The only constant in life is change itself. With the change comes the fear of loss and longing for return and renewal. Mark Andres centers this theme for his current exhibition ‘Saudade” at Augen Gallery. One of my artist friends commented that Andres’ works have a strong mid-century feeling. Andres cites his teacher, Boston expressionist … Continue reading Two Standout Artists from Recent Portland Openings
In a news segment from the 1980s, Dan Rather refers to graffiti as something that is committed. As we know it, graffiti can be traced to 1960s Philadelphia, not so far from the Kutztown home of Keith Haring. He's perhaps the artist best known for it. Graffiti would soon be taken on by artists in … Continue reading Committed Art – Keith Haring at the Arlington Art Museum
The retrospective exhibition for Gary Jurysta at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art in Altoona spans over half a century. Upon arrival, I mistakenly took it for a group show, as no single theme dominates the 50 years of art making. What connects the works is an unwavering pursuit of abstraction. That underpinning dictates regardless … Continue reading Gary Jurysta at SAMA Altoona
Mary Tomas Gallery welcomes three previous Rising Stars from the Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts and shows their current work. Part of the proceeds will benefit the Turner House in Oak Cliff. Juan Cruz is still a student at the University of Texas at Dallas. His mono-prints in sequence describe the sorrow and fear … Continue reading Catching up with the Rising Stars Benefiting Turner House
If contemporary shows have anything in common, it's white walls. Benjamin Terry questioned this and created a site-specific installation for his Galleri Urbane show. Before I entered the gallery space, I could already see a dark wall of Victorianesque floral patterns. “That’s all from fabric.com," Terry says. "Thirty-six yards of it.” Also in the room … Continue reading Beyond the White — Benjamin Terry at Galleri Urbane
Upon the 2014 death of Richard Mellon Scaife, a billionaire heir of the Mellon fortune, it was announced that his collection would split into two Pennsylvania museums – Brandywine Conservancy and Museum of Art and the Westmoreland Museum of American Art. Scaife’s taste in art may be as conservative as many of his political views. … Continue reading The Remains of a Great Collection — Richard Mellon Scaife’s Paintings at Freeman’s
American art is taking on a broader focus in many museums. This is particularly true in Texas. A show at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston that ended in January, Contesting Modernity: Informalism in Venezuela, 1955–1975, was one of few I can recall which put a spotlight on South American Art. Museums also seem … Continue reading Contemplating on Argentinian works at the Blanton
Most adults don't get as much out of the holidays as we did as children. Beyond the expectation of gifts, the most exciting thing to me as a child was getting to stay up until midnight. The occasion was for Christmas Eve. Sure, I had to endure the mass, but there were these mysterious hours … Continue reading A Quiet Moment for Peace
It was a cold and rainy night in Dallas, but like the those I spoke with at the opening, I couldn't miss an opportunity to see Mary McCleary's work. It was either the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art or the Dallas Art Fair where we first encountered these intricate assemblages. It seems natural I … Continue reading Mary McCleary at Kirk Hopper
Touring Women of Abstract Expressionism at the Denver Art Museum in 2017, you couldn't help but wonder if work by Dorothy Hood belonged there. Long associated with the term "under-appreciated," Hood's work could have been included in this show which highlighted the overlooked work of a dozen or so female artists. Women of Abstract Expressionism … Continue reading Kindred Spirits Without Categories: Nevelson and Hood in Houston
Urban Art & Antiques 