Michael Wynne studio visit - April 27.

Spent a couple of hours visiting Michael Wynne's studio on the way back from Houston on Saturday. 

Found this nice little gem in a stack of small paintings, Coke #1, 2008 

 

Also, got a chance to see Michael's new 11 foot long "White" painting that is at or near completion.

PACK A WALLOP

at Webb Gallery opens today featuring

Mark Todd, Fred Stonehouse, and Thynon Sykes

 

 

Mark Todd, from Webb Gallery site:
Like many kids raised in the 70's, Mark was influenced at an early age by Star Wars and comic books. Unlike many kids, he grew up just a few miles from the Vegas strip, it's neon and glitz looming over the city. He graduated with honors from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California and currently lives and works in the Los Angeles area with his wife, artist Esther Pearl Watson, their daughter Lili and Mr. Pickles, a lovely French Bulldog. He is well known as a teacher, a kickass zine maker, a painter, a illustrator, and all around great guy!!!

 

Mark Todd: Invaders, acrylic on wood, 24x36 and Strange Space, acrylic on wood, 40x60 

Mark Todd: Ghosts, acrylic on wood, 18x12

Mark Todd's work in the main gallery space

Fred Stonehouse.  Has exhibited extensively and ...is a professor of art at Univ of Wisconsin.  He will be in attendance for the opening and spend some time haunting all of the great antique shops and fleas of the area. (Webb Gallery)

Fred Stonehouse works

Mr. Thynon Sykes is 97. He has done just about every occupation including cook and race car driver. These days due to age and health he can't move about and do like he used to; so he started doing drawings to fill his time.  He makes no claims to them being art, but snickers and shines with joy when looking and talking about them.  (Webb Gallery)

Thynon Sykes installation

 

Pack a Wallop

Webb Gallery

209 W. Franklin Street

Waxahachie, TX

April 28 - July 13
opening celebration Sunday, April 28th 4-7pm
with all of the artists and music
by Quintron & Miss Pussycat

 

Houston in a nutshell

Houston in a nutshell.

I like Houston.

I actually like Houston a lot!

 

Here is a typical trip to Houston to see "art".

 

 

• #1 stop at Bill Davenport's "Bill's Junk" in the Heights.  Always a priority when I go to Houston.  

Bill Davenport!

 

• #2 stop the CAM so I could photograph "The Andy Monument" by Rob Pruitt.  Also stepped in to see the Joan Jonas and the Gina Pane exhibition.  Oh my god - Gina Pane and her work had me cringing...
• #3 stop - Wade Wilson Gallery.  A nice selection of Dental office waiting room art.
• #4 stop - Marcelyn McNeil "Lemonworld" at Anya Tish Gallery.  Still undecided.
• #5 stop - Paul Fleming at the most unfriendly gallery in Texas Barbara Davis Gallery followed closely by Holly Johnson Gallery in Dallas.  I should have skipped this one.  I will never step inside this place again.

Robert Ruello

• #6 stop at one of my favorite galleries, Inman Gallery.  You can't go wrong here.  Robert Ruello was a pleasant surprise and the first time to see Jim Richard's work in person.  Not disappointed.





Jim Richard's work at Inman 

• #7 stop  was David Shelton Gallery to see  "Style as Substance" exhibiton.  It was soso...This gallery gave us the cold shoulder - somewhat surprising and disappointing.
• #8 stop Art Palace to see Alissa Blumenthal - a small retrospective.  This gallery always has interesting work to see.
• #9 stop - Devin Borden Gallery, we didn't even bother ringing the bell.

• #10 stop - Hiram Butler Gallery, my first visit and it was a treat.  Mark Fox and Tony Feher in the gallery with Joe Havel in the sculpture garden.

 Tony Feher at Hiram Butler



• #11 stop - A long time favorite gallery of mine - Betty Moody, the friendlist gallery in Texas representing important artists.  Helen Altman (wall) and Lisa Ludwig (table) in the back gallery. 
• #12 stop - d.m.allison gallery to a disappointing exhibition.  The gallery is trying too hard...on many fronts.

• #13 stop - McClain Gallery...Eric Fischel - do people buy that stuff? Come on really?? There was a nice group show in the back gallery called "Flowers".

