON | www.mfah.com

Fireworks and gasps from the audience inaugurated this addition to Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Acclaimed Chinese-born artist Cai Guo-Quiang ignited Odyssey, a monumental gunpowder drawing, at a live event October 6. The explosion was the culmination of three days of work sessions, open to the public. The result is a 42-panel work of art that will permanently line the walls of MFAH’s Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Arts of China Gallery.

This is different from my previous work in that it has to relate to spirit of Chinese art from all different time periods,” explained Cai through his interpreter two days before the ignition. The days leading to the main event were intense, with last-minute test explosions under the watchful eye of a fire marshal and impromptu requests for plants.

Cai Guo-Quiang

After seeing the traditional bronzeware, ceramics, painting and calligraphy that are to be exhibited in the gallery, Cai made some eleventh-hour alterations. Inspired by a series of 18th-century paintings, he added lotus flower and chrysanthemum cutouts to his decidedly modern stencil. He also requested fresh bamboo and vines from museum staff in order to add to the imagery that would be burned onto the final panels. “The whole gallery space becomes an art installation. The drawing has to relate to the objects,” he explained.

Speaking in his tricked-out trailer over a well-deserved bowl of pho soup, the soft-spoken artist came across as the polar opposite to his explosive work. “As a child, my personality was overly cautious, so I was trying to find a medium that would liberate me,” he said. As luck would have it, his hometown of Quanzhou, in Fujian Province, was a big producer of gunpowder and fireworks.

Cai’s gunpowder drawings have helped make him one of the most well-known and influential Chinese contemporary artists. In 2008, New York’s Guggenheim Museum presented “Cai Guo-Qiang: I Want to Believe,” a massive retrospective of his work, including white Chevys suspended from the ceiling depicting the different stages of a car being blown up.

His mastery of explosives culminated in his role that same year as Director of Visual and Special Effects for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.  “When you’re setting up for fireworks, the audience cannot see the process. It’s only during the nighttime that they can see the result. With this, they can see it from start to finish,” he said of the MFAH collaboration.

The ignition event, set in a custom-appointed Houston warehouse, was streamed live on culturemap.com and projected on walls at a viewing party at Saint Arnold Brewing Company, in addition to being observed by an estimated 2500 visitors.

Cai, who moved to New York City in 1995 with a grant from the New York-based Asian Cultural Council, an international organization that promotes artistic exchanges between Asian countries and the United States, has earned both praise and criticism for a body of work that includes sculptural installations as well as his signature gunpowder drawings.

In a moment that defined his career at the 1999 Venice Biennale, Cai caused quite a scandal in his native country with Rent Collection Courtyard, an installation for which he hired artisans to remake a classic Socialist Realist sculptural tableaux depicting the plight of the peasantry under the iron fist of China’s Communist regime. His ideology on the subject has been shifting and inconclusive and a source of discussion ever since.

Cai Guo-Quiang

In recent years, Cai’s tendency towards the spectacular has also gone mainstream. He collaborated with Issey Miyake for Dragon: Explosion on Issey Miyake in 2008, exploding his gunpowder onto a pleated garment used on a Paris runway. Prints of the fabric were subsequently mass-produced. That same year, he also teamed up with Gap’s Artist Editions T-Shirt limited edition collection. He was one of thirteen whom Gap called the “most influential contemporary artists.”

Using eleven pounds of gunpowder brought in from New Jersey in an unmarked car, about 140 people, including about 100 local volunteers, and spanning 10 by 162 feet, Odyssey is Cai’s largest gunpowder work to date. Odyssey is part of The Portal Project, where contemporary artists are invited to create a permanent site-specific installation for each of MFAH’s Asian Art galleries. It is on view now.

Cai Guo-QuiangCai Guo-QuiangCai Guo-QuiangCai Guo-QuiangCai Guo-Quiang

Interview by Nadia Michel
Photography by Gabriela Nissen

Filed Under: Arts + Entertainment, For Art's Sake

FOR ART’S SAKE | october 2010

September 27, 2010

Black NIKEchicken, 2010, Gouache on paper, 17" x 14"Luxury chicks

In town to promote If Nothing Else Matters at Peel Gallery, artist Libby Black dishes on how she fulfills her not-so-uncommon cravings for designer everything.

