Beauty Knows No Pain

Beauty Knows No Pain opens tonight at the Houston Center for Photography. The exhibition features the work of two friends–O. Rufus Lovett and Leah DeVun.

Borrowing its title from the 1972 documentary by Magnum photographer Elliott Erwitt and the slogan of the Kilgore Rangerettes, this two-person exhibition addresses the perception of femininity in contemporary American culture.

Texas photographer O. Rufus Lovett´s celebrated black and white photographs of the Kilgore Rangerettes dance drill team reveal a long-standing tradition of discipline and teamwork towards the achievement of youthful glamour, uniformity, and synchronicity.

Emerging artist Leah DeVun´s color portraits of young Houston girls dressed up as Hannah Montana depict a subset of popular culture fixated on emulating a young female icon. This juxtaposition probes at the varied performative rituals of young American women and girls who, regardless of their socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds, desire to embrace celebrity and femininity.

I first met O. Rufus while working as a photo editor at Texas Monthly Magazine. O. Rufus produces some of the most stunning black and white medium format images. I first came to know of his work in one of his many books, Weeping Mary. If you don't already own one of his books consider this one or his series Kilgore Rangerettes on view at HCP.

Although I will be unable to make the opening this evening I did have the opportunity to see Leah's prints a few weeks ago. In the process of proofing the images for my upcoming solo show at Art League Houston I ran in to Leah and her work at Que Imaging. Being an emerging artist and producing my first solo show, it is comforting to know that Leah was going through similar hurdles to get this work together in time. I wish her luck tonight.

Opening tonight at Austin City Hall

I'm very excited to participate in my first exhibition for the City of Austin which opens this evening at City Hall. The opening reception for the 5th Annual People's Gallery is from 5:30-7:30 pm.

When I went to drop off my piece Open House from my sorority series it was shocking to see how much art was on permanent display in city hall. I typically don't think of a government buildings displaying anything more than cookie cutter paintings and posters but I found myself stopping and looking at several pieces. I'm curious to see all the work that was juried in for the 2009 exhibition.

Hysteria: Past yet Present

This coming Thursday Hysteria: Past yet present opens at Rutgers University. I was thrilled to be included in this exhibition so I am flying in for the opening. Its been over a year since I've returned 'home' to New York. Two self-portraits from my Repository series are included along with three new images from my Hysteria series photographed at the Mutter Museum. I wish the above photo "Eros & Thanatos” was one of mine. Maybe the photographer, Cortney Andrews will want to trade. Please join us at the opening.

February 5 – April 9, 2009
Opening Reception - Thursday, February 5, 5pm – 7pm

Hysteria is an elusive, psychosomatic, even mythical disorder, impinging on our physical, cultural, and moral concerns. It is often characterized as a mercurial state of disturbance that can be manifested in both a psychological and physical sense. The word “hysteria” comes from the Greek work hystera, a term applied to disturbances of the uterus. Addressing this topic, a number of contemporary artists have dealt directly with the work of European medical professionals Sigmund Freud and Jean-Martin Charcot by creating artwork that mirrors aspects of their studies. This exhibition will explore hysteria in relation to gender construction, feminine identity and pathologization, and sheer physical form given to the condition in the imagination of artists.

Artists in this exhibition:
Cortney ANDREWS,
Beth B, Zoe BELOFF,
Mary BILLYOU,
Tammy Rae CARLAND,
Jennifer DUDLEY,
Carson FOX,
Guerrilla Girls,
Lynne HELLER,
Ruth HUTCHINSON,
Georgette MANIATIS,
Jennifer MAZZA,
Cindy REHM,
Babs REINGOLD,
Sarah SUDHOFF,
Claire WATSON,
Shoshanna WEINBERGER

The Model

So since this is my first solo show and I'm nervous and have apparently too much time on my hands I made a model of the space to help me edit the work and figure out a tentative layout.

The first 7 images have been sent off to be printed. 8 more will go with this week with color proofs to match. As soon as I approve them off to the framer and hopefully everything will be delivered around Feb 28 for me to start installing.

As of now, I'll have 4 videos and 18 photographs displayed. The back right corner is sectioned off as the projection room. Clean and Self Exam will be shown in there. Exam and Exam 2 videos will be shown on flatscreens in the main gallery space. Not every image from the series will be on view but I hope it is cohesive enough and highlights some of the strongest pieces in the series.

There are a few new pieces which were done for the show–one self-portrait, two still life's and two interiors. The interiors are already included on my website the others will be a surprise. The empty wall on the model is reserved for the new self-portrait. No title yet for this piece–I'm still working on that.

I had begun a new performance video but time, money and space all played a roll in cutting it from the exhibition at this time. I do hope to propose it as a small installation for two spaces in San Antonio.