Finally, a Saturday that was less than 100 degrees. I woke up early to view the Gary Komarin exhibition at Gremillion & Co. I was eager to see the array of colors the artist uses and his brushstroke technique.
The Helmut Newton exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston is awesome. There’s your capsule review if you wanted one. In the interest of full disclosure, however, it should be known that I am a fan of naked ladies, and this was a prime motivation for my visit to this exhibit. It might be considered significantly less awesome (though never offensive) if you do not share my proclivities. You might also enjoy Helmut Newton’s work if you enjoy photography, fashion, athletes, Paris, lingerie, shoes, or hair. If you like more than one of these things, then the exhibit is a no-brainer.
I always try to swing by Lawndale Art Center when I can for the exhibitions. Picking up my metal tin for the Retablo show coming up later this year, I stumbled upon Mark Ponder’s exhibition in the the project space at Lawndale. As I entered the space, I was touched by an enormous amount of controlled energy. Happiness, excitement and joy filled the room with colored streamers from the ceiling, bows, balloons and stars that were all over the place. Presents that were stacked against the wall and confetti all over the wood floors. 
A table at the far right had an assortment of objects and mementos that seemed they could be a tribute or shrine to the deceased.
“There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: One is roots, the other is wings.” — Hodding Carter
The last two classes of the Postcards From Houston Summer series were studio classes at the Texas Art Supply on Montrose. The hours were spent fleshing out concepts and purchasing any materials one might need for the completion of their postcard.
“Prior to 1927, most architect-designed buildings in Houston were either local versions of classical revival architecture or Victorian designs adapted for the city’s hot, humid climate. Modernistic architecture’s growing popularity coincided with a conscious effort by Houston’s business and civic leaders to tie the city’s image to the American West and de-emphasize its Southern heritage.” — Houston Deco
My second Postcards from Houston lecture took place not on Montrose at the Texas Art Supply, but tucked back by the rail road tracks that flank Winter Street and Sawyer. What the hell is back there? Spacetaker in the Winter Street Studios.
“There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: One is roots, the other is wings.” – Hodding Carter
When on my way to the first Postcards from Houston lecture, I only had a loose interpretation of its vision. The moment I walked into the classroom at Texas Art Supply on Montrose, I had certain expectations. I was hoping to discover explanations, inspirations and some of the history behind the architecture and art of our beloved anomalous city.
Anyone who likes money should go see the new Texas! The Exhibition at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. The sheer volume of currency and promissory notes on display is staggering, and most walls bear at least one display case full of coins or checks.
Unfortunately, I’m not a huge fan of money (that’s why I’m a writer). But the Texas! exhibit still offers a wide array of foundational history. It begins with a general overview of Texas’ Native American tribes and, although the text in this section is interesting, the artifacts on display seem rather mundane, aside from some awe-inspiring pine needle pottery.
After mild, sunny weekend numero quatro, I figured I better not push my luck—it’s Houston and the climate is fickle. Something out doors would suit me. The Houston Zoo? I’d been meaning to make it to the Houston Zoo since some friends of mine had begun volunteering. Every instance we’d get together, I was regaled with nature facts, each cluster of information more alluring then the previous. Like the cues from the weather, my friend’s enthusiasm for the animals and more specifically the new African Forest Exhibit urged me towards a Saturday commitment. The zoo it is.
After tackling The Stencils and The Wheat Pastes, the albatross I hung around my neck was the third installment of our Houston Street Art Series. The Wild Styles have always been something that proved to be more difficult to track down. They don’t fit neatly on the electric boxes of traffic signals or just beneath the overhang of a vacant building. They’re big and boastful and dominate the side of a building.
Monday we took a look at some of the wheat-pasted street art around town. The fantastic thing about the scene is how much change it goes through, day-to-day and week-to-week. Before, I just thought that I was ignorant to the fact that all of this was around. Today, I can assess that the street artists have been pretty active as of late.
