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"Paramilitary Show"

Find an artistic commonality between fighting fires and fighting wars

A A A Comments By Blake Whitaker Thursday, Aug 6 2009

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Apama Mackey Gallery’s “Paramilitary Show” at the Houston Fire Museum features contemporary art sharing space with the museum’s impressive collection of firefighting gear. Ronald Moran’s Observance: Gentle Pressure, placed between a 1937 Chevy fire truck and an 1890 hand-pumper apparatus, dominates the entrance of the museum. The eight-foot-tall lace-up boots, coated in a pillowy white material, introduce the theme of the connection between firefighting and the military. Upstairs at the former fire station, Patrick Renner’s Rescue— several half-charred wooden ladders reaching toward the same window — provides an eerie reminder of the profession’s risks. In Different Strokes for Different Folks, Wayne Gilbert crafts a series of earth-toned vertical lines out of unclaimed human ashes. The setting makes the piece, which includes a name below each uniquely colored stripe, even more powerful. A handful of other works complete the artistic half of this unusual partnership. Make sure to take a turn sliding down the pole on your way out. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Through September 19. Houston Fire Museum, 2403 Milam. For information, visit www.mackeygallery.com. $3.
Tuesdays-Saturdays. Starts: Aug. 11. Continues through Sept. 19, 2009