Christopher Blay joins special guest Carrie Kenny in Austin to share Texas exhibitions that deal with Caruso’s visit to Fort Worth, the portrayals of Black women, and all things animal.
“There are coyotes, hyenas, cats… .”
To watch last week’s Top Five in which Christina Rees and Christopher Blay go into the Houston underground to share some new shows about Black culture, video art in San Antonio, and all the exhibitions in Texas involving water and video, please go here.
1. Christie Blizard: Let My Body Eat the Sun
March 12 – May 1
Fort Worth Contemporary Arts
“Let My Body Eat the Sun is a contemporary opera that presents an otherworldly story of life, death and afterlife based on Blizard’s ongoing exploration of posthuman possibilities. Written and scored by the artist, the opera features performances by mythical Texas characters — a tumbleweed, an armadillo and a cactus — and alien improvisational singers.
“Filmed onsite at Fort Worth’s Cowtown Coliseum under socially-distanced conditions, Blizard’s opera was performed by local artists including TCU School of Art students, staff and alumni. The film forms the center of Blizard’s exhibition at Fort Worth Contemporary Arts, which is also populated by costumes and props used in the making of the opera.”
To watch a video of the opera, please go here.
2. Andy St Martin: The Weight
February 12 – March 20
Prizer Arts & Letters (Austin)
From Prizer Arts & Letters:
“About the work, St. Martin states, ‘Like all my paintings, collage and drawings, these new ones are a chain reaction of reactions, reflections, decisions (about them, paintings, and life and light, literally). They are my activity, evaluation, commitment incarnate, and contract with myself. Hence, the imagery, process and flexibility of reading are co-present. To some with what’s done, an image is apparent. Others see abstract form, pattern, obscurity. Regardless, the weight one travels is perhaps my commitment to a life in art, making and for caring for it all.'”
3. Delita Martin: Conjure
March 13 – May 23
Opening Reception: March 19
Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) (Beaumont)
From AMSET:
“The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will exhibit DELITA MARTIN: Conjure on view March 13, 2021 through May 23, 2021 in the main galleries. Conjure will feature works by Delita Martin, whose art deals with reconstructing the identity of Black women by piecing together the signs, symbols, and language found in what could be called everyday life from slavery through modern times. Martin’s goal is to create images as a visual language to tell the story of women that have often been marginalized, offering a different perspective of the lives of Black women. Delita Martin is an artist currently based in Huffman, Texas. She received a BFA in drawing from Texas Southern University and an MFA in printmaking from Purdue University. Formerly a member of the fine arts faculty at UA Little Rock in Arkansas, Martin currently works as a full-time artist in her studio, Black Box Press.”
4. Finding Light
March 20 – May 29
Gallery Sonja Roesch (Houston)
From the gallery:
“Finding Light features Aldo Chaparro, Jonathan Leach, Soledad Arias, and August Muth.”
5. Una Scott: Ink on Toast
March 20 – April 25
Mighty Fine Arts Gallery (Dallas)
From the gallery:
“Una Scott channels her emotions and memories into her intangible images. She seeks to recreate subconscious connections between the people, animals and landscapes she portrays. The juxtapositions she conjures manifest epiphanies and possibilities. Her work is also informed by the relief printmaking process she has chosen to realize her vision. The laborious craft of carving multiple blocks, inking and layering colors allows for a meditative consciousness. The look of the finished print cannot be foreseen until the final printing when inspiration and mastery of craft reveal the intent of her discipline.”
