“Chicome-Xochtli’s Children”

You don’t have to brush up on Aztec history in order to enjoy “Chicome-Xochtli’s Children” at Art League Houston, but it wouldn’t hurt. The title of the show refers to the Aztec god of the arts; each of the show’s four participating artists lives in the Gulf Coast region, the area once inhabited by worshippers of the deity.

Painter Daniel Anguilu has, over the course of his career, moved his graffiti-style work from unsanctioned street spaces to museum walls, including those at the Art League, during a previous group show. In this exhibition, he’s showing some 50 new, highly stylized, colorful paintings on wood, in acrylic pens and paints as well as spray paint.

The show also features paintings by Arielle Masson, who addresses the theme of place with her images, made up of layers and layers of pigments she mixes herself. The works seem to be fragments of frescoes that have been removed from ancient buildings and framed.

Robert Castillo’s confrontational photographs, which reflect on his experience as a soldier and a Native American, are also on view. Two figures, a military officer and a -detainee in a variety of situations, appear in most shots.

And Humberto Saenz, who focuses on Mexican immigrant culture in his prints, rounds out the show. In one work, a person hides behind a huge cactus in the desert while another lies on the ground, bleeding, nearby. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. Through April 22. 1953 Montrose. For information, call 713-523-9530. Free.
Mondays-Saturdays. Starts: March 11. Continues through April 22, 2011