“Mel Chin: Rematch”

Houston-born artist Mel Chin expands upon his practice of vigilant self-evaluation as he takes on none other than himself in his first retrospective, “Mel Chin: Rematch.” Works by Chin appear in four different locations in Houston during the exhibition’s run. The pieces at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston highlight Chin’s discrete works — many of which explore the artist’s career-long interest in surrealism and in the social milieu of violence.

CAMH begins with several of Chin’s earlier works, such the Eastern-inspired pseudo-artifact Western Dynasty Urn, as well as Bird in a Cage and Homage to Cornell, after Mallarmé — four flat sculptures that pay tribute to surrealists Cornell and Marcel Duchamp. A sampling of the artist’s multifunctional weaponry is also on display, including an ax made from an encyclopedia and a policeman’s baton outfitted with a microphone — objects with potent physical capabilities as well as clever political symbolism. Chin’s dignified exploration of violence is also highlighted by the well-studied Cluster series: jewelry that repurposes the repulsive yet remarkable patterns created when armaments connect with human flesh. (Previous works include a two-sided amulet based on the entry and exit wounds made by bullets during the Civil War and a brooch inspired by the wound made by a Vietnam-era M-16.)

As CAMH Senior Curator Valerie Cassel Oliver puts it, the show’s debut in Houston is a “collective and communal approach” to celebrating this native artist. Yet CAMH’s works possess a special self-contained elegance, which may not be as potent in Chin’s monumental or temporal projects. This is a rare in-depth look at this remarkable artist.

CAMH hosts an opening reception with the artist at 4 p.m. on January 17. Regular viewing hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays; and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays. Through April 19.
For information, including openings and viewing hours at the exhibit’s additional sites, visit rematchhouston.com. Free.

Sat., Jan. 17, 4 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sundays, 12-6 p.m.; Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Thursdays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Starts: Jan. 17. Continues through April 19, 2015