Capsule Art Reviews: "2008 Houston Area Exhibition," "Dave Darraugh & Hana Hillerova," "Defending Democracy", "Designed by Architects: Metalwork from the Margo Grant Walsh Collection," "Sterne and Steinberg: Critics Within"

"Sterne and Steinberg: Critics Within" At The Menil Collection, the intimate work of Hedda Sterne and Saul Steinberg is brought to life alongside mementos of their full lives in the 1950s New York art world. Portraits, cartoons, doodles and abstract paintings embody a competitive and playful relationship that transcends both kitsch and fine art. The exhibit includes drawings each did of the other. Clusters of personal sketches by Sterne of Steinberg depict a pious and dedicated workman, while Steinberg's cartoons and doodles of Sterne show her to be a strong and observant companion. Sterne, a former language teacher in Romania, was associated with Abstract Expressionists like Jackson Pollock but refused to go along with prevailing trends in her long career as a painter. Three oil paintings by Sterne open the exhibit; New York VIII (1954) seems variously influenced by early American Precisionists, Matta's detached surrealism and the abstractions of Menil favorite Mark Rothko. Steinberg committed his intellect to illustration, and the infectious humor of his ink drawings became part of the fabric of Madison Avenue history. In Parades, cartoon men drag ink stamps to and fro, while Cocktail Party (1953) depicts a group of people each drawn differently, seeming to bring together a litany of artistic movements for a little small talk and a tipple. Both Sterne and Steinberg like "to take a line for a walk," but always allow themselves to walk their own line. Through August 17. 1515 Sul Ross, 713-525-9400. — SC