Radical Nautical – Gallery Lombardi
Wowzers. There was a lot of people. It was a fun show and was glad to see the variety of work. The only thing I could possibly complain ’bout is that it was illustrator/designer heavy. But then again, where else will I see that work? GOOD
Suddenly Last Summer – WTW
I am still at a loss when it comes to evaluating performance. I can start to unravel the anxiety and delusion of performing in front of an audience and even extrapolate a little bit of the reassurance from emulating an idol. Jill Pangallo was a character mirroring a dance sequence from So You Think You Can Dance? It was entertaining, but as a stated experiment with “reality TV” I’m not sure where to go. If I use dance criteria, then it was horrible in terms of the movements and I can’t justify it as mockery because it is probably genuinely bad dancing. I can’t find the starting point. ?
Naut So Radical – Austin Figurative Gallery
I didn’t go out to this.
Marjorie Durst – Tiru Gallery
Friday night was not an art night and never got around to visit the gallery.
Serious Fun – DAC
There were some inequities. The sculpture was far outweighed by the canvas and paper works. The more experienced artists were represented by more pieces. But the colors were buoyant and made it a fun show. Seriously. ah ha ha It was a happy show. GOOD
Broken Symmetries – WTW
Amongst the jovial end-of-summer shows, Katherine Bash brought something a little more somber. Walking in was scary. Poor photographs of mirrored horizons, I thought Jessica Lutz was back in town. But then, filling the gallery were works like modules of scientific research that were visually/ physically simple. But as they honeycombed together, they revealed their poetic complexity. Complex, yet simple. How to look, how to see. The thing that hit me the most was perspective. That was most evident by Phenomena of Partial Illusion. The show was kinda stodgy in its faux-science fair personality. But it made me think of Tom Hanks’ character in Big and the way he provided insight to the toy industry. That made me smile. GREAT
Silver Lining flat lining – Volitant
This was the best, most complete show since the inaugural Presente Perfecto (and unknown to us, its penultimate). It wasn’t a group show, it took up all of the rooms and it didn’t feel like a retrospective. Kudos to the curator for showing them what to do with their own space, properly. I was having trouble getting into the large paintings, but the prints in the smaller inner room were wonderful. I think it was too dark, in subject, for me at the time and I never made it back for another viewing. GOOD
Spankdance/Austin Figurative Project Collaboration – Austin Figurative Gallery
Granted the space isn’t that large, but the place was packed. People were there for the performance. Before the heat was unbearable and the space was shoulder-to-shoulder standing-room-only I took a look at the works. Different mediums and styles were represented, but they were all figure studies. Kudos again on the collabo. NOT BAD
Passing Time and the Changing Seasons of Time – Okay Mountain
Don’t you hate it when someone is having a conversation you don’t understand, then makes a joke and expects you to laugh? That’s kinda how I felt here. I saw Paul Slocum’s work and I understood what he was working with. But looking at Kevin Bewersdorf’s stuff baffled me. I have some knowledge of the internets, so I expected to know what’s what. I saw the use of Google Images and Walgreens online printing. What they meant? Sabrá Dios! This rating reflects more on my inability to comprehend than anything else (which isn’t really accurate, ’cause I liked Slocum’s symphony piece). BAD
Interchange (pt 3) – CRL
And the final part reveals artworks from the previous portion, new art not seen in the first two and even some returning from the first. Group shows are tough. Its usually a bunch of friends showing their work together or if we’re lucky, a curator brings together work within a certain framework. Last year, I thought it was lame for the organizers to blame the restrictions of the exhibit for giving us such a limp first part. I was prevented from accessing the work because the text took precedent. At least, that’s how I felt. This time, it felt like the curators/organizers were presenting the artwork, then the catalogue was truly an accompaniment. It was just executed better. The right balance was hit and all of the works weak and strong had active roles. Perhaps even the timing was important. The speed and time frame under which the exhibit switched out pointed to a frisky characterization. It affirmed, yes there are multiple tangents, but we still want to show together. GOOD
I’ll tell you ’bout what I sees.
'Bout What I Sees 