aether issue three- fall/winter 2012

aether a visual arts dialogue

AUSTIN fall/winter 2012

ae Collaborators

EDITORS Rachel Stephens Assistant Director • Wally Workman Gallery Amanda Gorence Owner • REP! Curation + Production Judith Taylor Director/ Owner • Gallery Shoal Creek

CONTRIBUTORS Marjorie Flanagan is an Austin art consultant with Art + Artisans Consulting. An avid art thinker and lover, she holds an MA in Art Education from UT-Austin.

Laura Harrison is Assistant Director of Gallery Shoal Creek and is an artist herself with a BA in sculpture from Southwestern University.

Will Hornaday is a graphic designer at Hornaday Design, Inc. He graduated from UT-Austin with a BA in Art, his parents worried.

Erin Keever is a visual arts writer living in Austin, Texas. She teaches Art History at Austin Community College and is currently developing online curriculum in Art History.

Todd Votteler is editor-in-chief of the Texas Water Journal. He has a BS in Natural Resources from The University of the South, an MS in Natural Resources from The University of Michigan, and a PhD in Environmental Geography from Texas State University.

Catherine Zinser is the Curatorial Associate of Prints & Drawings at the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin. She holds an MA in Art History and is an admirer of all things paper.

Copyright © 2012 by AETHER. All Rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part, without the express written permission of the publisher, is prohibited. aether, fall/winter 2012, issue three • contact@aetherart.com • www.aetherart.com (left) Melissa Jay Craig, 2012, Speak for Yourself, cast kozo and kozo hanji, kozo fiber joomchi, procion dyes, hemp cords and linen thread, 10 x 7 x 5.5 in. (cover image) Malcolm Bucknall, 2012, Nereid: Nymph of the Wine-Dark Sea, oil on wood panel, 18 x 24 in.

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aether Here at aether, we embark on our second year of bringing together voices from across the community

for conversation about the visual arts. In this issue, our writers pose questions about identity as they talk with both artists and collectors.

What do collections say about collectors? Will Hornaday shares his leap into collecting and reflects on how art defines who we are. From Erin Keever’s profile of Ricardo and Harriet Romo, we see a couple, both educators, whose commitment to social activism and collecting merged in their early years in California. The result is the most significant personal collection and gift to Texas institutions of contemporary prints documenting the Chicano/Latino movement of the last forty years.

Taking a look at identity on a community-wide scale, we see how we define our cultural fabric collectively. Our editors visited four artists' studios that will be open for EAST—the much anticipated annual East Austin Studio Tour—in November. Now in its 11th year, EAST is one of those homegrown, local events that is pure Austin—no production company, no big backers. It is organized and promoted by individuals working together to showcase the incredibly active arts scene on the city’s east side.

Rounding out the dialogue, writer Marjorie Flanagan once again gives voice to arts education issues.

For her community article, she speaks “the new schoolyard language” with MindPOP founder Brent Hasty. MindPop, through research and collaboration, is working to develop a strategic plan and broad solutions for arts education in AISD. Hasty's drive brings together all the partners necessary to create a new “arts movement” and gives a view of what learning can be for the coming generation.

Through art, we articulate self, build community, and better understand who we are. When we create, collect or engage with art, we define self and who we want to be. More importantly, we come to realize that artists create identities for cultures and societies and that each of us can actively participate. Don't hesitate ... join the visual arts conversation.

–The Editors

Marianne McGrath, Overgrowth (detail), 2011, porcelain, wire, reclaimed telephone pole, 5 x 5 x 16 ft.

Contents 6

HENRY HORENSTEIN / Honky Tonk

10 MALCOLM BUCKNALL / Defining a Collector

16 E.A.S.T. / A Closer Look at Four Studios 34 PROCESS / Priscilla Robinson 42 BOOKSHELF / River of Contrasts

44 SANDRA C. FERNANDEZ / Teaching by Example

48 COMMUNITY / MindPop 50 RICARDO & HARRIETT ROMO / Collecting with a Social Conscience

56 LYUBA & ALEKSANDER TITOVETS / Across Two Cultures

62 DATEBOOK / Recommended Happenings

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Henry Horenstein

Honky Tonk: Portraits of Country Music

by AMANDA GORENCE

For every picture there is a story. For Boston-

based photographer Henry Horenstein, there are many; pictures and stories that is. At once historian and photographer, Horenstein documents the changing world of country music from 1972 to the present in his monograph, Honky Tonk: Portraits of Country Music, released in a second edition this month by W.W. Norton & Co. Originally set to accomplish a PhD in history at the University of Chicago and embark on an academic career, Horenstein became interested in photography during his junior year of college.

He entered into the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and studied under photographers Harry Callahan and Aaron Siskind, completing his MFA in 1973. He might have started a new path, however it was one rooted in his interests; “I always kept what I learned as a historian in mind as I tried to figure out how to make the uncertain transition from academic to artist.� At RISD, Horenstein had many influential teachers, Callahan being an important one, advising Horenstein to photograph the people and places he was naturally drawn to.

This simple idea explains a lot when it comes to Honky Tonk and Horenstein, ardent music fan that he is. The passion he has for the music, the fans, the performers, the scene, and the history is undeniably clear. Perhaps that is why these photographs ring so true in their purity, joy and energy.

We know this project started on genuine interest, but there was something more there for

(top) Country Western Bar & Grill, Highway 41, Nashville, Tennessee, 2008, silver gelatin print, 22 x 22 in. (bottom) Ramona & Grandpa Jones, Grand Ole Opry House, Opryland, Tennessee, 1974, silver gelatin print, 22 x 22 in.

Dolly Parton, Symphony Hall, Boston, Massachusetts, 1972, silver gelatin print, 22 x 22 in.

