Best of 2012 - Group Exhibitions

Best Group Exhibitions
I saw over 200 exhibitions in 2012 (probably more than the art critic at the Dallas Morning News.  At least I visit more places than PDNB and Goss Michael)  with my primary focus on Texas based artists as it has been since 1990.  I saw every single exhibition at the DMA, Nasher, Barry Whistler and Plush. Almost every exhibition at Oliver Francis, Conduit, Dallas Contemporary, The MAC, Webb Gallery and Goss Michael.&n bsp; Sprinkled in were a couple of visits to Inman, Art Car Museum, Moody, CAM - Houston, The Menil, Old Jail Art Center, William Campbell, Ft. Worth Contemporary Arts, Kirk Hopper, Public Trust, 500X, UTD, El Centro, Brookhaven, Holly Johnson, Marty Walker, Red Arrow, MFA, Amon Carter, Irving Arts Center, Longview Museum of Fine Arts, and Modern Art Museum of Ft. Worth.

The first 2 entries go to the Dallas Museum of Art for 2 great group exhibitions that also included Texas based artists such as Brad Tucker, Stephen Lapthisophon, Cynthia Linn, Francis Bagley, Allison V. Smith, Linda Ridgway, Brooke Stroud, Toni La Salle, Annette Lawrence, Susie Rosmarin.

1. Difference? at the Dallas Museum of Art

 

 

2. Variations on Theme: Contemporary Art 1950's to Present at the Dallas Museum of Art

 

3. where is the power curated by Teri Thorton at Ft. Worth Contemporary Arts

 

 

 

4. Sculpture in so many words at the Nasher Sculpture Center

 

 

 

5.  Sonic Architectonic at UTD

 6. Dick Higgins Gallery inside Oliver Francis Gallery

7. Snafu at Oliver Francis Gallery

8. under the table curated by Margret Meehan at Ft. Worth Contemporary Arts

 

9. It Is What It Is, or Is It?" at the CAM

Rachel Hecker, from CAM website

Best of 2012 - individual works of art

Best Works of Art from 2012
My 2nd installment of the Best of...I did not include anything I added to my collection, however I would love to have everyone of them.  I primarily stuck with Texas artists.  Of course the order could change depending on how I feel at any given time.   What do I know.  

 1. The Circled Square, by Margaret Meehan, cast aluminum, vintage glitter glass, glue, glue stick at Conduit Gallery. 

 

2. a page from a sketchbook (about 70 works) by Michael Wynne that I first saw during the year.  He is not 1st because he would not let it go.   

 

3. this work on paper by Stephen Lapthisophon at his studio

 

 

4. Wolf with Red Eyes by Zoe Leonard at the Dallas Museum of Art

 
 

5. Parisian Woman, by Akio Takamori, porcelain figure with underglazes, framed archival pigmented ink print on hahnemuhle sugar cane paper. Part of a group show at Ft. Worth Contemporary Arts.

 

6. This painting by David Aylesworth entitled "Nightingale Without" at Inman Gallery

7. Francisco Moreno portrait, by Francisco Moreno at Oliver Francis Gallery 

8. Bagdad Bass Club installation by Brad Tucker at UTD.

9. These 2 works by Jeff Zilm at Oliver Francis Gallery

 

10. this piece "Twins" by Chris Powell

Best of 2012 - Individual Exhibitions

Everyone seems to be doing these best of lists, so here is mine.  And I didn't see everything.

