DIY in GDL with TLC

ACNE, OPA, Ex Convento del Carmen Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico July 6- September 21 2007 I recently returned from a long-overdue respite from my education day job, and the stuffy climate (I am not referring to the weather) in these here United Sates and most specifically my lovely Austin, Texas. I ventured to the colonial architecture, kind spirits, and throbbing creature that is Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. I've traveled extensively through the proud nation of Mexico and no matter where I've been, be it, on the Pacific coast in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Monterrey or Mexico City, I've always been welcomed with warm open arms. I've explored the artistic avenues of a country that doesn't receive enough attention for it's creative culture. I've been in awe of the government sponsored creative endeavors of it's pulsing capitol but was genuinely sucker-punched by the do-it-yourself-by-the-bootstraps-seat-of-your-pants experience I had in Guadalajara. I encountered such a charming, welcoming and ALIVE art community there that I was quite tempted to leave the stuffiness of the states and settle in for good! I'm bound to get some flack for the characterization of the art communities in the United States that will be referenced in this writing, but I am merely acting as a mirror and I probably wouldn't even have noticed or felt the need to bring it up at all had I not had the experience of Guadalajara to make the comparison. But, I did and I do. In seven days of devouring a city I anticipated would devour me, I ate up countless artful moments and met so many hard working artists and gallerists that, THAT, in itself was a bit of a culture shock. You see, here in the states, the art community is a bit different. How? Well, of course I'm not saying that the Art scene here is lazy--Not at all. We all work just as hard at our creative endeavors, but it seems that no matter how much we put into it, getting our work shown, seen and sold isn't a piece of big fat American cake. How can that be in this land of opportunity in which we live? That's not the American way! Or is it? One thing that I found quite comforting and impressive was just how much everyone in the Art community in Guadalajara helps and supports each other. I didn't detect a hint of jealous resentment because someone opened up a new gallery or secured a position in a desirable group show. Everyone I met was genuinely happy for their counterparts. Mind you, I'm not saying that NO ONE is of the jealous nature and hordes information that might be beneficial to others, that would just be naive. There was just a pervading sense of community, connection and of being a part of a common struggle. Is this just an extension of the difference between the cold American handshake and the warm Mexican hug that greets you whenever you meet someone new or otherwise? I'll leave that for others to ponder. I just wanted to sit in bliss and encounter the art this nurturing environment has to offer. Some of the first artspaces I visited were Prana (a cafe/bar boasting a large professional gallery space upstairs) and ACNE (Arte Contemporaneo No Elegante) made up of three smallish gallery spaces and a large reception/party area with seating; both of which were established in converted homes. ACNE was started by a group of friends who throw huge Rock Art parties (a la Good/Bad Art Collective) that draw hundreds of people to dance to local DJ's spins, experience the creative endeavors of the invited artists and YES, buy art as well. The computer-drawn vinyl adhesive drawings of Memo Casillas at ACNE. Even some of the more established and better funded artspaces I visited were alive with so much positive energy and much less snobbery than most galleries I've been to in other cities. These people were artists because they have the drive to make art, not because it's a fashionable title to wear on a business card. I even befriended a few very talented and prolific makers-of-art who shied away from even calling themselves the "A" word. One of my favorite experiences in Guadalajara was at an OPA (Officinas para Proyectos de Arte) show. OPA is described on it's website as a "center for visual arts diffusion, documentation and production..." on the 23rd floor of a business building in middle of the city and offers up an unbeatable panoramic view of the city. One section of the floor has no roof and you are served your cocktail in the open air. View of Guadalajara from the 23rd floor where the OPA is located The view must have been at the forefront of the curator's mind when selecting Portuguese artist Pedro Caritas Reis' installation that was up at the time of my visit. Stacks of bricks wrapped in cord after cord of lights; wires tangled and piled all around, tempting to trip your every step. Caritas Reis' "La Ciudad de Adaptor" created a warm and inviting trap that lured the viewer into the knotted "streets" and led to the sporadic pop as people stepped on and shattered light bulbs while they teetered through the glow. Cabrita Reis' depiction of a sprawling city Another impressive show I was able to attend was at the Ex Convento del Carmen. The exhibition was entitled "El Espejo de la Memoria" and featured at least 20 artists whose work represented practically every art medium. Retrato 4, Oil on Wood by Leonardo Morales Painter Sandra Carvajal’s usual abstract style was represented on fabric by two mixed media works. I had an opportunity to get to know Carvajal when I was in Guadalajara and was quite impressed by her talent as well as her modesty and desire to help other artists' further their careers despite her busy schedule and blossoming artistic success. I also saw some portrait work of hers, which was good, but paled in comparison to what I saw at the Ex Convento del Carmen. Carvajal's abstract work brings it back to basics. Finally, Mercedes Bautista did some of my favorite work. Her mixed media dresses created through knitting and incorporated natural objects such as orange peels and leaves are both beautiful and vulnerable at once. They are creation and decay. Orange you glad this artist is so talented? Photograph of the foliage attire created by Mercedes Bautista I know that I will be returning to the beautiful city of Guadalajara, a place typically known for it's colonial period architecture and open plazas where friends and strangers crisscross paths on their way from point a) to point b). I took lots of photos of the beautiful buildings and people in the city, but it is the contemporary art community that beckons my return. For a city of almost 4 million, it: a) Has the heart of a small town in which everyone not only knows everyone else but they've got each other's back, as opposed to stabbing them in it. b) Is very laid back and things are taken in stride but with dedication and drive. Sounds a lot like how a certain Texas city used to be. But, even though it has an art community that truly is a COMMUNITY, where working hard (more times than not) DOES bring about success and not just because of who you know, I am here in Austin and hopefully can bring a bit of Guadalajara to my beloved city.•