Horenstein. The 1970s have been referred to as the last great decade of country music. In many ways, Horenstein knew he was witnessing something that would undoubtedly change; “I always saw this as a disappearing world that I wanted to preserve on film. As I look back, many years later, it’s sad to see that I wasn’t far off. Many of the people and places pictured here are long gone, though some have adjusted and survived.” Thanks to Horenstein,

we have an incredibly large archive of images to summon the past.

Spanning over four decades, the photographs take us everywhere, journeying from bluegrass festivals, country music parks, honky tonks and dance halls to late nights at the famous Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge in Nashville and backstage at the Ryman Auditorium during the Grand Ole Opry shows. aether

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Don Stover at Home, Billerica, Massachusetts, 1973, silver gelatin print, 22 x 22 in.

“Tootsie’s was the quintessential honky tonk,” Horenstein says. “It still is. People used to come from all over to meet people, meet the stars, show off what they did, play harmonica, drink beer, Lord knows what. I came for many of the same reasons, but I also came to take pictures.”

Along the way, he also worked for Massachusettsbased Rounder Records shooting album covers,

working in Nashville, New Orleans, and Boston.

Honky Tonk is an incredibly vast and full body of work, not only spanning time and place, but also capturing the myriad performers and fans that were so integral to its heyday. One of Horenstein’s first photographs in this project is a young and bright Dolly Parton at Symphony Hall in Boston

(top right) Lovers, Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, Nashville, Tennessee, 1974, silver gelatin print, 22 x 22 in.

(top) Playing For Tips, Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, Nashville, Tennessee, 1974, silver gelatin print, 22 x 22 in. (bottom) Waylon Jennings, Performance Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1976, silver gelatin print, 22 x 22 in.

in 1972. He went on to capture plenty more big names; Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams, Jr., Loretta Lynn, Emmylou Harris, Jerry Lee Lewis, as well as countless other small town gems around the country. “Meeting Dolly Parton was certainly the most striking memory. But meeting lesser-known performers like Preacher Jack was also amazing.

And especially old timers like Mother Maybelle Carter or the Blue Sky Boys."

Equally important as the performers are the decades of devoted fans, venues, and everyday people that Horenstein weaves throughout the work.

Oftentimes taking center stage with their colorful personalities, they reinforce what we already know—that Horenstein has truly created a time capsule of a very specific world at a very specific point in history. But what sets his time capsule apart from so many others is that he manages to get the whole enchilada: the glitz and glam of the country legends as well as the down home feel of the dive bar and the die hard music lovers within.

“The performers were very interesting of course, but meeting people who love the music and for whom music was so important was a huge part of my intent for the project,” says Horenstein. Rich with character, culture and story, Honky Tonk is a piece of Americana we are truly grateful Horenstein has preserved. ae Horenstein is a professor of photography at RISD and has authored more than 30 books. He will visit Austin this month as a featured author at the Texas Book Festival. A selection of Honky Tonk: Portraits of Country Music will be on exhibit at grayDUCK Gallery October 26-28 with an Opening Reception on Friday, Oct. 26, 7-9pm.

Hen r y Horenste in • w w w . h o r e n s t e i n . c o m

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Malcolm Bucknall: Defining a Collector

by WILL HORNADAY

When my wife and I got married 15 years ago

we agreed that for anniversaries, birthdays, and Christmases we would give each other art. Because of this policy we have collected a lot of great pieces from some wonderful people. I can tell you what holiday or anniversary each piece in our house was from and it has deepened the personal value for what we have on our walls.

Our first introduction to the work of Malcolm Bucknall was ten years ago. Our neighbors at the time, Hugh and Claudette Lowe, had a piece by Malcolm hanging high in their stairway— a softer, rounder interpretation of Audubon's Roseate Spoonbill. This quirky, extraordinary painting only added to our affection for the Lowes. Claudette is someone who is loved by everyone and Hugh

is a man who begins and ends most sentences with "God Dammit"; when Claudette goes out of town, Hugh immediately changes their answering machine message to "Claudette's not here right now, she will be back Tuesday —call back then."

We idolized them and loved that they voted for Democrats, went to Boys Town with Ann Richards, lived in a house made of pink granite, had chickens, walked to work downtown, had congressmen to their house, had a lion's paw lamp, and drove a 1964 ford pickup, plus an S—class Mercedes. We wanted to be them. Short on money, poultry pens and political connections, we opted to buy a piece of Malcolm's. This purchase would be the most we had ever spent and it was going to have to be anniversary number five, and Christmas, and possibly Ground Hog's Day — we would just have to see.

Malcolm Bucknall, Roseate Spoonbill, 1970, oil on canvas, 60 x 48 in.

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Hanky Spanky, 1997, ink on paper, 14 x 12 in.

Old Indian with White Poodle, 1976 oil on canvas, 30 x 38 in.

A common friend arranged our studio visit for a foggy Saturday morning in mid-March. Malcolm and his wife greeted us in their house along Shoal Creek and guided us around, pointing out pieces he had made over the years. Some we instantly recognized, like a dog falling from the sky that was used for album cover art for The Jesus Lizard and a split single image used by Nirvana and The Jesus Lizard of an American Indian and a poodle. All along we were not sure what was for sale and what was for him to keep— and we were too grateful just to be meeting him to ask, so we all smiled politely.

There was a set of pen and ink drawings and smaller paintings with titles like Hanky Spanky and other slightly naughtier titles that I have since forgotten.

At one point Malcolm slyly leaned over to us to

whisper one of those titles with a raised eyebrow, it caused the visit— even now — to be burned into my memory, the smell of oil paint, the gloomy day, the soft carpeting in their home and the visual greatness of the art on the wall.

There were five pieces that seemed to be the most for sale —arranged on easels in his studio and on the wall going upstairs— I knew this because he lingered around them longer than some of the others. Quickly my wife Amy and I were in silent agreement on Malcolm’s rendition of a JeanAuguste-Dominique Ingres painting Princess de Broglie of a woman in a blue dress and pearls.