Why the obsession with high-end designers? Are we all becoming obsessed with swanky labels?
I am interested in these high-end labels because of what they represent for people and how you fit in more if you have these things. I think a lot of people are obsessed with labels.
About the Goyard violin case and roller skates (which you constructed out of papers), is there a reason you associated this brand – known for its bags and luggage – with those particular objects?
Sometimes I will make an object and think about what high-end brand it should be. Goyard should make skates and a violin.
Your objects appear to be real from a distance, even if implausible. Only upon closer inspection does the illusion begin to fall apart. How do you explain our continuing naivete when it comes to buying into brand marketing?
If you look good, you are good. If you have this item, you will feel better. I first started making some things that I really wanted, like a Louis Vuitton purse. When I was done making it, it filled my desire.
How did you come up with the Belgium Bantam in Chanel, part of a series of gouache on paper featuring fancy chickens and birds in designer bags? Are you implying people are just ornamented animals?
The chicken pieces are about this new trend to have a chicken. Even if you’re rich and not really a farmer, it’s the new thing to have chickens in your backyard.
Are you concerned LVMH – the group that owns many of these labels – will steal some of your ideas? Perhaps you should consider copywriting your concepts (he-he).
Louis Vuitton is upset with me. They want me to stop putting their logo on my work. They asked me to sign something saying I would not make or sell my Louis Vuitton pieces again. I said I would not sign anything!
But how do you really feel about luxury brands? Do you have any designer items in your closet?
I love nice things. Who doesn’t? Yes, I own a few things. I feel both ways about this stuff. I love it. I am seduced by it. However, I don’t like people who think they are better because they own this stuff. They are not. They might just look better.
How does it feel to acquire a designer bag?
Very good. And then it wears off. And I am sure it wears off sooner for some people.
You were inspired by 1960’s lesbian sex novellas in some of your gouache illustrations, like That Kind of Girl. How do these fit into this group of work? Do you think with good marketing, we could all be persuaded to be gay or lesbian?
I made these lesbian book covers because they were funny to me. It’s the same theme as the designer stuff, about stereotyping and being judged based on appearances. People are always being labeled: Rich people, Poor people, Political people and Gay people. These illustrations fit in well with the other work. They are about surface and distraction. And plus, I am gay so when I found the original Libby piece, it seemed so right.
Regarding your mock Vogue illustrations, like Vogue 1940, what’s that all about?
It’s about looking back on fashion to see what was happening then. It’s also about how fashion trends are repeated over and over.
What’s the best part about making art for a living?
The best part about being an artist is finishing something and feeling good about it. That is the “thing” that no one can touch, the feeling of having created something. It’s like a little high.
What kind of interesting feedback have you gotten in response to your work?
Some people laugh and I think some people just don’t get it. It doesn’t seem that hard to get. You can enter the work from a lot of different angles.

Why the obsession with high-end designers? Are we all becoming obsessed with swanky labels?

I am interested in these high-end labels because of what they represent for people and how you fit in more if you have these things. I think a lot of people are obsessed with labels.

About the Goyard violin case and roller skates (which you constructed out of papers), is there a reason you associated this brand – known for its bags and luggage – with those particular objects?

Sometimes I will make an object and think about what high-end brand it should be. Goyard should make skates and a violin.

Your objects appear to be real from a distance, even if implausible. Only upon closer inspection does the illusion begin to fall apart. How do you explain our continuing naivete when it comes to buying into brand marketing?

If you look good, you are good. If you have this item, you will feel better. I first started making some things that I really wanted, like a Louis Vuitton purse. When I was done making it, it filled my desire.

How did you come up with the Belgium Bantam in Chanel, part of a series of gouache on paper featuring fancy chickens and birds in designer bags? Are you implying people are just ornamented animals?

The chicken pieces are about this new trend to have a chicken. Even if you’re rich and not really a farmer, it’s the new thing to have chickens in your backyard.

Are you concerned LVMH – the group that owns many of these labels – will steal some of your ideas? Perhaps you should consider copywriting your concepts (he-he).

Louis Vuitton is upset with me. They want me to stop putting their logo on my work. They asked me to sign something saying I would not make or sell my Louis Vuitton pieces again. I said I would not sign anything!

libby blackBut how do you really feel about luxury brands? Do you have any designer items in your closet?