the apeman went over the mountain...

No American Talent 3: The Common Deceit of Reality @ Okay Mountain Austin, TX April 21- May 26 2007 In this day and age in which there is so much uncertainty it's very reassuring to have some clarity about SOMETHING. At long last, clear undisputed proof of Bigfoot's existence and the return of humor to the world of installation art. In a time like no other, we live in a period of human history in which we have more doubts about what we perceive to be reality. What part of the news that we see on television is propaganda? What news channels are more reliable and less partisan? What is fact, fiction or myth? Were those photos of Britney Spears' sans panties real or doctored? Cairo based artist Basim Magdy's first solo Texas exhibition currently on view at Okay Mountain dips into this pool of uncertainty. His work makes a myth reality by tapping into our culture's doubts and wonderings. Is Bigfoot real? Did we really land on the moon? Was our government really unaware of the absence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? In fact, how good or bad ARE things in Iraq really? Magdy's show, which was curated by Regine Basha -- consulting curator for Arthouse, consists of two installations and a small collection of mixed media paintings/drawings and prints. close up of "In the Grave of Intergalactic Utopia" by Basim Magdy The first installation entitled "In The Grave of Intergalactic Utopia" greets you upon crossing the threshold of the fenced off yard which serves as the entrance to Okay Mountain. It consists of a large "chicken coop" or rabbit hut complete with over sized water bottle, cedar bedding lining the floor, trays for food and water as well as a monitor for the "pet" to watch. In this case, however, the pet is a human figure decked out in an astronaut's space suit. Has he/she been imprisoned like an astral John McCain by some alien species encountered on a mission? Is he/she being held in captivity by his/her own people? These questions are not answered by the piece. Whatever the circumstances to their capture and imprisonment, this astronaut is elevated to a higher level of heroic status. Even though all soldiers and astronauts are considered brave heroes, their status is further elevated, and rightly so, by death, and sacrifice. Does this piece reference the containment cells at Guantanamo Bay, the inhumane treatment at Abu Grab, or the mythological/ constructed story surrounding the death of soldier Pat Tillman? Again, those questions are never directly answered by this installation, but the fact that it does generate wonderings and multiple paths of possibility makes it that much more complex and successful. installation view of "Mud Pools and How We Got Ourselves to Look for Bigfoot Heaven" by Basim Magdy The second installation entitled "Mud Pools and How We Got Ourselves to Look for Bigfoot Heaven," envelops your eyes and nose as you enter the traditional gallery space at Okay Mountain. The floor is completely slathered again with cedar bedding just as the other installation is. This time however, the material has a different connotation, that of being earth beneath your feet, releasing it's moist stench with every step you take. The environment Magdy creates is of a serene wooded area complete with foliage, a stone cold campfire and camper at it's center. Two of the walls contain a continuous mythological tale of Bigfoot, his people and their demise. The complete text of this tale can be found here. The installation reads like a well preserved crime scene or archaeological dig; Bigfoot slumped over in his camper, his carded game of solitaire never to be completed. And, now that Bigfoot is dead and there is proof that he existed, the myth writing really begins. Who was he? What was he like? And most importantly, who gets custody of his Bahamian born baby? •

even a pervert like Allen Funt would smile!

