The Great God Pan Is Dead: The ones that got away in April 2011

Saturday, May 14, 2011

The ones that got away in April 2011 - Lyons, Conley, Saavedra, Perelli, Post

by Dean Liscum

During April, Houston had a lot of art that I wanted to write about but didn't due to nothing more than the lackadaisical nature of a dilettante. I have some minor guilt (probably Catholic in origin) about not getting to these shows, but it's mitigated by my belief that these artists will only get bigger and better and be back.

Here's my art penance to Giles Lyon, Tara Conley, Ed Saavedra, Keith Perelli, and Linda Post. It's replete with links to the artists' websites and the exhibitions if they have been posted online. If you didn't make these shows, indulge in a little artistic self-flagellation and then make pilgrimages to these artist\gallery sites. It will be a redeeming experience.

Giles Lyon's, "Psychedelic Cave Painting" at the Optical Project was on display from April 8 through May 7, 2011. These paintings are created in the tachisme style, which roughly defined is a form of abstract lyricism. These works are not only lyrical but full of many northwest coast art references.

detail of Untitled, 2011

Tara Conley's Word for Word at Laura Rathe Fine Art Gallery was on display from March 26 through April 23, 2011. In this series, Conley, who's always been both playful and clever in her sculptures, gets textual. I don't know if this is a trend or a tangent for Tara. Nevertheless, if you're textually inclined, I think you'll find these terrific.

I Need You To Be With Me, 2011

I Love You But..., 2011
(photo by Robert Boyd)

I'm kind of monogamous, 2011
and
I just want to go back to sleep and wake up last week, 2011

multiple works by Tara Conley, 2011

Ed Saavedra's Things Have Gone To Pieces at G Gallery was on display in April 2011. This show served as a de facto retrospective of Saavedra's mastery of multiple mediums and his many of political subjects.

20 Minutes to Blythe, 2009
Arizona map, cowboy hat (hecho en mexico), acrylic polymer

The Problem of Language, 2010

Flag, 2009
4.5 X 7 inches collage and acrylic paint on wood

Keith Perelli's Perforate at Nau-haus was on display in April 2011. I enjoy his palette but found the monochromatic, multi-layered works the most engaging.

Closing, 2009
Aquarelle Crayon, Mylar, Paper, thread, rivets, 31’ X 24”
(courtesy of Nau-Haus)

Opening, 2010
18” x 24” Monotype painting
(courtesy of Nau-Haus)

Linda Post's Wherever at Art Palace was on display from April 8 through May 14, 2011. This work celebrates the quotidian through photography, video, and sculpture. Her focus captures the beauty of things ranging from industrial design to the daily grind of chores. The video pieces use "movement as a sculptural medium" (I'm poorly paraphrasing Post), and portray the subject's everyday activities with a few surprises thrown in. The most engaging piece was a site specific video that was originally recorded in the space in which it was later exhibited. (Think of being in a room and watching a video of an activity that was performed in that same room.) It was re-exhibited at Art Palace. Hopefully, Post will do a site-specific video at her next show.