“Courbet and the Modern Landscape” Realist painter Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) is widely considered the forerunner of the impressionists for his “radical” self-expression at a time when the popular French Salon championed conservative, narrative painting. That said, don’t expect anything as provocative as his 1866 works The Origin of the World (a close-up depiction of female genitalia) and The Sleepers (a painting of two lesbians), both of which were banned from public display, in this exhibit. On the other hand, Courbet’s rebellion against romanticism is perhaps most evident in these remarkable landscapes. The Gust of Wind (1865) carries all the touchstones of his groundbreaking techniques — the knife scrapings, stippling, delicate strokes countered with huge, sweeping gestures — to render an oncoming storm over a rock face, hills and trees. The Stream (1855), first in a series of paintings of the Black Well, a site in Ornans, France, contains abstract elements in its shadowy, murky rendering of a dark forest stream. There’s something nightmarish in these pictures, as opposed to Courbet’s seascapes, which carry a bright, inviting coolness, even in his depictions of turbulent waves. Through September 10, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 5601 Main, 713-639-7300.
“Houston Folk: African American Self-Taught Artists” Right now, the self-taught artist is hot subject matter for galleries and museums. Recently, the MFAH staged its big-deal exhibition of self-taught juggernaut Jean-Michel Basquiat, and its current Gee’s Bend quilt exhibit continues the trend. Last year, the Menil showcased the work of folk modernists Bill Traylor and William Edmonson. Houston is a natural champion for this horribly underrated work: So much of it exists here. In “Houston Folk,” Texas Southern University’s University Museum highlights ten black artists from this area, and the results are impressive. While each artist contributes charming work, much of which documents and renders the black experience, two artists stand out. Phyllis Harris’s quilts run the gamut from a tribal African scene to a portrait of Buffalo Soldiers to one called Larry’s Travel, a delightful amalgamation of tourist T-shirts from places like Taos, Aspen and Lake Tahoe to Texas curiosities like Luckenbach and Jefferson. There’s even a shirt from Montrose’s own Black Labrador Pub. Steven Murray’s collages and sculpture really hit the mark. His tribal-influenced chess pieces dazzle, and his 28 Ships, a collection of ships and tiny figures in bottles, which chronicles the slave trade, alone is worth the visit. Through September 10. 3100 Cleburne, 713-313-7120.
“John Szarkowski: Photographs” While employed as director of the photography department at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, Minnesota native John Szarkowski championed documentary-style street photography, works that resembled his own ’50s photos. Since retiring in 1991, Szarkowski has continued to photograph — mostly landscapes. “John Szarkowski: Photographs” combines his early and recent work, and the results are underwhelming. In the early photography, people and urban architecture make up most of the subjects. One portrait of a man smoking gives off a sense of great weariness. Other street scenes ripple with energy, but the landscapes feel downplayed and catatonic. The curator, Sandra S. Phillips, writes, “Szarkowski’s most recent pictures of apple trees heavy with abundant fruit and of the fading summer light on the meadow behind his barn, possess a freedom of expression and quality of transcendence that is extraordinary and new.” These photos demonstrate nothing new or extraordinary, other than a peek into the daily doings of a bored, retired museum curator. He takes pictures of his property. Through September 17 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 5601 Main, 713-639-7300.
“Survivors’ Journeys” This educational exhibit profiles the lives of Holocaust survivors who immigrated to Houston. Hanging posters display portraits and an account of how each survivor endured unimaginable tragedy, how they eventually came to Houston, and their impact on the rapid growth of this city. Also on exhibit are photographs, newspaper clippings and other curious objects, like a military prayer book abridged for Jewish soldiers. Here in Houston, the trauma of the Holocaust can feel faint or even removed. This exhibit is an important reminder of how deep the wound really is, and how becoming a Houstonian and participating in a community helped some survivors get closer to healing theirs. Through September 17 at the Holocaust Museum Houston, 5401 Caroline, 713-942-8000.
“Witnesses to a Surrealist Vision” A 1950s Hopi Kachina doll based on Mickey Mouse, a coconut seed that looks like a butt, and a creepy-looking 18th- or 19th-century “Wildman” leather suit studded with leather spikes from the dark recesses of Germany or Switzerland are among the 133 objects coexisting in the intimate space of “Witnesses to a Surrealist Vision,” an ongoing show at the Menil Collection. All of the objects in this exhibition were either owned by the surrealists or are similar to those that they collected, according to the exhibition text. And the 130 remaining objects are all equally weird. Tucked into a small darkly lit room in the back of the Menil’s permanent surrealist exhibition, “Witnesses” is a treasure trove of amazing, eclectic objects. It re-creates the idea of the Wunderkammer (“room of wonders”), a cabinet of curiosities — natural and unnatural, real and fake. It’s a wonderful insight into the surrealist vision, as well as a provocative juxtaposition of objects from all over the world, with an emphasis on works from Africa and Oceania. The tiny space is one of the jewels of the Menil Collection, but one you might forget about in the midst of all its temporary exhibitions. 1515 Sul Ross, 713-525-9400.
This article appears in Sep 7-13, 2006.