WILLIAM WEGMAN

Normally I think I might be adverse to the whole "me and my dog" art journey thing. However, the somewhat twisted or backwards feel that exists in some of William Wegman's work is very intriguing. He plays with the recognizable form of a dog (a Weimeraner to be exact) in a variety of ways. Either he dresses them up in clothing, or other materials, or uses the dogs' natural poses themselves. While some of his canine photography and prints focus more on exploring the dogs' form in a more classical or symbolic sense, there is always an element of playfulness in his work.

JOAQUIN TORRES-GARCIA:

My father recently came to know one of the board members at the Menil Museum here in Houston. (My father supports me a lot and tries to help me meet people that are involved in art around here) So we had lunch with him today and he gave us a personal walk through of the current exhibition,Joaquin Torres-Garcia: Constructing Abstraction with Wood. I had never heard of Joaquin T-G. but I think that somebody knew I was coming and sent me this show. The exhibit focused mostly on the artist's wood pieces, carvings, sculptures, superimposed paintings, and his wooden toys from the 1920s and 1930s. Although the imagery and textual content was different than mine, his overall aesthetic was quite similar to what I have been trying to achieve lately with wood.

I like his system of compartmentalizing everything in his composition. Everything seems to be there for a reason, and there is a lot of different stuff. Even his small wooden toys were very intuitive. He observed that his children were always interested in finding out how things function, so his toys disassemble in various ways. His carvings and wooden paintings were interesting in that they seemed to be telling the same story, a constantly projected vision of the world and how it should be, or maybe how it already is. He repeats a lot of symbols between works, namely anchors, clocks, fish, and religious symbols.

Garcia lived from 1874 to 1949. Although he was originally from Uruguay, he lived and worked in Italy, France, Spain, and New York. For more images and about the exhibit, click here.

MARIA FERNANDA CARDOSO:

click CARDOSO FLEA CIRCUS to see the videos!

Maria Fernanda Cardoso is a Columbian born artist living and working in Sydney, Australia. I first saw her work in the Sicardi Gallery in Houston, Texas and I later stumbled upon her most famous project: the Maria Fernanda Cardoso Flea Circus. The Circus stars Cardoso as the Queen of the Fleas and features many live performing fleas. It is a varied and interesting performance piece, one which I think speaks directly to her Columbian background. Nature, insects, and animals, are perceived differently in Latin America; there is still an element of mysticism and folklore surrounding them. The flea circus, with its colorful carnival tent, maintains that fanciful, magical realism quality and makes you think (or rather imagine) about the relationship between humans and nature.