Malcolm had removed the head and replaced it with that of a deer. It was perfect. The price was

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Lady with Fish, 1967, oil on canvas, 48 x 36 in. (opposite) Dear Deer, 1997, oil on canvas, 28 x 22 in.

revealed and we fumbled for a check that was going to squeak through the bank.

For some reason, instead of going straight to the car and preparing our next meal of ramen noodles, we peeked into his garage and in front of the Volvo was a painting with big strokes and lots of blue and green and a big-eyed woman in a red dress holding a big-eyed fish by its tail. We asked him about it and he told us it was from 1967 and it was from a study of the perfect woman form. And it was kind of sooty from the car exhaust, and the kids used to use it as a table tennis backstop. The painting was added to the tab, we must have asked him not to cash the check for at least a few weeks.

I think our friends associate us with these pieces, Malcolm helped us define who we are and what we appreciate. She, Lady with Fish, now hangs in our 14

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kitchen and Dear Deer above the fireplace. Both are so special to us—not for their monetary value or simply the expertly executed artistic style—but as a reminder of us then, our friends whose friendship made the meeting possible and of a wonderful man who —whether he knows it or not— is a part of our family on the wall and in our hearts, God Dammit. ae

Ten years later Malcolm Bucknall continues to create animal/human, old master/photo-realist mashups that embody elegance, technical wizardry, and sly humor. He views his paintings as progeny and loves to place them with compatible folks like the Hornadays. Bucknall’s latest painting is reproduced on the cover of this issue of aether.

Along with other new works, it will be exhibited at the Wally Workman Gallery in February 2013.

M alcolm B u ck n all • w w w . w a l l y w o r k m a n g a l l e r y . c o m

E.A.S. east austin studio tour

A closer look at 4 of this year's to Ender Martos Michael Yates Jason Webb Marianne McGrath

.T.

op studios

PAINT

ender martos

2803 E. 5th Street Ender Martos grew up in Merida, Venezuela.

Merida is a city built where the tectonic journey of the Andes mountains come to an end. Martos relates this geographic landscape to his formative years as an artist. Much like the mountain range in its nature, Martos was a rebellious teenager and his art in turn, visceral and erratic. He later discovered the stability reminiscent of those mountains when he studied technical drawing for five years in middle and high school. Martos received a BFA at the University of Texas at Austin in 2008. Contrast and movement are dominant elements present in his work, along with symmetry, color and shapes.

He often explores geometric abstraction of color and progression of lines.

Preparing for EAST: I enthusiastically started in 2012 with a new body of work where I have been exploring and expanding my concept of geometric abstraction with degradation of color, the interaction of light, and a sense of depth to create an optical illusion for the audience of EAST and beyond.

This is his 1st year participating in EAST.

Medium and Materials: I prefer to work with acrylics because of the speed in which they dry out. This is especially important in my paintings where I have a juxtaposition of shapes creating a geometric pattern; therefore, acrylics allow me to go from one section to the next in no time. What I really love are the new materials I have been incorporating into my artwork, like transparent Plexiglas and colorful fishing line. I am incredibly enamored of how light travels within fishing line translucently.

EAST experience: As an artist, this is going to be my first year. I am truly excited to be a part of EAST, especially this year, where not only am I going to expose my art to the regular audience that usually participates in this event, but also to a greater and worldwide audience due to the Formula One weekend.

Work environment: The most crucial element as I transition into painting is simple; harmony within my surroundings. Music at all times, great illumination and accessible tools must be present; each and every one of these factors play a part in the harmony gear that contributes to the creation of my artwork.

(top) Chromo Fiber Interference, 2012, acrylic and fishing line on Plexiglas, 11.5 x 11.5 in. (bottom) Chromo Fiber Interference II, 2012, acrylic and fishing line on Plexiglas, 13 x 13 in.

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Cosmos Indentations, 2012, acrylic and fishing line on Plexiglas, 11.5 x 11.5 in.

Vertical Indentations, 2012, acrylic and fishing line on Plexiglas, 11.25 x 11.25 in.

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Axis chairs in cherry and Danish cord

WOOD

michael yates

618 Tillery Street

Austin native Michael Yates recalls his first introduction to woodworking when he stumbled upon the student center workshop while studying electrical engineering at Texas A&M. His passion developed when his studies led him to Japan where he discovered the graceful and deliberate nature of Japanese building processes that influence his custom style today. Upon his return, he departed from his engineering career and founded Michael Yates Design in 2003, a comprehensive design and woodworking business. Yates combines inspired Japanese technique with a thoughtful and modern approach to create exquisitely handcrafted custom pieces.

This is his 7th year participating in EAST. EAST experience: This will be my 2nd year on the tour in this studio.

This is a great space because it's a lot of bang for your buck, we have an incredibly good mix of diverse and quality 2D and 3D artists. And...we have a seesaw.

Best part of being in EAST: EAST is a milestone for me each year. When you're preparing to submit to EAST, you're going through your work and hopefully it's better work, more work or both. It's a nice way to gauge progress. It’s also motivation to get that thing out of my mind and crank it out in time for EAST; it lights a fire under me. You get it done because people are going to walk through that door.

Favorite medium and piece: I prefer walnut because of the way it looks and it's great to work with. Chairs are my favorite thing to make. A chair has to do such a very specific, intimate thing with an organic shape; the human. The thing is, if you notice a chair, it's not a good chair. That's why I like making them and that's why it's hard. I'm always trying to make a better chair.

Principles that guide process: Flexibility: Being flexible is important. The wood tells you what it wants you to do. You can’t just bend it into shape; you can’t try to man over nature, you really have to bargain with it. You have to be deliberate with woodworking. Foresight is key; you typically have to design 7-9 steps down the road.