I love nice things. Who doesn’t? Yes, I own a few things. I feel both ways about this stuff. I love it. I am seduced by it. However, I don’t like people who think they are better because they own this stuff. They are not. They might just look better.

How does it feel to acquire a designer bag?

Very good. And then it wears off. And I am sure it wears off sooner for some people.

You were inspired by 1960’s lesbian sex novellas in some of your gouache illustrations, like That Kind of Girl. How do these fit into this group of work? Do you think with good marketing, we could all be persuaded to be gay or lesbian?

I made these lesbian book covers because they were funny to me. It’s the same theme as the designer stuff, about stereotyping and being judged based on appearances. People are always being labeled: Rich people, Poor people, Political people and Gay people. These illustrations fit in well with the other work. They are about surface and distraction. And plus, I am gay so when I found the original Libby piece, it seemed so right.

Regarding your mock Vogue illustrations, like Vogue 1940, what’s that all about?

It’s about looking back on fashion to see what was happening then. It’s also about how fashion trends are repeated over and over.

What’s the best part about making art for a living?

The best part about being an artist is finishing something and feeling good about it. That is the “thing” that no one can touch, the feeling of having created something. It’s like a little high.

What kind of interesting feedback have you gotten in response to your work?

Some people laugh and I think some people just don’t get it. It doesn’t seem that hard to get. You can enter the work from a lot of different angles.

Libby Black If Nothing Else Matters runs through October 23, at Peel Gallery, 4411 Montrose Blvd., Ste. 400, Houston, TX  77006 | www.peelgallery.org

Filed Under: For Art's Sake

FOR ART’S SAKE | september 2010

August 30, 2010

ART PALACE
Where Art of the Young, Gifted and  Talented-Many Speaks | Be Blown Away

ouston’s art scene is uniquely accessible – you can view art in world-class museums and galleries and even on public sidewalks during many acclaimed street festivals throughout the year. Yet, in the heart of Houston’s burgeoning Midtown District at 3913 Main Street lies Art Palace – a posh, upscale art gallery located just minutes from the city’s Museum District – that is committed to promoting emerging, creative talent in and around Central Texas. One step into the 2,000sf viewing space substantiates the founder’s vision and desire to benchmark Art Palace as the premier site for showcasing incredibly unique, yet often complicated works of the young and gifted prior to their acclamation at the international level. Initially founded by Arturo Palacios (Art Palace, Owner/Director) in the state’s capital in 2005, Arturo intuitively meshed Austin’s heritage and culture with his ingenuity, willingness and passion to celebrate budding artists of our time, while feeding the city’s creative conscience through intriguing, impressive art exhibitions.
Deeply rooted in Texas culture, this Richmond, Texas native and Studio Art graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown grasped the wonder of blending influential tradition with urban, contemporary lifestyles, while remaining sensitive to the development needs of a roster of Texas artists. Never straying far from Austin’s motto, “Keep Austin Weird,” Art Palace garnered regional and national attention from Art in America, Art News, New York Times and Artnet.com – to name a few.
Per Arturo, “I’ve always known that I would be involved in art, professionally, so it was important to me to acquire as much industry knowledge as possible. After college, I purposefully worked in art galleries for about seven years to not only gain experience, but to submerge myself into a lifestyle of collective creativity with others who also shared my vision and ideas.” Yearning to insightfully impact the city’s art scene, Arturo along with a group of acquaintances launched the Texas Biennial in the spring 2005, a statewide, juried art competition featuring visually stimulating, mixed media artwork by Texas-based artists. Art Palace was born that same year for art enthusiasts and novice art collectors to enjoy such highly regarded artists as Elaine Bradford, Eric Zimmerman, Nathan Green and Ali Fitzgerald.
Yet, the art scene reached a ceiling of growth in Austin – well, in Arturo’s mind anyway. “I had lived and worked in Austin since ’97, collaborating with a network of art professionals; it was a great place for me and an array of local, young artists to thrive. Yet, in time, it became immensely difficult for such artists to gain exposure outside of the city.” So, in an effort to better serve its artists and growing audience, Art Palace relocated to Houston in January 2010, bringing the energy, passion and edgy mixed media it cultivated in Austin to audiences in Houston and beyond.
During the hot summer days of this past July and August, art fans wowed in the exhibition of 30-year-old, complex Seth Alverson. His most recent body of work combines haunting, dark imagery with memory to heighten self-reflexive paintings, while fusing rationality in futility to give meaning to everyday existence. Be further blown away by the next scheduled, solo exhibition from September 10 – October 23 featuring Peat Duggins’ latest sculptures, drawings and video pieces, including an artist reception on September 10 from 6-8pm, as well as an artist discussion at 2pm on September 11.

