DATA BREACH OPENING AT ART LEAGUE HOUSTON

November 17, 2018

WhileI knew that the opening would be in the evening, I was nevertheless surprised and extremely delighted to be able to introduce this piece to people at night. Though it was not obvious to me when I was putting it together in the studio, finalizing the work in the garden made me feel at certain, transcendent moments like I had made something dark and a bit ominous that was capable of piercing the sky. Even though most of the time I see rolled film tubes arranged in a tiered, circular cluster, the fleeting moments where I’m able to become aware of something beyond the material are the ones I treasure.

images © Alex Barber courtesy of Art League Houston

WINTER HOLIDAY ART MARKET

November 16, 2018

Recently I had a great time modeling for sister-artist-friend, Claire, for her latest collection, Sun Shy. All of her pieces are made of the softest, recycled cotton made right here in the heart of Texas. That big smile I’m wearing? It probably had something to do with Claire jumping and waving from the sidelines during the entire shoot. Her enthusiasm is boundless!

Come check out the colors and textures in person - this neutral piece does not say it all! I’m lending a hand with Claire Drennan Knits on Saturday, 11/17 from 11-8p at WHAM.

VOTE

October 21, 2018

Last week current Box 13 members pitched in to paint over the temporary murals behind the building that had been up for years. (An unintended, yet revealing ‘before’ shot is here.) While the plan is to commission new work in the very near future, in the interim, this bold-face call to action ahead of the mid-term elections was suggested.

I’ll be honest—initially, I felt more than a little cynical about the project, thinking,‘ this won’t get anyone that wouldn’t have otherwise voted to cast a ballot.’ Suffice it to say, I’m glad I kept my grumpy mouth shut and let others forge ahead with the plan.

First of all, soaring skyward on a forklift with a paint sprayer turns out to be the best ride I’ve ever been on. And what occurred to me during the process, which I may have intellectually known but not recently felt, is that the communal energy that grows around a collective effort really does matter. Sometimes, with four larger than life letters, you can say it all.

Better late than never, I guess

September 26, 2018

For your own copy and a lot more, click here.

Upcycled plastic installation on view for the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series

September 20, 2018

A section of my much larger installation work, Loose Ends, is on view through Saturday, October 13th at the Houston Museum for African American Culture in the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series—which I never would have known about had The Jealous Curator (aka Danielle Krysa) not given it a shout out at some point last summer on her highly informative Instagram account, @thejealouscurator. It never ceases to amaze me how much comes into our lives through random internet browsing: from the impulse purchase; hometown exhibition opportunity; or new, real life friend.

While installing the work, the HMAAC exhibitions manager (and ultimate competition winner!) Dominic Clay asked me what this work was about. I told him that I always feel compelled to make the random pieces of material I collect connect, my way of making sense of all of the stray things I bring into the studio.

Someone else I talked to about the piece didn’t realize that, in fact, I’d made each and every one of the component shapes out of single plastic widgets, thousands of discarded plastic garment display hooks sourced from the Reuse Warehouse.

So allow me to elaborate here: this is what each of the some 3,000 pieces looked like when I found them!

Coordinates

August 2, 2018

I feel like one true sign of friendship is the recurring tendency to turn up places in matching attire. Rebecca and I may not share a studio anymore, but at least we still have an indistinguishable affinity for bold prints.