Finishing: Finishing is everything. You can work forever on something and make it beautiful and then ruin it with one step. It’s so painfully true. aether

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(left) Mahlab stools in walnut (above) Axis chairs in walnut and Danish cord (bar height)

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PAINT

jason webb

ArtPost / 4704 E. Cesar Chavez Jason Webb is an urban explorer, intrigued by derelict buildings and the chaos they offer within.

His paintings serve to elevate the subject matter, providing the viewer with a fresh look at things that would otherwise go unnoticed. Webb grew up in Round Rock, Texas and received a BFA at Jacksonville University in Florida, specializing in 3D computer animation. After graduating, finding a job in computer animation proved difficult, and it didn't help that his heart wasn't fully in it.

In 2009, he embarked on the more engaging, less practical route of pursuing painting full-time and moved back to Austin. He recently participated in Symptoms of Structure at grayDUCK Gallery along with Becky Joye and Rebecca Rothfus.

This is his 4th year participating in EAST. EAST experience: What sets ArtPost apart as a unique EAST experience are its large outdoor spaces, multibuilding architecture, including converted WWII Quonset huts; but especially its diversity and density of artists. To say that ArtPost offers something for everybody is unforgivably corny, but true.

Favorite part of EAST: The kids' responses are the best. They have less of a filter; their honesty is refreshing. Last year, this little boy just marched in and said "It's just trash" and walked out. I loved it!

Early inspiration: When I was in first grade, a painting of mine was chosen to be displayed in the downtown Austin offices of my elementary school's namesake, a distinguished Austin attorney and State Board of Education member, Will Davis. In retrospect, that kind of early deep-seeded positive reinforcement must have made it almost impossible for me to be anything but a painter.

Process: My work is about elevating things with no perceived value. I browse Google Earth to find locations; cracked parking lots and other signs of decay point me to abandoned spaces. There is actually this whole subculture of urban explorers and now that more people have seen my work, I'm getting contacted with suggestions. aether

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Passing I, 2011, acrylic and marker on canvas, 24 x 28 in.

(top) Discard Pile I, 2012, acrylic on illustration board, 10 x 8 in. (bottom) Discard Pile II, 2012, acrylic on illustration board, 10 x 8 in.

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INSTALL

marianne mcgrath

ArtPost / 4704 E. Cesar Chavez

Marianne McGrath is an installation and sitespecific artist hailing from Oxnard, California. Both a ceramicist and sculptor, she works with clay in unconventional ways to communicate her message.

Her work is a contemplation on material, process, and object metaphors, inspired by change, memory and landscapes lost. She received an MFA at the University of Texas at Austin in 2007 and currently is a professor of ceramics and sculpture at Temple College in Temple, Texas. She has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions and looks forward to an artist residency in 2013 at A.I.R. Vallarius, in Vallarius, France.

This is her 3rd year participating in EAST. EAST experience: EAST is a big date on my calendar, as both an artist and a viewer of art. I'm proud to be a part of ArtPost; it's a very inspiring space with almost 30 people creating within its studios.

Best part of being in EAST: EAST has become another great iconic Austin event.

It is a fantastic community builder and connector that provides an opportunity for the artists living and making art in Austin to open their studio doors to their neighbors. EAST exposes just what a dynamic visual art scene exists here and continues to thrive everyday.

Materials: I work in a variety of mediums. My materials have always been really important to me. I think it's essential for any artist to take responsibility for what materials they’re creating in; they have an ability to communicate on their own means just by being what they are.

Meaning in process: I like the idea of the objects I create existing as residual artifacts of the art-making process. The fact that some of these pieces are going to be fired to maturity and be around for tens of thousands of years encourages a sense of responsibility within me as an artist. Art has the power to bear witness to the world long after the creator is gone, and it is important to keep that in mind while creating.

Fenced, 2011, porcelain, reclaimed wood, 8 x 3 x 3 ft.

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Roots, 2010, earthenware, tree roots, 6 ft. x 6 in. x 5ft.

Overgrowth, 2011, porcelain, wire, reclaimed telephone pole, 5 x 5 x 16 ft.

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Pris ci l l a Ro b i n son

Process

PAPER: Nature as Muse and Medium Priscilla Robinson is into process. As a plein air painter in the 1980s, she made all her own pastels. Now, as a successful fiber artist, Priscilla spends hours, days and weeks creating her medium— paper. “As a plein air painter, I focused on panoramas. Now, I’m focused on the microcosm— the plant. Nature is my muse and medium.” Priscilla finds magic in the arduous transformation of plant into paper. With each step of the process, the fiber grows, shrinks, softens, hardens.

It is a reminder that the material used to be alive and, in a way, the paper making process is a continuum of this life.

Here is how she does it.

To begin, most of the time, the idea starts before the choice of fiber. However, they are so intertwined it can be hard to tell which came first. It sounds ironic, but lately, I have been using my iPad to sketch patterns inspired by the repetition I see in nature. I then think of the mood I want the pattern to convey, which will then dictate what fiber I choose. For example, hemp is very rough while mulberry is very soft and delicate.

Once a fiber is chosen, I boil it in an alkaline solution in a Louisiana Cooker to remove the acidic properties and to soften the fibers. This gets rid of the impurities and boils the fibers down to the cellulose— the part you actually want to work with. This typically takes 2 hours. I know it is ready when it can be pulled apart easily between my fingers. Then, I rinse it 7 or 8 times in a cool bath to remove the impurities that have boiled out.

After the fibers cool, they are poured into my Holland Beater for varying amounts of time.

A Holland Beater grinds the fibers, physically flattening them and filling them with water.

You want the fibers filled with water so all the microscopic strands tangle up in themselves.

