Christopher Blay and Christina Rees on a paper show exposed to the elements, a show of sinister little dwellings, and a way to see a lot of art in one trip.
“If you want a lotta bang for your buck.”
To watch last week’s Top Five in which Brandon Zech and Christina Rees discuss Christmas shopping for art, two shows you need to see in person to appreciate, and an anniversary show for one city’s contemporary art hub, please go here.
1. a) Brandon Thompson: Hard Work, No Play
December 12 – January 30, 2021
Ro2 Art Gallery (Dallas)
From the gallery:
“Brandon Thompson’s visual practice concentrates primarily on painting and sculptural forms, with Thompson acting as a cultural anthropologist. Through works that reflect his memories and community, the absurd, humorous, and emotive snapshots from everyday life are amplified in cartoonish pictorials.
“Thompson now introduces a fox-like character, reminiscent of the African American folk trickster figures, Br’er Rabbit and Br’er Fox. In the folktales, Br’er Fox is always outwitted by Br’er Rabbit, no matter how smart and crafty he is. The fox character acts as a vehicle representing Thompson’s inner thoughts and the truths about the so-called ‘bad guy’ who might just be highly misunderstood. In Hard Work, No Play see the trials and tribulations of just trying to complete the necessary task of maintaining the lawn and the failed attempts of just trying to have a little fun.”
1. b) Ciara Elle Bryant: Server 3.0
December 12 – January 30, 2021
Ro2 Art Gallery (Dallas)
From the artist:
“Server 3.0 serves as a space where identity, culture, and self-actualization can occupy a current sliver of time, all at once. Server exists as an origin story that encompasses a visual bibliography to my art practice. Server is a mixed media installation that incorporates: collage, photographs, audio, moving image, objects, and relics. When brought together, the installation becomes a life-sized view of this bibliography in the real, a space not hosted virtually but physically.”
2. Rachel Cox: Wake Up
November 14 – December 31, 2020
Devin Borden Gallery (Houston)
From the artist:
“I use photography to look for answers. Answers to questions about human tendencies, the things we try to hide, the anomalous, and the many attributes of our lives that unite us more than we think.
“Recently I have been exploring ideas about what a home can be. How does the institution of the home, a place for learning and growth, foster attitudes towards tolerance and empathy? Alternately, can the home be the source where the seeds of bias and prejudice take root? Do they lay dormant, sleeping, until activated by some outside force?
“These new works are cyanotype, a historical photographic practice once used widely for documentation of worldly specimens and architectural blueprint drawings. This notion of the blueprint, or plan, was adopted as part of my process when creating the templates for these constructed houses. This lengthy process provides time to consider the complexity of my questions.”
From the gallery:
“Rachel Cox holds an MFA in Photography from the University of New Mexico. Cox’s work has been featured widely in the U.S. and abroad including the Des Moines Art Center; Southeast Museum of Photography; The Atlanta Contemporary Art Center; The Houston Center for Photography; The Belfast International Photography Festival, The Musee de l’Elysee, Lausanne, Switzerland; Baijia Art Museum in Nanjing, China; Museo Amparo, Pueblo, Mexico, and Photo London. Her work has recently been published in TIME, Vice Magazine, The Huffington Post, GUP International Magazine, the British Journal of Photography, and The Guardian.”
3. Andrea Tosten: Paper Altars
December 13 – January 19, 2021
Terrain (Dallas)
From Terrain Dallas:
“Terrain Dallas is proud to present Andrea Tosten’s site-specific installation, Paper Altars, on view December 13, 2020 – January 19, 2021.
“Tosten is an artist, calligrapher, and bookbinder. Her works on paper and installations explore social constructs, binary thinking, and the nature of existence. She utilizes letterforms, paper, and sewing to recontextualize and conceptualize her Catholic upbringing, background, and her place in history. Paper Altars is her second solo exhibition for 2020.
“Using symbolic color, the practice of origami, and her skill as a calligrapher, Tosten will construct parterre paper altars in/around the landscape of Terrain Dallas. Parterre translates from French or Creole into English as ‘flowerbeds’ or ‘orchestra’ but can also translate more broadly as ‘an organized mélange of different offerings and music.’ Tosten’s altars will reference historical accuracies of parterres by residing on the ground at Terrain Dallas and being well ordered in their structure, but they will differ in their purpose and meaning.
“The individual altars, which reference her creole heritage and her identity as a Black/African American woman, are informed by spiritual practices in Catholicism and Louisiana Voodoo. Through this work, Tosten explores the complex histories of the African Diaspora and patriarchal power structures and ‘strengthens her spiritual scaffolding.'”
4. Martha Hughes: Stay-at-Home Art
November 24 – December 30, 2020
105 East Oak Street (Marfa)
To view this exhibition online, go here.
“Visitors to Marfa in Far West Texas can now peer through the large windows of Martha Hughes’ studio to see a special exhibit of works from the artist’s various Table series.”
From the artist:
“I’ve always thought of my inclination to like staying at home better than traveling as a character flaw, but these days it seems like a virtue. I believe we can find inspiration wherever we are, and for many years my little kitchen table has been my muse. The white tabletop is like a blank canvas upon which objects change from day to day.”
5. Group Exhibition of Gallery Artists
November 24 – January 16, 2021
Moody Gallery (Houston)
See a Five-Minute Tour of the show here.
From the gallery:
“We are excited to announce our new Group Exhibition of Gallery Artists featuring works by Sarah Williams, Helen Altman, Claire Ankenman, Liz Ward, Melissa Miller, Al Souza, Randy Twaddle, Jerry Jeanmard, Page Kempner, and more. Bethany Johnson’s one-person exhibition, Safe Keeping, is also featured within the group show.”