First up


Best Individual Exhibitions

 fr. MAMFW website

1. Glen Ligon "America" at MAMFW

2. Margaret Meehan "Hystrionics and the Forgotten Arm" at Conduit Gallery

 

  

3. David Aylesworth at Inman Gallery

 4. Chris Powell "this is not a step" at Brookhaven College

 

5. C. J. Davis  "A New Kissed Out Red Float Boat" at Plush Gallery

fr. MAMFW website

6. Katie Paterson at MAMFW

7. Erwin Wurm "Beauty Business" at Dallas Contemporary

8. Jessie Morgan Barnett (Ward and Tour) at Marty Walker

9. Antonio Murado "Mantos" at Holly Johnson

10. Rob Pruitt at Dallas Contemporary

11. Jeff Zilm at Oliver Francis Gallery

under the table

                                               _____________

Drove over to Ft. Worth to see "under the table" at the Fort Worth Contemporay Arts curated by Margaret Meehan on the last day of the exhibition.  I knew that this was going to be a well thought out exhibition and it was.  I picked up a couple of brochures and just loved what Margaret said "I am an art snob and support artists based on their integrity and intelligence, not discipline".  I wish I had said that.  Anyway, if you saw this exhibition you probably enjoyed it as much as I did.  Thanks Margaret.

My overall favorite works were by Kristen Morgin.  Her seemingly collaged scraps of paper were actually hand made clay pieces she painted. 

Kristen Morgin, "Stickmanwerewolf Runs Away With Princessstormtrouper", 2012,

unfired clay, paint, ink, marker, wire, thumbtack, 10.5 x 9.5 x .5 

The most traditional work of art in this exhibition was my favorite.  I could be happy looking at this wonderful work every day.

Akio Takamori, "Parisian Woman", 2012, porcelain figure with underglazes, framed archival pigmented ink print on hahnemuhle sugar cane paper, 15 x 4 x 4.5, 36 x 23.5 

Thomas Müller "Vulture", 2010, clay, glaze, wood

Ben Brandt "Apoxyomenos II", 2012 , HD digital video

 Jeffry Mitchell "The Workmans", 2012, glazed earthenware, plywood

Loved this video!

Kate Gilmore "Buster", 2011, Video

Brad Tucker

Misty Network, 2000, acrylic on canvas

Thomas Mueller

A new website by LA artist Thomas Mueller that you may want to take a  little time to visit. 

 

 

Majestic, 2012, wood, unfired clay, porcelain, tomato, photo, plexi 

 golden boy, 2012, clay, glaze, unfired porcelain

LA Water, 2012, watercolor, LA river water on paper

LMFA

Drove out to Longview to visit with Andy Don Emmons and the LMFA.  The museum is located downtown in an old JC Penny department store.  The museum has a huge potential to become an important cultural destination in East Texas.  I left with the impression that the museum has lots of work to do before it can be taken as a serious museum.

Ed Blackburn, "Tares and Wheat", 1976 

Chase Yarbrough, Detente

DeForrest Judd, "Waterlily", 1964 

Robin Utterbeck, "Untitled #729", 1994

 

Jesse Amado, "One (MCMXCIII)", 1973 

 

I am 99.9% sure that the date is incorrect for the Jesse Amado's work.  I believe it is more likely from the 90's. 

 

Thanks to Andy Don Emmons for the tour of the museum, the vision, and what the future holds for this institution.  I am hopeful that this museum can become a destination for art lovers.

ofg

Now! That's What I Call Art Vol. 2 at Oliver Francis Gallery 1-4 Dec.  For the most part this was an overpriced exercise of mostly subpar work or maybe what I don't call Art.  My favorites and possibly the better works are listed here.

Jesse Morgan Barnett, SkatePark, 2012 and Stephen Lapthisophon, Bottle, 2010

Jeff Gibbons, Fruit in Clamp Series: Orange in Clamp, 2009-current

Michael Wynne, Go Karts, 2012 with the easily overlooked Jeff Zilm piece on the floor 

CJ Davis, X Cromos, 2012

 

 

Ver-i-si-mil-tude

Secret Fun (vol. i): Ver-i-si-mil-i-tude pop-up exhibition at the former site of Plush Gallery.  The exhibition included Randall Garrett, Daniel Kurt, Michael Wynne and a couple of others.

 

Installations by Randall Garrett (left) and Michael Wynne. 

Daniel Kurt's Studio Simulacrum 

Randall Garrett, detail of installation 

Michael Wynne, scrap (South) work on paper (collection of Wanda Dye)

Daniel Kurt, detail