Houston’s art scene is uniquely accessible – you can view art in world-class museums and galleries and even on public sidewalks during many acclaimed street festivals throughout the year. Yet, in the heart of Houston’s burgeoning Midtown District at 3913 Main Street lies Art Palace – a posh, upscale art gallery located just minutes from the city’s Museum District – that is committed to promoting emerging, creative talent in and around Central Texas. One step into the 2,000sf viewing space substantiates the founder’s vision and desire to benchmark Art Palace as the premier site for showcasing incredibly unique, yet often complicated works of the young and gifted prior to their acclamation at the international level. Initially founded by Arturo Palacios (Art Palace, Owner/Director) in the state’s capital in 2005, Arturo intuitively meshed Austin’s heritage and culture with his ingenuity, willingness and passion to celebrate budding artists of our time, while feeding the city’s creative conscience through intriguing, impressive art exhibitions.

Deeply rooted in Texas culture, this Richmond, Texas native and Studio Art graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown grasped the wonder of blending influential tradition with urban, contemporary lifestyles, while remaining sensitive to the development needs of a roster of Texas artists. Never straying far from Austin’s motto, “Keep Austin Weird,” Art Palace garnered regional and national attention from Art in America, Art News, New York Times and Artnet.com – to name a few.

Per Arturo, “I’ve always known that I would be involved in art, professionally, so it was important to me to acquire as much industry knowledge as possible. After college, I purposefully worked in art galleries for about seven years to not only gain experience, but to submerge myself into a lifestyle of collective creativity with others who also shared my vision and ideas.” Yearning to insightfully impact the city’s art scene, Arturo along with a group of acquaintances launched the Texas Biennial in the spring 2005, a statewide, juried art competition featuring visually stimulating, mixed media artwork by Texas-based artists. Art Palace was born that same year for art enthusiasts and novice art collectors to enjoy such highly regarded artists as Elaine Bradford, Eric Zimmerman, Nathan Green and Ali Fitzgerald.

Yet, the art scene reached a ceiling of growth in Austin – well, in Arturo’s mind anyway. “I had lived and worked in Austin since ’97, collaborating with a network of art professionals; it was a great place for me and an array of local, young artists to thrive. Yet, in time, it became immensely difficult for such artists to gain exposure outside of the city.” So, in an effort to better serve its artists and growing audience, Art Palace relocated to Houston in January 2010, bringing the energy, passion and edgy mixed media it cultivated in Austin to audiences in Houston and beyond.

During the hot summer days of this past July and August, art fans wowed in the exhibition of 30-year-old, complex Seth Alverson. His most recent body of work combines haunting, dark imagery with memory to heighten self-reflexive paintings, while fusing rationality in futility to give meaning to everyday existence. Be further blown away by the next scheduled, solo exhibition from September 10 – October 23 featuring Peat Duggins’ latest sculptures, drawings and video pieces, including an artist reception on September 10 from 6-8pm, as well as an artist discussion at 2pm on September 11.

ARTURO PALACIOS, OWNER/DIRECTOR ● 281.501.2964ARTURO@ARTPALACEGALLERY.COM | WWW.ARTPALACEGALLERY.COM

By Susan M. Bynam | Photography by Anthony Rathbun

Filed Under: For Art's Sake

FOR ART’S SAKE | august 2010

July 29, 2010

WILLIAM PERKINS | OF LLEJU PRODUCTIONS

After making his millions in energy trading in the Bayou City, Bill Perkins decided to invest in film. Two years later, Lleju Productions is in full swing, with a number of projects under their belt and several on the way just this year.

What was it that made you think you could make a film production and distribution company work in Houston?

