by Rebecca S. Cohen
1.
Artwork/Installation: Regina Vater’s installation “Ita./Ota” (The Austin Museum
of Art exhibition, Ceremony of the Spirit). While I didn’t write about
the show, I did make a point of going to the museum to hear Vater talk about
her work. The Brazilian native who resides in Austin is an imposing woman, soft
spoken and eloquent, despite (or maybe because of) her accent. She can evoke
magic through her words as well as her work. “Ita/Ota” — a mirrored pedestal
covered with sand, stones, and burning candles set in bowls filled with water
— occupied a haunting presence in the upstairs gallery. With its everyday
materials and otherworldly spirit, the piece continues to haunt my dreams.
2. Painting: Peter Saul’s acrylic “Newt Gingrich Versus Little Orphan Annie”
(The University of Texas Faculty Exhibition). Saul’s work summed up, for me
anyway, the current relationship of the arts and the federal government. It is
a great painting but an ugly picture. The Speaker’s uncommonly big head looms
large in my memory. Whether Saul was talking about Gingrich’s attitude toward
orphans or orphan arts groups no longer welcome in Washington, the tale is told
with the usual assortment of brutal colors applied with a sophisticated hand.
3. Exhibition Installation: The Posada exhibition (Mexic-Arte Museum). Former
director Sylvia Orozco curated an exhibition of work by the Mexican printmaker
Jose Guadalupe Posada for Mexic-Arte and designed the installation for the
show. Select images by Posada were painted in large scale on the walls and the
actual prints hung on top of them. A circular tissue paper kite hung from the
ceiling. The work, which would have been fine on its own, was even more
powerful in the environment created by Orozco.
4. Exhibition/Performance: The TFAA “Red Hot Auction.” With signature flare,
Jerri Kunz livened up the Texas Fine Art Association’s “Red Hot” auction by
“decorating” the front window with two live body builders from Hyde Park Gym.
The pair, wearing skimpy red workout attire, performed as auction guests
gathered and ate dinner. Then they helped present early auction items to the
crowd, adding a dimension to the evening which seemed delightfully foreign to
the imported auctioneer and TFAA guests.
5. Two-Person Gallery Exhibition: Tre Arenz/Sydney Yeager (Lyons-Matrix
Gallery). The going can be tricky for dealers combining the work of two
independent artists in one exhibition. One or the other frequently takes a back
seat. Sometimes both lose when the work is mismatched. In the case of Tre Arenz
and Sydney Yeager’s show at Lyons-Matrix, both women pre-sented a professional
body of work of similar weight, but wildly different materials. There was a
comfortable, easy dialogue between the two artists, who share formal concerns
and use familiar objects.
6. One-Person Gallery Exhibition: Julie Speed (Tarrytown Gallery). This show
set a high standard for Austin’s gallery scene. Opening night produced both
good friends and faithful patrons who not only partied but ponied up money to
buy major examples of the artist’s work. Speed presents better and better shows
each year, and her audience remains faithful and supportive. This is the way
it’s supposed to work.
7. Restaurant Show: Lauren Levy (Texas French Bread, Tarrytown). The TFB in
Tarrytown offered buttons and birds, squiggly wire house shapes, and found
objects delightfully intertwined. I worried I might be the only muffin muncher
to appreciate the craftsmanship and quirkiness of the work until I noticed all
the red dots indicating sales of Lauren Levy’s work. Very impressive show.
8. City Art: Austin’s Art in Public Places’ exhibition (Municipal Building).
This exhibition of small works by artists who have participated (or are
currently working on) public art projects provided a fine opportunity to
reflect on the first 10 years of this program. While the didactics were good,
the exhibition would have been even more impressive with photo-documentation of
the artist’s public projects. Maybe in another 10 years.
9. Art Person/Female: Sandra Gregor. The Texas Fine Arts Association used to be
an ill-defined statewide arts group headquartered in the Laguna Gloria Art
Museum gate house, hosting shows that made the LGAM staff cringe. Under Sandra
Gregor’s direction, TFAA now owns a downtown building and will begin renovation
on the new space in 1996. Their annual juried and curated exhibitions are among
the best the city has to offer each year.
10. Art Person/Male: Alfred King. For more than two decades (that’s as long as
I’ve been watching), Alfred King has played a leadership role in the Austin
arts scene. This past week, the current city council resolved to “move forward”
toward building the Venturi-designed Austin Museum of Art downtown building
with bond money approved over a decade ago. Alfred was active during the bond
election, present on the board since that time, instrumental in creating the
current AMA with its multi-cultural make-up, and present in council chambers
(and no doubt behind the scenes) during this latest flurry of activity. While
my optimism that the city will someday build a downtown museum waxes and wanes,
my admiration for Mr. King’s tenacity knows no bounds. n
This article appears in January 5 • 1996 and January 5 • 1996 (Cover).