Geoff Hippenstiel: Territorial Pissings
Much has been made – by me as well as others – of the way Houston artist Geoff Hippenstiel moves between figuration and abstraction in paintings that combine over-the-top impasto with metallic silver or gold spray paint. In his second solo outing at Devin Borden Gallery, Hippenstiel turns that movement into a five-part narrative on [...]
Houston Ballet: The Rite of Spring
Off the Floor: Houston Ballet soars again in a trio of works by Stanton Welch, Edwaard Liang and Mark Morris As I rushed past a gaggle of squawking grackles on my way to the show, little did I know the real flock was inside as Houston Ballet took flight in Edwaard Liang’s soaring new ballet, [...]
Review: Cocksucker Blues
Robert Frank’s Cocksucker Blues is anything but a traditional rock and roll documentary. Frank’s work has been archived and distributed by the MFAH since 1986. In 1972, The Rolling Stones commissioned Frank to document their tour, but the Stones didn’t approve the final cut. It never saw a commercial release, but a few showings a [...]
Review: La Bayadère
If it be true that “ballet thy name is woman” (so says Balanchine), then in Houston her name is Karina Gonzalez, a dancer of such extraordinary power that she assumes the center of any stage where she finds herself. So, it made perfect sense for her to be the on cover of Dance Magazine in [...]
Review: Howard Sherman, Artist Picks
Native Houstonian and painter Howard Sherman affirms his talent for visual decision-making in an exhibition of paintings that mostly aren’t his own. On view through March 22 at Alliance Gallery, Howard Sherman: Artist’s Picks features one of his canvases alongside the work of six local [...]
Review: John Cage at Hiram Butler Gallery
It goes without saying that John Cage’s reputation as one of the 20th century’s most influential and innovative composers precedes him when it comes to his visual work. And though there’s not the room in this review to speak of how one informs the other, it is worth noting that the two arise out of [...]
Review: God of Carnage
I’ll admit: my first reaction to the news that Stark Naked Theatre Company had inserted French playwright Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage into its current season between Body Awareness and Macbeth was, “Oh no, not that thing again!” It was only a year ago that I caught [...]
Response: Picasso Black and White
Along with its exploration of Pablo Picasso’s lifelong engagement with monochrome and grisaille, Picasso Black and White at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, represents perhaps the most unsparing yet nuanced critical examination to date of the relationship between the Spanish master’s alleged misogyny and his seemingly inexhaustible inventiveness. I’m kidding, of course. Perhaps I [...]
Review: Marzia Faggin at d.m. allison art
Houston artist Marzia Faggin made a splash in 2011 with her Nau-haus Art solo show of life-size painted cast-plaster still lifes of potentially addictive pills like Lithium, Xanax and Adderall, which she juxtaposed with equally convincing replicas of equally addictive chocolates, cookies and other sugary snacks. Dissatisfaction, her follow-up [...]
Review: Erin Reck
Knowing When To Come Up for Air Recked Productions, Drive by Theater at the Photobooth on Montrose It’s not that often that the choreographer hugs you during the show, but that’s what happened to me when Erin Reck snaked through the audience at Drive by Theater [...]
Review: Ballet Austin
It has taken me 25 years to get to Ballet Austin. Although I’ve toured their stunning building, located in the heart of Austin’s bustling warehouse district, this was my first time seeing the company. Just about everything about the experience felt fresh, from the slick-yet-welcoming video [...]
Review: The Abstract Impulse at the MFAH
Amidst the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s high-profile goings-on – the Prado exhibition (through March 31), the Picasso show (through May 27), WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY’s U.S. tour and the MFAH’s participation in South Korea’s first historical American art survey [...]