Stupidity? I would say… serendipity? Well, I kind of stumbled into it, piece by piece. There was a guy called Michael Manshel who made a movie for a million dollars called “Better Luck Tomorrow” that’s distributed by MTV Films. I saw it and I was like ‘wow, that looks like fun – I could lose a million dollars; lemme try it.’ So obviously, we got into making movies and you know you want to explore your artistic and creative side and the business side is always kind of tagging along. Like how can I make this better? How can I do this in-house? And it just kind of grew. So it was an attempt at trying something different and just be creative, and then realizing ‘well, why do I have to do this?’ And with the internet, with the ability to post videos online and communicate with the edit room and reduce the amount of time it takes I felt like we’d be okay in Houston.

Did you have concerns about the phonetics of the name being so close to Yahoo?

Yeah, but we were so irreverent and capricious about it; we take what we do seriously, but we don’t take ourselves seriously, so we were like ‘we’re a bunch of ya-hoos and we’ll keep it that way.’ We’ll just keep it that way. We’re not Garden Rock or Summit or whatever, a big name. We just thought it would be fun. We’re mostly trying to enjoy what we’re doing and create what I call a sustainable hobby. Flat, negative 5% to plus 5% would be great for us, but I made my money doing something and I’m trying to transfer my money in order to learn a different skill set. So we’re just trying to be sustainable. We’re not trying to hit a home run.

Are you acquiring rights project-by-project or are you sort of building up a library of titles from which to choose?

It’s a project-by-project basis, but when I go to these people to inquire about these rights, they want to know what I’m gonna do with their project. There’s a lot of emotional attachment in these things that people create, so I want to make sure that I’m totally transparent with them that I’m going to give it the old college try in getting people to view their work. Now we’re on a project-by-project basis, and when we feel like we’ve got enough action in the distribution market and we’ve got enough relationships with people that we can actually get the products out to people, we’ll start doing more wholesale stuff. But right now it’s project-by-project.

How involved do you get with the projects? Is there any say in what actors are used, what ends up on the soundtrack?

When I first started, I was just kind of the jackass with the money, the equity. And everybody’s nice to you on the set, but the more I got involved, the more I learned. I’m not doing this to get rich, I’m doing this to be involved. So now we’re in the stage where if we’re financing, I’m putting together the pieces and I have say and I’m very involved in a collaborative way. A final say type of way. Some people will call me and they’re like ‘I have a project,’ and I’ll say, ‘Listen: I’m not investing in bakeries. I like baking cakes. So don’t confuse my desire to bake cakes with my desire to invest in a bakery.’ And they get it! They’re like ‘okay, you want to make the cupcake, you want to mix the dough…’ I’m not in this necessarily to be profitable, support my life, send my kids to college. I’m doing this for other reasons, but even though I’m doing this for other reasons, don’t confuse that with me wanting to lose just a whole bunch of money. I want to be smart about it.

What’s the most surprising hat you’ve had to put on through these last two years?

Babysitter? Babysitter/negotiator. That’s the most surprising thing, is that you’re on the set and you know the director and you know the people. There’re all kinds of personalities and opinions, hierarchies and egos… I had to go from my normal trader role of ‘I don’t give a damn…’ to bringing people together. I was surprised that I’ve had to do it, and surprised that I had it.

The Zero is what you have in production next, then?

Yeah, we just got the second draft of the script, and we’re looking to start attaching the elements, putting the elements together. Actually the two are kind of neck and neck – that and The Four Kings of Ruin, directed by Chad St. John.

Do you have plans in the future to bring any production to Houston?

I would love to, except for the cost. I do have plans, and I have been actively, actively looking for a micro budget script, which would be a sub-million dollar movie. When you’re shooting sub-million, the transportation factor outweighs any benefits that any states would offer, even if you’re on a small budget. So I would love to, but the 50 states are extremely competitive with the rebates they give for the crew and filming in their state. But there’s talent here! Houston has more theater seats than New York City, and we’ve got a lot of talent here and we have a lot of local actors, what they call ‘day players,’ that would come in and pick up some buzz. Houston would be a great place for the film industry to flourish. Much the way Austin has a kind of film industry going on there with the festival. It’s just hard for an independent to cut away 30% of their budget.

So someone needs to write a script set in Houston.

I just haven’t found one that I like yet, but it would be excellent in Houston. We have the talent here. It would be awesome.

Interview by Lance Scott Walker

Photography by Cody Bess

Filed Under: For Art's Sake
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