To create over-beaten flax, the fibers are beaten for 14 hours. This creates high-shrinkage effects

and causes the paper to look similar to leather. If you want more fibers showing, it should be beaten for a shorter amount of time. That’s the fun of making paper; you can control the edge and the thickness. After beating, the mixture is transferred to a vat of water. This suspends the fibers and prepares for hydrogen bonding where the water acts as a glue. aether

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Now, the mixture is ready to be strained in a mold.

I make most of my molds; the different shapes and screens will dictate the thickness, size and shape of the paper. I love a deckled edge, so I use my triangle mold a lot to maximize this effect. I’m not making paper for typical use, so my screens don’t have to be completely even. Imperfect paper is more interesting for my purposes. I like a variation of depth. But if you are creating paper for traditional uses like stationary, you will need a professional mold that drains evenly. I have a copper and mahogany one that creates beautifully thin and even results.

The next step is to “couch” the paper. Couching is the technical term for lifting sheets of handmade paper onto the board on which they will be dried.

The mold is flipped onto the drying table. I use a flat surface or a template if I want to create texture.

I have dozens of templates carved into gator board or insulation foam with a dremel. Each mold has a separate pattern that is derived from the repetition I find in nature. The mixture fills in the recesses of the template and once it dries, the paper is textured with the pattern. If I am using a highly

beaten fiber, the fibers will pool in the recesses but shrink away the relief, creating a translucent pattern.

Drying tables are very expensive. So, my drying table consists of a hose with punctured holes hooked up to a scuba tank with a drain faucet. It acts like a wet vac with more pressure. A layer of mesh and plastic is laid over the paper to create a drainage seal. This setup is outside; so drying times vary greatly with the temperature and humidity. I would say that the weather is the largest barrier to overcome in the whole process. Not only does it affect the paper, but it affects me too! In the summer, I can only make paper between 6 am and noon. In the winter, I can look like the abominable snowman.

Once the drying table has removed most of the water and the fibers will no longer fall off the mold, I stand them up out in the sun to harden. That’s when the Texas heat is actually a plus! Then comes one of my favorite parts, pulling the paper off the mold. It easily peels off and then you have this incredible embossed surface to work with. aether

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Depending on the desired effect, I paint the paper or leave it natural. I mix and thin my acrylics with water in a blender (as you can see from the very clean pictures of my studio), sometimes adding various mediums like reflector beads or interference pigments so the paint interacts with light interestingly and then I pour the mixture into a milk jug. I spread plastic down and cover the floor with multiple sheets of embossed paper.

The paint is poured over the paper right there on the floor. I don’t use sizing, a gelatin substance to reduce absorption, because I want the paint to go all the way through the paper. If you are creating stationary or something similar, you will want to use sizing so the ink will not bleed. In my work, the paper is the substrate supporting the paint. Some colors sink faster than others; that

difference creates natural changes in texture and color that I have learned how to control over the years.

The paper is now ready to be shaped, sewn or glued to wooden panels or grids that I also construct myself. Most of the time I hide the mounting techniques but sewing paper is so incredible that lately I have been exposing the stitches. The idea that paper is sourced from fibers just like fabric but has different properties is something that I am having fun exploring. Also, right now, a lot of my work is focused on reflections and how we see light. I use fused glass, mirrors and metallic foils to play with transparency and color in relation to fiber. I have a kiln behind my studio as well, but that’s a whole different story. ae

Vibes, 2012, hemp and metal leaf, 32 x 19 x 2 in.

P r i s c i l l a R obi n s on • w w w . w a l l y w o r k m a n g a l l e r y . c o m

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bookshelf RIVER OF CONTRASTS: The Texas Colorado Margie Crisp / Texas A&M University Press 2012 reviewed by TODD VOTTELER, PH.D.

River of Contrasts recounts a journey from the headwaters of the Colorado River to the points where the river melts into West Matagorda Bay, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway or the Gulf of Mexico. It is also a journey through time as Margie Crisp traces the history of the river occasionally through geologic time, but mostly from the time of European settlement to present. Along her journey she is assisted by family, friends, ranchers, farmers, recreationalists, and many others who live along the river.

The descriptions of the river and the surrounding landscape along with the life histories of the denizens of water, land and sky provide the reader with a geographical and ecological context to the trek as she and her ever changing array of companions paddle, hike and drive from the High Plains to the Gulf Coast.

Crisp records her journey not only through her words, but also through vivid digital photos,

rich silkscreens, and exceptional linocuts and lithographs. The artwork records the fauna and flora of the Colorado River along her voyage. Her magnificent artwork is rich and vibrant. With each new piece of art the reader is rewarded for turning the next page. I found the hand-colored linocuts and lithographs to be my personal favorites, in particular Early Spring in the Basin, Reserved Beauty, River Revealed, Cliff Swallows, Summer River, New World, and Barn Swallows I & II. Along her journey Ms. Crisp can be forgiven for carrying her heart on her sleeve, and one remembers that this is but one perspective on the history of the Colorado River, a river that she loves. Ms. Crisp makes no apologies for baring her emotions throughout each page of her journey, nor is one necessary as River of Contrasts unfolds like the river's own personal diary.

From the Acknowledgements to the final page, River of Contrasts reflects a societal perspective on the Colorado River that like Heraclitus over time is never the same, as the river itself is also in constant change.

Pond Cycle, 2012, silkscreen with hand-coloring, edition of 50, 14 x 22 in.

Like the other books in this series, River of Contrasts is not intended to be an objective assessment of the state of the Colorado River; it is written from the perspective of an artist and naturalist, not the perspective of a scientist or hydrologist. The critical tone of the discussion of the Lower Colorado River Authority is a familiar theme in some of the other books produced in this series by Texas A&M University Press and the River Systems Institute at Texas State University. Yet one must ask, without the Highland Lakes could Austin have become a center of culture and learning whose influence has radiated out across the globe?

