Capsule Art Reviews: "Casual Encounters," "Literally Figurative," "New Art in Austin: 20 to Watch"

“Casual Encounters” Named after the infamous Craigslist
category, this show explores the dangerous, ugly and surreal world that
exists just on the other side of that risky line one crosses when
placing or answering such an ad. From Derek Albeck’s flawless graphite
portraits of hapless, stoned fools to Will Boone’s large-scale Xerox
prints of actual dead bodies, there’s a creepy, desperate cautionary
tale being played out in Domy Books’s little gallery. Patrick Griffin’s
documentary photographs capture street scenes of graffiti and altered
signage in which the urban environment appears to display its abused
soul. French contributes a series of prints depicting iconography in
the medieval/heavy-metal vein, the kind of content that might attract
one’s wildest dream/worst nightmare casual encounter on Craigslist.
Local street artist Give Up had a hand in putting this show together.
His darkly haunting, nihilistic imagery is here, too, but I still wish
he’d contribute something more substantial to gallery shows instead of
the same posters you see on the street. Maybe I should just give up.
Through June 6. Domy Books, 1709 Westheimer, 713-523-3669.
— TS

“Literally Figurative” The Houston Center for Contemporary
Craft consistently displays the fuzzy line between craft and fine art,
and its current show is no exception. Unfortunately, the show’s
curator, Gwynne Rukenbrod, doesn’t have anything fresh or interesting
to say about the distinction. Instead, we get a shallow lesson on the
importance of the human figure in art from the ancients to modern day.
Hold hands, kids, we’re going to the museum; don’t touch anything! She
ham-fistedly includes a slideshow of art-history-101 specimens, like
the Mona Lisa, Michelangelo’s David, etc. — all that’s missing is
some Mozart in the background. Sans the pandering, though, what the
show really conveys is the nonfunctional, strictly aesthetic end of
contemporary craft, and there’s some impressive work. Blanka Sperkova’s
wire-net figures of people and animals are beautifully executed and
transcend kitsch and decor. Beth Beede’s distorted human forms made
from molded felt display skilled expertise matched with dry humor. And
Juliellen Byrne’s ceramic sculptures stand out for their deceptively
innocent auras — anger, vulnerability and aggression lurk
underneath their grotesquely funny and playful outward appearances.
Through July 3. Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, 4848 Main,
713-529-4848. — TS

“New Art in Austin: 20 to Watch” DiverseWorks Artspace is
hosting the third edition of the Austin Museum of Art’s triennial
series “New Art in Austin: 20 to Watch,” and the results are definitely
encouraging. For a Hill Country region known more for fine craft than
fine art, it’s especially surprising to see so many concept-oriented
installation works rather than single-media pieces. Buster Graybill’s
Come Along Johnny, an upended “Jon boat” that juts out from the
gallery wall, displays perhaps the most regionally influenced
commentary in the show. A twisted, mangled mess of inflated inner tubes
bulge from the boat, suspended by a yellow strap. Inspired by trips
from New Braunfels to Austin, the work cleverly reimagines materials to
create a wholly different and bizarre function from its compositional
elements. There’s more wonderful work here by Alyson Fox, Jill
Pangallo, Sarah Sudhoff, Raymond Uhlir, Yoon Cho and Shawn Smith, among
others, but the standout piece goes to Kurt Mueller, who delivers the
most emotionally stirring installation of the lot. For American
Dream, Mueller sets up a familiar assemblage of components:
microphone, amplifier and television screen. Riffing on American
Idol and karaoke culture, Mueller stripped Martin Luther King Jr.’s
voice from the famous “I Have a Dream” speech, leaving only the cheers
of the crowd audible. And instead of song lyrics flashing on the
screen, we get the full text of the speech, highlighted bouncing-ball
style across the words as we’re meant to speak it. It’s a fantastically
simple and elegant work, a fitting statement for the show as a whole
and a fine representation of Austin’s contribution to the Texas visual
art stage. Through June 13. 1117 East Fwy., 713-223-8346. —
TS