Exhibition Review: Art in Austin during SXSW

For those who don't know it, this is the last weekend for SXSW in Austin, Texas. I was lucky enough to be in Austin last weekend, and although I couldn't afford tickets to the festival- I was able to enjoy the atmosphere of this great city! I also got to enjoy the awesome art venues. Here is a review of the exhibitions I got to attend at Arthouse at the Jones Center and the University of Texas Blanton Museum of Art.

Arthouse


There were three exhibitions going on at the Arthouse that excelled at piquing the curiosity of its viewers. In the front room the walls showcased the private letters from a doctor to his patients. While in the center of the room a project displayed an intimate short Hitchcockian film displaying the relationship between a man and his only companion, a finch. There was also another projector displaying offset images of contrasting but related photographs. The entire display was organized as Two Birds, Eighty Mountains, and a Portrait of the Artist and displayed Lisa Tan's Les Samouraïs (2010), Letters From Dr.Bamberger (2001), and National Geographic (2009).

In the private room, for access by adults only, four screens flooded the viewers with a sensory overload of imagery pertaining to a sexually charged and provocative drug den. Dorian, a cinematic perfume by Michelle Handelman explores "Dorian’s hallucinatory journey through a deviantly decadent underworld roiling with ambition, seduction, and betrayal."

On the second floor sits Graham Hudson's Rehearsals at Astoria, a wonderful piece that plays with concepts of nostalgia, musical stimulation, and the concept of space. Set in a dangerous, mid-construction platform that echoes the architecture of the London's Astoria Theatre, the viewer is invited to climb along the structure while they experience the creations of the varied musical guests. Of the list of artists, one particular musician who performed in the space was Austin native Suzanna Choffel.

If none of these exhibitions sounds particularly interesting, then you may be tempted by two other features. First, thanks to Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis Architects the architecture of the Arthouse is absolutely amazing- the arts center lives true to its claims of being an interactive space. Second, it is free. Enough said.

The Blanton Museum of Art

It's no secret to anyone who knows me well that I am currently in love with all things related to Buenos Aires. But this is especially connected to the graffiti/street art that emerged in the 1990s, post dictatorship. Boy was I ecstatic when I discovered that the Blanton has a new exhibition called "Recovering Beauty: The 1990s in Buenos Aires." Life does not get sweeter (well, traveling to the city would rock). The imagery was bright and colorful. The styles varied from abstract, geometric, figurative, and sculptural. I especially loved Miguel Harte’s El Jardin Filosofico (The Philosophical Garden), La Intrusa (The Intruder), and Como una pierda que suena (Like a Dreaming Stone). His miniature worlds forced the viewer to get very close to the work in order to see all the intricate details of the half-man, half-fly creations. Other artists in the exhibition include Feliciano Centurión, Sebastián Gordín, Benito Laren, Jorge Gumier Maier, Marcelo Pombo, Cristina Schiavi, Fabio Kacero, Graciela Hasper, and Omar Schiliro. While you are there don't forget to venture upstairs and check out their permanent collection, it is much more expansive and impressive than I imagined.

Another opportunity to partake in is an interactive installation by a very good friend and artist, Tex Jernigan. He will be hanging out around town this weekend. He was one of the first artists I interviewed over a year ago, and he will be in Austin for SXSW with his big red dot to create images that celebrate Japan. He is setting up the Japan flag in the streets, and his crew is doing the Star Dollars at the Lose Control Party. Keep up with him on his twitter. On Saturday night he will be at Vice, a club on San Jacinto & 6th st. This is what they are doing: http://texs.org/lovemoney. Hopefully you can run into him!

Artist Interview: Tex Jernigan

Messed up Flower, 2006

Hand wrought steel, 18"x6"x6"

Scottsdale Diamond, 2007

Scottsdale, Arizona

Flag of Louisiana, 2009

Kansas City, Missouri

Flag of Iran, 2009

Smithville Lake, Missouri

Name: Tex Jernigan 
Current City: Kansas City 
Hometown: Dallas 
Preferred Medium: Sculpture/Photography 
Education: Kansas City Art Institute 
Website Link: texjernigan.com


Tell me about you work in one sentence:
I design and construct illusions using simple materials as well as the physical world itself, and I then hold events where I invite people within the work and offer to take their picture for free, posting it.


I remember that your early sculptural illusions were made from a lot of steel poles. The image would morph depending on the perspective. How did this interest in optical illusion sculptures grow from this type of object to an interest in flags, an icon that represents not only a people but its government?
I think I started making flags as a way of distancing myself from the illusions I was making with perspective.  I realized that a magic trick isn't really about illusions and magic, it's about the people being tricked.  Without people, without an audience, a magician's trick doesn't exist, it's a vacuum where the magician is the only one involved and he knows how it works, so the trick is nullified.  I guess what I'm saying is that for me, the people became a central focus in my work.  And yes, I want to get Barack Obama inside of the Illinois flag, or better yet, the Chicago flag, it's a doozy.
I don't have a business plan yet. 


What is your favorite forum/method of sharing information about art?
The internet, of course, what other kind of forum is there? 


Your work is selected to show in a gallery or museum in the world, where would you choose?
Pernambuco, Brazil.  It has the most beautiful flag, and it's state capital, Recife, is the Venice of Brazil.


I wondered if you always choose the places you make sculptures for using this selection process, or if cultural/social/political issues ever play a role?
I have a friend who married a girl from Iran, and I created the Iranian flag for their wedding.  The traditional flag was chosen instead of the current flag, which most Iranians don't like, since the traditional flag was their flag for thousands of years, and the new one is less than a decade old.  But when the family showed up, some of them felt that to pose in front of the traditional flag could be an act of treason.  They ended up getting their picture taken, but they asked me not to post it online, so the only picture I posted was Brent (attached).

As a kid, I drew a lot, so it wasn't long before people began to praise my drawings.  I gradually stopped doing it for myself and started doing it for other people, and my artwork became a way for me to connect with people socially, and has continued to, so I'm most aware, now.


The art world right now is experiencing a newfound medium of exchanging information virtually. Do you think that this has affected the relevance of galleries, studios, and museums?
Yes. Let's add the word, "how" in front of "do."
The internet allows anybody to have a voice, so perhaps Galleries and Museums are more relevant, serving as a marker for an artist's success. There's a pretty good documentary by Ben Lewis which counters this argument,  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gth8_3msnIk  -- you would like it, it inadvertently explains why Van Gogh was the most famous artist when we were kids. 


Would you rather have your work well known in the art community or well understood in the general population?
I think that the general population is in the process of joining the art community, and I take pleasure in assisting that merge by putting individuals in the spotlight. 


Who are your artistic influences?
James Turrell, Andy Goldsworthy, and Christo


What is it about your work that makes it different from these people and relevant in today’s society?
I added "People" to the mix.


Its 2012 and as the Mayans predicted, the world ends. Every cultural link is destroyed, but luckily there are few survivors. You are among them and are selected to document our cultural past. What artifact/artwork would you choose to record first?
I would continue making my art - it requires nothing but my hands, my eyes, and the world around us. 

In that same train of thought, are you persuaded by people you encounter at all? For instance, if I said that Sicily has a particularly interesting flag, would that spur your interest?

Are you Sicilian?  I would make that flag for you, especially if we did it in Italy.  I'm often inspired by the people I encounter - I have a working visual knowledge of most flags in the world now, so it's a pretty good conversation starter.  Every person in the world has a flag or two that is part of their identity, and it's fun to celebrate it.


In what period of your career did you feel most aware of the needs of your audience, if ever?

Would you prefer to deal through gallery representation or directly with clients, why?