SMILE FOREVER @ Art Palace Austin, TX March 31- April 28 2007 I have been a subconscious stalker of Michael Sieben’s work for some time now; a sleepwalking peeping tom who suddenly wakes in the bushes peering in the windows of Austin’s art spaces to gawk at his work. Damn that Ambien! This week i found myself in the bushes on the grounds of Art Palace for Sieben’s first solo exhibition entitled “Smile Forever.” I’ve always been drawn to his style of drawing/ painting in the same way children are drawn (excuse the pun) to their favorite cereal; the alluring characters on the boxes and that sugar fix. However, unlike cereal whose characters like Count Chocula and Frankenberry never really DID or amounted to anything, his characters have a deeper story and allure. They seem to have an inside joke or secret history with each other from panel to panel. Whereas the aforementioned monstrous sugar-dealers have very clean and static expressions Sieben’s monsters have wrinkles, zits and smiles of denial. This body of work is choc-full of his trademark creatures with their goofy grins in his kid-book-illustration style. These new pieces deal with the constant presence of cameras in our modern world as though each panel is a still frame from some video that is tucked away somewhere. Each feature on our own monstrous countenances frozen on a digital tape, every lie we fake, each dump we take, each smile we make. Video is unforgiving on many levels, but the most unforgiving aspect is it’s permanence. My favorite piece in “Smile Forever” is the oversized sculptural/installation that greets you from across the room as you enter the front door. The giant blue monster in his personally tailored brown plaid shirt just sits there with his dumb-as-shit grin as a cardboard surveillance camera records the boring minutia of his silent stillness. Even the drama of a recently severed arm is static and quiet in the space. Had I not been afraid of the APSF (Art Palace Security Force) cuffing me and hauling me away, I would have given him a comforting hug in all his blueness. I guess I’ll have to resign myself to just being that subconscious stalker in the bushes out of the surveillance cameras’ eye. •

Joey Fauerso at Women & Their Work

Wide Open Wide @ Women and their Work Austin, TX October 5- November 11 2006 Reposted from Cantanker.com from "Wide Open Wide" by Joey Fausero Of all of our technological advances, one of our most fascinating and downright metaphysical is our ability to capture moments of time like butterflies in a net; to pin them down and examine them in depth at a later date, as many times as we’d like. It’s sheer magic and science; an alchemy of time if you will. I remember when my family bought our first VCR and how amazing it was to capture images from television and watch them over and over and over. That one episode of Laverne and Shirley will forever be ingrained in my memory. Our alchemy may have begun with pigmented scrawling on the walls of caves, but became oil paintings and photographs, then motion pictures. The work of Joey Fauerso at Women & Their Work deftly interweaves painting and animated motion pictures to bring us a thought provoking installation that delves into the metaphysical in different ways and meshes the science with the spirit. Faureso’s Wide Open Wide takes the viewer on a ride from conception to release, creation to enlightenment from part to whole. As you enter the space you are confronted with Into the Blue a small watercolor on paper depicting a person standing on the edge of the cosmos. They are about to enter the gaping maw of the unknown. Later, you realize that you ARE that person upon entering this show. Progressing into the space, the story unfolds. It begins with Flock, another watercolor on paper whose title concisely describes its massing, flapping subject. The most arresting sight is two walls with what appear to be repetitive prints of a shirtless man. Upon closer inspection, they are actually individual paintings in oil and acrylic. Each one is sculpted with broad brushstrokes that still capture details and nuances in rich skin-tones. The figure, Tommy, slowly changes from frame to frame eventually opening his mouth in a scream and falling out of frame then returning and eventually walking off the page. Fauerso wisely mixes some of the frames to prevent predictability and too much of a “flip-book” feel to the walls. The part to whole, creation to enlightenment and conception to release is realized as you make your way around the room and see the video work that combines images from all the other pieces. It is the Wide Open Wide from which the show gets its title. The projected video begins with the familiar flock from early in the show that is doubled and tripled in a spiraling effect as they flap across the wall. As expected, our friend Tommy comes into the frame and smiles at the pieces of himself on the opposite walls. The video of the paintings captures what seems to be self-conscious shyness, perhaps at being shirtless or on display; those minute gestures and fleeting feelings captured in paint and then in video. The soundless scene culminates with Tommy opening his mouth to scream, revealing Open, varying embouchures of the cosmos or night sky in oval mouthed shapes. The cosmos expands from his mouth behind his head in a dark blue and starry halo. Then again, as in the wall-mounted paintings opposite the video, Tommy gets up and walks out of the frame leaving an empty chair to contemplate what has transpired. The importance of Fauerso’s work is that it not only catalogues the aforementioned path from creation to enlightenment and conception to release, capturing those moments in multiple mediums to watch again and again, but that it also brings into it the actual process of creating the work itself. It speaks of steps, both in the creation of the idea, paintings and installation as well as the steps on a path to finding a universe within. Pure alchemy. •

