Five Visual Arts Things to See by Private Appointment
Make a date for your socially distanced gallery visit
By Wayne Alan Brenner, Fri., Jan. 28, 2022
It's a tricky time in the visual arts scene right now, in which some galleries have understandably chosen to cancel opening receptions for their new shows, and who knows how much the public's COVID wariness has diminished exhibition attendance in general? Well, art-loving citizen, fear not – or, at least, fear less. You needn't pack into an intimate, well-decked space with a crowd of fellow aesthetes in order to peep beauty and meaning up close and personal. You don't even, necessarily, have to stick to regular viewing hours, because so many venues are glad to schedule in-person appointments. We run a plethora of options in the listings (here and online) each week, of course, but right now we're thwarting the tyranny of choice with these five recos.
Lora Reynolds Gallery: Tom Molloy & Noriko Ambe
The main gallery displays "Eagle," an exhibition of new drawings and photographs by Tom Molloy – the artist's seventh presentation at this elegant Downtown venue. Concurrently, the gallery's project room features "Dividing," new paper sculptures by Noriko Ambe, who cuts into thick stacks of paper with a razor blade, one sheet at a time, to create sculptures that resemble three-dimensional topographical maps. Stark and elegant. Through Feb. 19. 60 Nueces #50, 512/215-4965. lorareynolds.com.
grayDUCK Gallery: Findings
Reminiscent of geologic formations, seeming like objects from a cabinet of curiosities, Bethany Johnson's intimate sculptures offer a multilayered meditation on deep time, material metamorphosis, and the anthropogenic landscaping of landfills, quarries, and road cuts. These dimensional works are composed of plastics, paper, aluminum, fabric, rubber, foam, cardboard, and wood, densely bound together with pressure by a hidden internal armature of screws and bolts, then trimmed and sanded to a smooth polish. Through March 6. 2213 E. Cesar Chavez, 512/826-5334. grayduckgallery.com.
Northern-Southern: A Commitment to What Is Before You
The latest show at Phillip Niemeyer's new Downtown gallery groups young French Canadian painter Alexandre Pépin, basket weaver Donya Stockton, and ceramicist Ryan McKerley. Those latter two are locals of no small renown and this triple treat of eclectic works is gorgeous and crafty AF. Through Feb. 19. 107 E. Fifth, 646/342-2969. northern-southern.com.
Davis Gallery: Paperback Rodeo
In which B Shawn Cox explores the subtext of yee-haw pop culture with polka-dotted domesticated florals that hide deconstructed cowboys, lenticular eye candy featuring blended dualities of Western icons, and folded-paper quilts incorporating enough words to supra any subtext. Bonus: Provocative works by sculptor Dana Younger spike the archly complex display. Through Feb. 26. 837 W. 12th, 512/477-4929. davisgalleryaustin.com.
PrintAustin
Yes, we're going to mention this multivenue festival of multiple originals again – because it's timely, it's fleeting, it contains a wealth of diverse works, and its annual apotheosis, the Printmaker's Ball (Feb. 11), and its attendant Print Expo (Feb. 12-13) is coming up fast-fast-fast. Big Medium, Flatbed Press, Wally Workman Gallery, Slugfest at Link & Pin – yeah, and a whole bunch more. The art is formally known as "prints," which means that much of it will be downright lovesexy. Through Feb. 15. printaustin.org.