The author gets much of the water policy right, but there are a number of notable exceptions (one for example is that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issues permits to withdraw surface water, not the Texas Water Development Board as stated in the book). Occasionally, there are statements that are incorrect (one, for example, is that water spilled over the Canyon Lake spillway for the first time during the 2002 flood, not the 1998 flood as stated in the book).

Crisp includes a handy guide to resources on the Internet and additional reading on the Colorado River. One book that readers should consider adding to her comprehensive list is; Alvin Wirtz, The Senator, LBJ and LCRA; Ken Kesselus (2002).

All in all River of Contrasts reveals that Crisp clearly has a rare combination of gifts as an artist, writer and naturalist. ae Todd Votteler is editor-in-chief of the Texas Water Journal. He has a B.S. in Natural Resources from The University of the South, an M.S. in Natural Resources from The University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Geography from Texas State University.

Margie Crisp is an artist and writer from Elgin, Texas.

She is represented by Wally Workman Gallery, where her artwork from the book will be showcased October 20-November 10. There will be an opening and book signing October 20th. Margie Crisp is the official artist of the 2012 Texas Book Festival.

M a rg i e C r i s p • w w w . w a l l y w o r k m a n g a l l e r y . c o m

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Sandra C. Fernández Teaching by Example

by CATHERINE ZINSER

As an assistant professor at the University of

Texas at Austin, Sandra C. Fernández seizes the opportunity to instill a love of traditional printmaking and book arts into the next generation of artists. Popular culture is hardwired for immediate results; it expects and demands an uninterrupted flow of new gadgets and devices, each designed to make life more streamlined. With one, quick swipe, a deluge of information is literally at your fingertips. In a good wi-fi zone, Shakespeare, Twain, and Austen materialize with a five second download. But for some, half of the experience of immersing oneself in a story is thumbing the pages and marking the margins. Oh, and the smell!

That musty aroma that wafts through the heavy, wooden doors of a library is a mixture of paper, wood, leather and dust. What it really is, though, is the smell of ideas, imagination, history, religion, politics and culture; and bibliophiles savor it.

Fernández was bred to love books. In Ecuador, her grandfather purchased and resold libraries and amassed a large collection of 16th-through 18th-century tomes. She studied Literature and Sociology in her early college years, and helped her grandfather in her free time. “The tactility of books, the smell of them, it was part of my upbringing.”

An introduction into printmaking and book arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison offered Fernández the opportunity to fuse a love of paper and the printed word with her newly discovered craft.

La Torera, 2011, etching and chine collé, 13 x 11 in. (left) Peso Pluma, 2012, etching, 25.5 x 19.25 in.

Text plays a central role in her artwork—appearing in script, elegantly scrolled across the print, or collaged onto the sheet. Fernández incorporates pages from a damaged 18th-century book using a technique called chine collé—a process that adheres a thin sheet of paper to the print when put through the press. “The text is there for an aesthetic element.

I use the paper to enhance the work, to give it color and depth, but interestingly enough the subject ties up nicely with each piece.” The rows of text combine with several different etching techniques yielding beautifully subtle textures. Though tonal, her prints are largely linear. Even in her three-dimensional aether

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Sitting Over The Edge, 2011, etching and chine collĂŠ, 13 x 11 in. (opposite left) Her Majesty, (detail) (opposite left) Her Majesty, 2012, etching and chine collĂŠ, 29 x 40 in.

pieces, linear elements such as colorful stitching help guide the eye across the surface.

In her work, Fernández explores issues of abandonment, sexism, political freedom, war, and dislocation. She was born in Queens, New York and spent her formative years in Quito-Ecuador.

Though an American by birth, she felt like an outsider when she moved stateside at the age of 23. Feeling isolated, Fernández used her artwork to connect with other Latino printmakers at Coronado Studio in Austin and through Consejo Gráfico, a network of print workshops fostering the advancement of Latino printmaking in the United States. Finding validation within a community of other Latino artists has impacted Fernández so profoundly that she, in turn, reaches out to the next generation. As a professor, Fernández has a unique opportunity to not only sharpen the technical skills of her students but also to guide them in finding their artistic voice. “I am particularly interested in teaching younger Latinos about their heritage and what it means to be Latino—it is very little known to them and to society in general. There are clichés about Latin America; but the culture is so varied, so strong.” Printmaking is incredibly important to the cultural history of Latin America, especially

in Mexico. During the socialist revolution of the 1910s and 1920s, print shops were set up to spread information and ideas quickly. What better way to channel one’s ancestry than to work in the medium of masters such as Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros.

Fernández combats the notion that printmaking is a dying art by showing powerful images by master printmakers in her classroom and at the Julia Matthews Wilkinson Center for Prints and Drawings at the Blanton Museum of Art. Teaching by example, Fernández shows her students how they can profoundly impact contemporary society with a medium that has been relatively unchanged for centuries. Computers are amazing devices but they can’t mimic craftsmanship. Fernández found a place in the art world where tradition meets cutting edge; a place where these two aesthetics can thrive harmoniously. ae Catherine Zinser is the Curatorial Associate of Prints & Drawings at the Blanton Museum of Art at Austin. She holds an MA in Art History and is an admirer of all things paper.

Sa nd r a C Fernández • w w w . g a l l e r y s h o a l c r e e k . c o m

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community

the new schoolyard language

by MARJORIE FLANAGAN

Like a girl on a blind date, I nervously await the arrival of Mr. Brent Hasty, executive director of MindPOP. Our casual conversation about the nonprofit organization charged with closing the crack between Austin’s arts community—abundant with music, dance and visual culture—and students and schools gets my gears turning. As a lover of the arts and an ex-arts educator, I remain eager to see the development of MindPOP and bring you a few POPS on its origins, programming and funding.