purty paintings and such

UGENICS @ Volitant Gallery Austin, TX September 30, 2006 This was my first visit to Volitant Gallery and as I approached the space, and noticed the red velvet ropes and "Hollywood Premier" look of the exterior, I do have to admit I was a bit horrified. I didn't know what to expect, but a big over the top fru-fru to-do is not my cup of tea.. I have to admit, having lived in Dallas for three years and having experienced more than my fair share of hollow superficial materialism, I have a bit of a bias against such things. The first thing I thought was, oh great, a pretentious new art space, full of stereotypical "Dallas" people. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised to find that what I percieved wasn't what I was getting... for the most part. The paparazzi was fake, the red carpet premiere; all a performance mockery of said stereotypes. The space itself on the other hand ... hmm... marble floors is just a bit much don't you think? Some of what I perceived to be Ritzy over-the-top (and over dressed) snobs, I later found out to be participants asked to dress like that so as to be Paris Hilton look-alikes. The red velvet ropes and fake paparazzi were very tongue in cheek, once I realized their intent, however, real, honest to god snootiness was not in short supply. Art openings can bring that type out of the mahogany wood work. But, what can you do? That being said, not everyone there was one of the elite drones completely unaware that they were being mocked on the walls. installation view of work by Terri Thomas Speaking of the walls, let me break downs what was exactly on them. Terri Thomas' work spanned in medium from digitally manipulated images, to large scale oil paintings, to video, to found object installations. Everything in the space delved into the theme of society's superficial obsession with its ideal of physical beauty. Plastic surgery, over examination of one's body and body image issues in general hung around the gallery like giant grotesque mirrors. Yes, there even were mirrors in the space. image by Terri Thomas She seems to have chosen the varried media to fit a different goal in each series. Be it the digital manipulations that transformed the artist's face into Barbie, Gwen Stefani or Angelina Jolie a la airbrushed magazine covers, or the deteriorating feel of the work in the smaller space in which Thomas used ground up water-based medium on oil. The perfect compliment to the later was the mini video piece which was a close up of maggots. Within the context of the whole show it was maybe the most beautiful if not disgusting piece in Volitant. still from"Inevitable" by Terri Thomas I was quite fond of the untitled found object installation of refurbished chairs and photos of said chairs. Thomas refers to the them in this show's literature as being "objects with an erased history" tying it into the show's theme. The artist's being a twin informs a large part of the body of work. The twin being a mirror, the over sexualized image of twins in our society is explored in many of the works as well. One of my favorite pieces in the show is titled "Monozygotic" and seems to heavily reference Frida Kahlo's "Las Dos Fridas", in which Kahlo discusses her own dichotomy; the duality of who she was at one point in life and who she was upon painting the double self-portrait. In "Monozygotic" Thomas and her twin's images are painted in negative as if in the process of becoming a full fledged photograph. The twins touch hands as they do in most of her paintings, but upon close inspection, the viewer notices that the twin on the right has "imperfections" that the twin on the left does not. detail of "Monozygotic" by Terri Thomas & "Las Dos Fridas" by Frida Kahlo In all, this was an intriguing show that explored our obviously beauty-obsessed culture, and had fun mocking a lot of those who buy into it, however, I'm not sure everyone there was aware that they were looking into their own mirror as they laughed at their own hideous hidden desires. •

video killed not only the radio star, but my appetite as well (for the most part)

