This week in art openings
It’s a summer of art in Montrose. This week Art League Houston opens three new exhibits, Salon Style, genAIRator and Camouflage. Join them on Friday for their opening from 6-9pm with artist talks starting at 6pm. Exhibitions on view until August 31. Art League openings are open to all and always a festive event featuring local and national aritsts. And this one is even providing fresh produce to a local food truck. If you are what you eat, wouldn’t it be awesome to be art?
Salon Style
Larry Bob Phillips
Art League Houston, Main Gallery
A solo exhibition of new paintings by New Mexico-based artist, Larry Bob Phillips, which explore the artist’s fascination with challenging the formal conventions of traditional western painting. The works in this exhibition manipulate ideas of perspective and representation, and investigate the dynamic relationship between the history of painting and contemporary graphic culture.
Turning the traditional into the new, and the real into the imaginary, Salon Style features a collection of large surreal wall-size black and white paintings that hang at angles that push and pull at the architecture of the gallery space. Blurring the boundaries between painting and graphic design, these works present a series of pre modern-era paintings that have been re-interpreted through an illustrative sensibility. “Linear representation is the de facto language of our culture” says Phillips. “Although it does not exist anywhere in nature, it has become fully ingrained within the western mind.” Phillip’s uses a traditional technique known as forced perspective to distort the original painting and states, “I am trying to expand and dimensionalize the painting, so the viewer can look beyond its two dimensional frame and into a deeper, more meaningful space.”
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genAIRator
Jeff Schmuki
Art League Houston, Project Gallery
A horticultural sound installation and intervention by US based artist Jeff Schmuki, which explores themes of ecological awareness and food justice. The installation provides an imaginative alternative to sustainable living by functioning as a unique source of fresh produce for local food truck H-town strEATs, which will be harvested throughout the shows duration.
genAIRator features a site specific, plant-growth machine system that spreads throughout the gallery space and features edible greens, as well as plants that filter out airborne toxins such as trichloroethylene (TCE), benzene, formaldehyde, and other hazardous indoor pollutants, providing the gallery space with clean air. The installation is inspired by bioregenerative life support systems, which describes when plants absorb carbon dioxide and stale air, and provide renewed oxygen. Additionally, sounds from the genAIRator at work will be broadcast on a low wattage FM station during the course of the exhibition.
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Camouflage
Lisa Marie Hunter
Art League Houston, Hallway Gallery
An installation of ink drawings, small sculptures, and wall painting by Houston-based artist Lisa Marie Hunter, which explore themes of personal mysticism and psychology. Transforming the hallway into a mysterious and lush landscape, the works in this exhibition reflect the artist’s desire to be consumed by nature, as opposed to consuming nature itself. Hunter states, “In my life I have been very aware of my own ability to adapt to places and people, but with a sense of discontentment. I wish to easily adapt to nature and be within it, but without changing or destroying it.”
Other upcoming Art League events:
July
July 20, 6 – 9 PM: Opening Reception for Salon Style (Larry Bob Phillips), genAIRator (Jeff Schmuki), and Camouflage (Lisa Marie Hunter)
July 23 – 27: Kids Studio Summer Camp Session 6
July 28: Art League Houston at Houston Arts Resource Fair, University of St. Thomas, 3800 Montrose Blvd., Houston, TX 77006
August
August 1: Last day to see Seasons in Ash by Damon Thomas
August 2, 5 – 10PM: Cultured Cocktials, in support of Art League Houston, Boheme Cafe and Wine Bar, 307 Fairview, Houston, Texas, 77006
August 6 – 11: Fall Pre-Registration
August 13 – 25: Fall Early Registration
August 27 – Sept 1: Fall General Registration
August 31: Last day to see Salon Style (Larry Bob Phillips), genAIRator (Jeff Schmuki), and Camouflage (Lisa Marie Hunter)
September
September 7: Opening Reception for 2012 Texas Artist of the Year Aaron Parazette and Judy and Scott Nyquist Texas Patron of the Year Exhibitions, and Primordial Garden by Adela Andea (Sculpture Garden)
September 10: Fall Late Registration Begins
September 17: Fall Quarter Begins
October
October 26: Annual Art League Gala Honoring Texas Artist of the Year Aaron Parazette and Texas Patrons of the Year Judy and Scott Nyquist, Hotel ZaZa, 5701 Main Street, Houston, TX 77030
