H.J. Bott and Susan Plum on Video

by Robert Boyd

These two videos, featuring artists H.J. Bott and Susan Plum just popped up on YouTube the other day.


ShauLin Hon, Canticle for Pop!


Susan Plum, Fluid Universe, ShauLin Hon, director of photography

The videos were photographed by ShauLin Hon. His YouTube page is here, if you want to subscribe, and his photography site, SLyworks, is here.

The Part 4: Best (and Worst) of 2011 -- The Houston Art Community Selects their Faves

(Continued from part 3)


Temple Hive by Monica Vidal wowed 'em at Box 13

Monica Vidal, Temple Hive at BOX 13. "I can't wrap my head around all the planning and measuring that goes into Monica's work. The scale of her work is really impressive, and I loved being able to walk into this one (a similar hive at Lawndale was sealed off). Her drawings are also quite nice." That's what an anonymous respondent thought. Maybe Vidal should make a super-giant hive for the West Oaks Mall art space. That would be worth the 20 mile drive to see!

Moving into his new studio. Sometimes the most important art event is purely personal. Earl Staley wrote that his most "memorable event was moving into a studio at 2711 Main St. The rest is noise." That's a great location if you find that you've run out of pthalo green--Art Supply on Main is just downstairs.


Nathan Green's show at Art Palace

Nathan Green, Fill the Sky at Art Palace. An anonymous respondent gave a thumbs up to this show.

Kenn Coplan, Ultimate Kenn at Nau-haus Art Space. One of our anonymous respondents wrote, "Kenn Coplan's solo show was incredibly entertaining. His pieces are crazy. They're so fun to look at and play with. His photography is also outstanding, but I get really excited by his wacky toys and rusty sculptures."


Duck! Curt Gambetta's Office Light at Lawndale


Curt Gambetta, Office Light at Lawndale. Emily Sloan gave the nod to this perversely claustrophobic outdoor installation by Curt Gambetta.


First Take: Okay Mountain Collective at Blaffer Gallery. This got a vote from Brett Hollis, with no word on whether he joined their cult.


Camp Bosworth keeps an eye on everything with Security Camera 1 at Southern/Pacific

Southern/Pacific curated by Paul Middendorf at Lawndale. "The most successful group show I've seen at Lawndale in a long time. I'm excited to see the next installment of this traveling project." That's what an anonymous respondent wrote about this Portland/Marfa/Houston show.


Susan Plum, Nuevo Fuego at PG Contemporary. An anonymous respondent wrote, "Susan Plum's show is just plain beautiful. All of that sparkling woven glass is mesmerizing. Her work feels both earthy and clean at the same time."

Kenn Coplan, Wayne Gilbert & Charles Krafft, Momento Mori at PG Contemporary. "I love Charles Krafft. Enough said. The three artists complimented each other nicely. Wayne's human ash paintings were perfect with Charles' human bone china pieces. Kenn's rust angels and dusty curio cabinet were haunting," was what an anonymous respondent wrote.

Jillian Conrad, Claire Falkenberg, Ian Pedigo, and Brion Nuda Rosch, Related Clues at Inman. An anonymous respondent wrote, "Well to be honest what i really like at Inman is Claire Falkenberg and Ian Pedigo. [M]ust have been 5 or 6 years ago when I [first] saw [Pedigo's] work. He does some pretty cool stuff, but I'm still not quite sure where he is coming from. First time to see Claire's work--like it so far." I thought Conrad and Rosch's work in this show was also excellent.

To be concluded in part 5!

The Zen of Nuevo Fuego at PG Contemporary

by Dean Liscum

In American culture, Buddhas equal zen.

Susan Plum's exhibit Nuevo Fuego at PG Contemporary includes several Buddha busts in glass rectangular cages. They're well executed, but they don't take me there. I look; I appreciate, but I don't transcend.

Red Buddhas I
flameworked pyrex glass, cast plaster, jacaranda seed pods
2011

The most compelling aspects of these pieces are the objects that Plum puts with the Buddhas (jacaranda seed pods with the red one, and amethyst with the blue one) and the flameworked glass frames.

Blue Buddhas I
flameworked pyrex glass, amethyst, cast plaster, enamel
2011

It's these crystalline webs that are transcendent. They are glass filigree. In person, these networks of super-heated silicon are as delicate and complex as my description insinuates. And yet they possess a certain self-sustaining rigor as a space that your mind can inhabit without the fear that it will collapse upon itself.

Weave
Mixed media
2011

I spoke briefly with Plum and she described the process of making them which starts with a straight rod of pyrex glass that is super heated to over 2800 F and is then sculpted and fused. She referred to constructing these weaves as "drawing in 3D," which reminded me of the artist Gego, who had the exhibition Questioning the Line: Gego, A Selection, 1955—1990 at the MFAH in 2005.

Solar Round (from the side)
Fired clay, flameworked pyrex glass, enamel
2011

In Solar Round, Plum's glass weaving combines with other techniques and materials to form my favorite piece of the show. The delicate vortex/nest of flameworked glass mounted on the clay base with concentric circular grooves and the shadows cast by it just work for me.

Solar Round (from the front)
Fired clay, flameworked pyrex glass, enamel
2011

And then there's Branches. This simple, formal piece may be unfairly exploiting my zen state of mind as a result of the "Weaves," but it does it successfully. And although the lighting is terrible for photographs, it actually enhances the experience of the pieces.

Branches
Flameworked pyrex glass branches, natural branches,
latex paint, tin amalgam
2011

If you're in need of a little zen, view these pieces in person. The exhibit runs to through December 10, 2011.