Origins Founded in 2009, MindPOP’s mission stems from the idea that all children deserve arts education. Year after year, educators and arts supporters agree there is a lack of access to “arts rich” opportunities for students in Austin. Instead of band-aiding this issue, MindPOP thought a better understanding of the problem might result in longer term, broader solutions. They gathered 150 educational leaders to discuss the barriers to arts education. The group identified a lack of 4 things that cause obstacles to the arts: coordination, equity and access, professional development and measurement. MindPOP’s goal of highly integrated arts education is defined by their research identifying effective teaching strategies, monetary support to arts education programming and professional development provisions within AISD.

Programming The first few years of MindPOP were spent largely on research, i.e., what is the problem, why should we look for solutions and how can we solve it? Research was needed to quantify the effects of arts education and help target specific strategies within the arts that help build brain function. In other words, how might counting dance steps translate to learning multiplication tables? The collected data and results helped AISD and the City accept and understand why the arts are important and in turn collaborate to make access to arts programing a priority. By utilizing the data, MindPOP safeguards the development of a unique model of proven arts methods. With the support of AISD’s superintendent, key administrators, and the City of Austin, MindPOP’s long term systems ensure the survival and eventual redefinition of arts education and teaching standards.

The Any Given Child designation allowed MindPOP to aid in the roll out of a pilot program at six schools in the McCallum Vertical Team which included an AISD and community-wide audit to find out what was needed within schools to be “arts rich.” Results declared a strong foundation was necessary: one including time, money, principal support, positive attitudes, afterschool options and knowledge about art. The pilot program also included professional development for school staff about how to implement arts educational strategies within all subjects and disciplines. This teacher development aspect plays a significant role in the ability to reach a range of students who may or may not be taking targeted arts classes. The final piece of the puzzle is to measure the effects of the programming and replicate a large scale version district wide. MindPOP will certainly tackle those items in 2012 and 2013.

Funding MindPOP coordinates collaboration between educators, arts groups and funders. Founders believe that by developing a strategic plan and working within the Independent School District system, students’ art needs will be best served. Bridging the gap between the arts rich community of Austin and the children attending our local schools is key. MindPOP is generously supported by local and national groups including: The Still Water Foundation, Webber Family Foundation, Applied Materials Foundation, the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, Tapestry Foundation, The Genevieve and Ward Orsinger Foundation, The Prentice Foundation and the Austin Community Foundation. In 2011, the City of Austin was named a city partner by the John F. Kennedy Center For the Performing Arts. The Any Given Child city-partner designation aids in the development of long term arts education plans utilizing the local community. MindPOP will manage the Any Given Child/AISD/City of Austin collaboration and coordinate the implementation of the new arts education programming.

It wouldn’t be a stretch of truth to call Brent Hasty an arts superhero. He is imaginative and artistic yet fully focused on the task at hand. He sees the big picture. In his words, he isn’t looking to create a program or an organization, he is looking to build “an arts movement—easily structured and part of the schoolyard language”. It is Hasty’s hope that MindPOP will create a framework for schools that recommends where they should spend art dollars while effectively explaining why. One thing is clear, MindPOP is making powerful strides in bringing arts education to the forefront of educators minds. ae . aether

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Collecting with a Social Conscience Ricardo and Harriett Romo

by ERIN KEEVER

This month the McNay Art Museum in San

Antonio presents Estampas de la Raza: Prints from the Romo Collection. The exhibition celebrates gifts made by Dr. Ricardo and Dr. Harriett Romo.

It, along with an impressive catalogue published by the University of Texas Press, marks an important event for the museum. Known for their collection of modern Mexican printmaking, the McNay now adds 200 works by Latino and Chicano printmakers from the 1960s to the 2000s. These prints, in addition to being wonderfully colorful and bold visual statements, “are in the service of social activism”, points out the McNay’s Curator of Prints and Drawings, Lyle W. Williams.

Harriett and Ricardo Romo began to give away portions of their print collection to the McNay in 2008. Williams says, “At first, they gave us a few prints by Luis Jiménez, César Martinez, Vincent Valdez and others. The number of gifts increased dramatically in the next couple of years.” While the Romos’ overall collection includes other media and a good deal of Mexican work, this gift’s focus is on prints made by Chicano, Latino and Mexican American artists mostly based in California and Texas, two states in which the couple have lived and worked.

Today Ricardo Romo is the President of The University of Texas at San Antonio. His wife Harriett is a Professor in the Department of Sociology as well as being the Director of the Mexico Center at UTSA. Their married life began in Los Angeles, where they moved after graduating from The University of Texas at Austin in 1967. In L.A., both taught in inner city schools and attended UCLA. It was also in L.A. that they were introduced to the California Chicano movement along with its burgeoning art scene. The collecting seed, as they say, was planted.

Their collecting started out modestly. The very first art purchases were by Harriett on her travels to Latin America. They included a drawing she saw by a Colombian artist Bogotá and a Pre-Columbian ceramic work. Back in California, she fell in love with a Francisco Zuñiga drawing at a colleague’s home, which prompted the couple to visit the B. Lewin Gallery, specializing in work by Mexican artists. It was the early 1970s and they paid $90 a month on rent. Even so, they continued to visit the Beverly Hills gallery and eventually managed to finance a lithograph by Rufino Tamayo. Ricardo explains, “Tamayo was our first print. It was a stroke of luck really. We followed up with a few more and then a Siqueiros.”

Estampas De La Raza, Lyle Williams, McNay Museum, Published by UT Press, 2012 Cover art: Raul Caracoza, Young Frida (Pink), 2006, screenprint, image 36 1/8 x 26 1/8 in.

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So the first works were by Mexican artists; “When we began, we bought things for our home, things we liked. I’m a historian, so the works appealed to me because of their historical significance.” But as time went on and their activism increased, the Romos began to train their attention on work by Chicano artists.