• #14 the final stop of the day - The Menil to see the Forrest Bess exhibition.  The reason for the trip.  Look up Forrest Bess' work you will want to see this exhibition.  Knowing the small number of works Bess completed in his lifetime - this may be the last opportunity to see a large number of his work for a long long time. 

This trip proved to me that the best art coming out of Texas right now is from North Texas.  But I will try again in the fall.

Joel Kiser at 500X

Power Station

 

Fallas Dart Air at Mama's BBQ in Deep Ellum

Stopped by Mama's BBQ on April 13th (Dallas Art Fair Weekend) to visit art booths setup by galleries, artists, art publications, etc... 

 

Randall Garret and Daniel Kurt at Plush Gallery table. 

Jesse Morgan Barnett and Ludwig Schwartz at Dick Higgins table. 

Bill Davenport (left), in town to cover the Dallas Art Fair and other events for Glasstire, visiting the Dick Higgins table.

Margaret Meehan Studio visits

A wonderful opportunity to chat with and visit Margaret Meehan's studio at the Shamrock Hotel Studios on April 13th and 21st.

Lily Hanson studio visit

Visited Lily Hanson's studio during the Shamrock Hotel Studio's "Mystry AchievementAchievement" on April 13.

 

John Wilcox

Catheral

Trying, 1996, oil on canvas, 46 x 46 inches

LtoR: Catheral, Trying, Blacks

LtoR: Blacks, Cotton Bowl

 

LtoR: Paradise, Blacks, Lost

Please visit this website dedicated to John Wilcox.  This website is sponsored by The Ioannes* Project. The Project is dedicated to the art and legacy of John Wilcox, a Texas artist whose contemporary, minimalist style was unique and powerful in its depth and simplicity. Wilcox worked primarily with canvases but also produced innumerable works on paper and multimedia. In the wake of his death in June 2012, efforts were begun to catalogue and photograph Wilcox’s rich legacy of work as well as create opportunities for others to see and experience his art. This website is one venue for realizing those efforts. Another is the creation of a space in Dallas, Texas where rotating exhibits of Wilcox’s work will be installed in 2013 and 2014. Each installation will have a special curator. The first installation will be curated by Barry Whistler who represented Wilcox’s work for decades and is the owner of Barry Whistler Gallery in Dallas. The second installation will be curated by Richard Brettell, Margaret McDermott Distinguished Chair of Art and Aesthetic Studies and Co-Director for the Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Museums at The University of Texas at Dallas. The third installation will be curated by noted fellow Texas artist and friend of Wilcox, James Magee.

Future efforts are being planned including a published work on Wilcox’s art.  As projects evolve and the digital archive develops materials and information will be posted on this website.

*Ioannes (pronounced: ee-o-an´-nace) is the ancient Greek for John and is derived from the ancient Hebrew, J^əhôħānān ,which means God is gracious.

James Sullivan / Remains

Saw James Sullivan's exhibition / installation at Conduit Gallery yesterday.  The work is nicely installed in one of the large spaces. 

 

 

I really enoyed this small work on paper.


James Sullivan
Remains
Conduit Gallery

Life or Death

Michael Bise at The MAC.  I saw this exhibition yesterday - go see this exhibition.  There has been much written about Bise and his life, most of it documented in his work.  If you want to learn more about this artist and his work check the following links:

Michael Bise: Life and Death

Michael Bise: Life on the List, chapter 2

Michael Bise: Life on the List, chapter 3

Michael Bise has a new heart

End of the World, 2009, graphite on paper, 42 3/4 x 42 1/2

Superman, 2007, graphite on paper, 35 x 32 1/2

untitled, 2007, graphite on paper, 27 1/4 x 42

 

Revival, 2009, graphite on paper, 41 1/2 x 84 1/4

Uncle Corky, 2011, graphite on paper, 36 x 64

 

 

Michael Bise will discuss the works in this exhibition, Life and Death on April 10th at 6pm. Michael is known for creating large scale graphite drawings based on personal experiences. 

The exhibition is on display at The McKinney Avenue Contemporary (The MAC) until 5/11/13.