@ Women and Their Work, Arthouse, & O.K. Mountain Austin, TX September 9, 2006 I have to admit, it very well may be my own damned fault. I over-inundated myself with too much of the same (but not exactly the same) at pretty much the same time. I attended three shows, count them THREE, featuring video as a medium. One at Women & Their Work, one at Arthouse and another at O.K. Mountain. It was kind of like having Thai food for breakfast, lunch AND dinner. And as much as I love Thai food.... Let me start off my saying that W&TW is probably my favorite Artspace in Austin. They consistently have well curated shows with very talented artists. That being said, their show about different ideas of marriage, didn't show me very much that I wasn't already expecting from the title. But, don't get me wrong, I enjoyed some of the work. The one piece that really spoke to me was "Conversations" by Marianela Vega Oroza in which she edited an audio recorded "letter," sent to her by her mother. The audio of her mother speaking about marriage and family, is interwoven with old family photos that Oroza received along with the audio tape. The artist also includes footage of herself as she has a dialogue with/ about her mother's recording. There are parallel's drawn between her own age and the age at which her mother was not only married, but giving birth to the artist herself. Vega seems to question her own life through her mother's eyes and as the video ends, we learn that her mother is leaving her father after all these years, and Vega is taking a photo of herself; the camera timer sounding very much like a biological clock. There were also memorable pieces such as "Marriage is for White People" by Cauleen Smith which was multi-split screen video representation a la Brady Bunch, in which different people espouse their views of precisely what the title says. Also of some interest is "Fifty Brides on a Fire Escape." Although it's title much like the title of the show itself gives it all away before you even see it. collage contains image from Daniel Bozhkov's "Darth Vader Tries to Clean the Black Sea With a Brita Filter." Next, I walked over to Arthouse and was able to catch a portion of artist Daniel Bozhkov's presentation to a packed house of attentive audience members. Even if I had not been able to do so, each installation in the show has more than adequate documentation on each offering, which are documentation in and of themselves. Bozhkov is all about research and process. Mind you, his work is much more interesting than that last statement sounds. In fact, I enjoyed his work so much, my whole Thai food analogy has to go out the window. Even though, in my opinion, the whole show is successful on many levels, there were two performance/ installations that stood out and elicited something in me..what was it... oh yeah, interest. One was a photo documentation of a performance he did entitled "Darth Vader tries to clean the Black Sea with Brita Filter." The photo, which is displayed in the front window of Arthouse, is of the Bulgarian artist himself dressed as the Star Wars villain attempting to do just that. The largest installation was entitled "Learn How to Fly Over a Very Large Larry." The Larry being a large crop circle formation in the shape of Larry King. Bozhkov says that the act of making the large Larry as well as the large Larry himself are but the pebble that caused the ripples that are actually the piece. And, the ripples are included in the space. There are paintings of individuals involved, as well as a specially made couch which depending upon where you sit, changes your perspective, literally. On one side you seem like a giant, on the other, an incredibly shinking...well you get the picture. As you sit on the couch, you watch multiple televisions displaying the aforementioned "ripples", i.e. Larry King himself discussing the crop circle, local news coverage, as well as footage of the making of it. The artist referred to the titles in the show as "wishes". There is a latent hopeful environmentalism in his work that doesn't grab you by the throat, but then again, if someone grabbed you by the throat would you be prone to really listening to/ taking on their views? Finally, I ended up at O.K. Mountain to wrap up the day. And low and behold, video art! Although, again I was over-saturated with video at this point, so I probably didn't give this show as much of a chance as I should have. I have been working on my personal art web site quite a bit lately, and in the process have been re-examining my older works, some of which are early attempts at video. It's been painful swallowing their clunky awkwardness and too, too serious nature. I've found myself probably unfairly, using those old pieces as comparison for what I saw at O.K. mountain (and not seeing too much difference.) Granted, the show was titled "Videoperformance", so I was also expecting a bit more live physical interaction by the artists with the video, so yet again, that could be my fault. By far, the most intriguing thing I saw was Laurel Nakadate's wall projected piece in which older men were in strangely "sexual" situations with her. I remember being so enthralled when I first encountered video art in college through the work of Nam June Paik . It was both his amazing manipulation of the sacred medium as well as his transformations of the monitors and sets themselves that captured my attention and would not let go. Somehow, I didn't feel that at O.K. I will have to go back when I've had a break from the tube. I'm just hoping that will be enough to keep me from grabbing the remote and switching it off again. Is it all me? Could be. Great, now I'm craving Thai. •