Hey Houston

I had an incredibly inspiring and nostalgic trip to Houston a few weeks ago. What initially caught my attention was Soo Sunny Park's installation "Unwoven Light" at Rice University. Sunny lectured at WashU before my time there but I was introduced to her work when she had an exhibition at Good Citizen gallery a few years ago- smaller scale work that was incredibly detailed and intriguing but left me yearning to see her installations in person. When I was making my annual summer trip home to New Orleans and realized Houston was only a 5 hour drive I rented a car and punched Rice University straight into the GPS. 

I was completely moved by the majestic and almost ethereal experience of the light's transcending quality in the space. This work is a testament to experience as a medium. There is nothing like the physical movement of the light and dancing of colors across the walls that only happens when your physically body travels through the space. Hence my love affair with installation I suppose. 

The remainder of my less than 36 hour trip in Houston was a revitalizing visit to see work that I experienced for the first time 8 years ago on an art department trip my sophomore year in college. On that trip I saw my first Cy Twombly, James Turrell, Dan Flavin, and Rauschenberg in person. It was also my initial exposure to Pipolotti Rist, who at the time had a solo show at the Contemporary. The imagery of her videos and installations were burned into my brain and my naive understanding of contemporary art was turned upside down- although her name didn't stick at the time (probably because of the worldwind of firsts on that trip).  Embarrassingly enough it wasn't until I was writing my Grad school thesis 5 years later and including Rist' work in my paper that I realized it was HER solo show that I was so inspired by from that Houston trip.

The Museum of Fine Arts Houston currently has a retrospective exhibition of Turrells work that is part of the "Turrell Trifecta" -simultaneous exhibitions at Guggenheim, LACMA, and Museum Fine Arts Houston. I recalled how much Turrell that existed in Houston as permanent works and was elated to add more to the itinerary.

Outline of trip and photos:

Rice University Gallery

The Menil Collection

Cy Twombly Museum

Rothko Chapel

Flavin at Richmond Hall

Lawndale Art Center

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft

Contemporary Art Museum

Museum of Fine Arts Houston

Glassel School

Cullen Sculpture Garden

Water Wall

Unwoven Light by Soo Sunny Park at Rice University

                           

                                     

                                     

James Turrell at Museum of Fine Art Houston

                                    

Cullen Sculpture Garden

Dan Flavin at Richmond Hall

                                     

Water Wall