Two events helped define the Romos’ collecting tastes. The Los Four, an exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum (LACMA) in 1975, was a Chicano artist collective originally made up of Frank Romero, Carlos Almaraz, Roberto de la Rocha and founder Gilbert Luján. The exhibition was a major milestone and LACMA became the first mainstream museum to recognize the importance of Chicano Art in America. Piggybacking on the attention that the LACMA show drew, Ricardo was moved to organize Arte Picante at The University of California San Diego’s (UCSD) new gallery, gaining exposure for the gallery as well as Chicano and Latino community issues.

Another influential experience in L.A. was meeting Sister Karen Boccalero and the staff at Self Help Graphics. Founded in 1973, Self Help Graphics was (and is) an important community arts center and workshop in east L.A. It grew up alongside a cultural renaissance that was part of the Chicano Movement. They offered students afterschool activities including classes in screen printing and lithography. Their annual sale featured work by both students and teachers. Many of the young artists they cultivated attained national and even international success. The Romos bought numerous prints at these sales, fully aware that in doing so, they were helping the non-profit’s mission to impact social change within the Chicano community through art.

Collecting and social responsibility remained integral when the Romos moved back to Texas.

Ricardo decided to accept a position at The University of Texas at Austin while Harriett finished her PhD. They quickly immersed themselves in Austin’s Chicano art network, frequenting their friend Gilbert Cardenas’ Gallery Sin Fronteras.

Harriett sat on the La Peña organization’s board and Ricardo joined Laguna Gloria art museum’s board. At Laguna Gloria, the Romos met artists like Mel Casas and Luis Jiménez. Ricardo interviewed Jiménez for an article for Humanities Texas, which led to him buying their first print by the artist, Southwest Pieta.

When the Romos traveled for conferences outside of Austin, they sought out galleries that specialized in Latino, and more particularly, Chicano Art. They were single-minded in their acquisition criteria.

“We travel and go to lots of museums and it is tempting, say in Santa Fe, to buy some Southwestern Art, but we stop ourselves and ask, do you have any Chicano, Latino or Mexican American Art?” To those thinking about collecting, Ricardo also advises, “If you’re interested, let your heart and your passion lead you.” To which Harriett adds, “and stay focused.”

They still buy through Self Help Graphics as well.

When Sam Coronado told them about his idea to create a workshop in Austin using Self Help as a model, they came to his aid. They bought a series of the artist’s prints, enabling him to purchase a new space, which became Coronado Studio, where artists can practice serigraphy or silkscreening.

Coronado also founded the Serie Project, a nonprofit organization with a mission to create and promote serigraph prints created by Latino artists from Texas, the United States, and abroad.

Not only do the Romos purchase through galleries and non-profits, but sometimes directly from the artists. Harriett appreciates the connections made through these exchanges, confessing, “We like to meet the artists and get to know them and their work on a more personal basis. I can’t think of one artist I did not like.” Ricardo enjoys studio visits as well, so much so he has begun to photograph artists

Juan Miguel Ramos, Virtual Tejanos, 2002, screenprint, image 16 x 22 in. (opposite, top) Tony Ortega, La Marcha de Lupe Liberty, 2006, screenprint, image 23 x 16 in. (opposite, bottom) Sam Coronado, Quince, 2008, screenprint, image 33 7/8 x 24 in.

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Vincent Valdez, Round 10, 2010, screenprint, image 30 1/8 x 22 1/8 in.

in their studios as part of a larger photo project.

Some of these photos will be on view at the McNay exhibition in an introductory video.

When asked when the idea of making a gift came about, Ricardo points out that early on when they were active in the Chicano Movement, they couldn’t really afford to invest in work in a serious way. “We had our kids and were in graduate school, with limited resources.” He said it was “sometime during the 1980s that we knew it was not just for our home.” He recalls a conversation he had with James Michener, who officed down the hall from him at UT Austin. Michener had made a large gift to the Archer M. Huntington Gallery (now The Blanton Museum of Art). Romo says of Michener, “He told me ‘I have all of the paintings in photos in a scrapbook at home, and if I miss them I can open it and look at them.’” Romo continues, “Michener thought he should let other people enjoy the art. It’s much better to share.”

Later when the Romos moved to San Antonio, they realized the McNay did not yet collect Chicano, Latino and Mexican American Art in a serious way. Ricardo says, “We decided we would have a strategy, a strategy to jump-start the museum’s collection. So we started out by giving them 50 pieces.” Around the same time they began to give a significant number of works on paper to the Benson Latin American collection at UT Austin.

Williams says, “Working with the Romos has been tremendously easy and fun. The great thing about having the Romos and their collection close at hand is that when I was researching and writing the catalogue, I could call and ask if they had x, y, or z, and might I have it for the McNay. They always said yes. Their generosity has been inspiring. And, yes, they do continue to acquire things with the McNay in mind. I think it is something of a relief that they

can give things to the museum and know that we will take care of them for future generations to enjoy.” While personal pleasure has been a part of the Romos’ collecting life, the social value of giving has won out. Ricardo says he is passionate about art and collecting can be considered a hobby but, “My goal was not to collect stamps and put them in a closet and leave them there for my kids when I die!”

This fall’s exhibition of the Romo collection at the McNay will benefit the art world by revealing a critically important aspect of contemporary American printmaking. It serves the local community immensely, as Latinos are now the majority of the population in San Antonio. This and future exhibitions, as well as programming and publishing, will contribute to the field and to cultural awareness of Latino issues. And Williams notes, “Perhaps more important is the fact that every semester we host hundreds of area college and university students for print history and connoisseurship classes in our print room.

Even though a much wider public will see some of the Romo gifts in the exhibition, the prints have already been put to use in these classes. It’s great for these students to see prints made by their fellow San Antonians in the McNay’s collection; it is an empowering experience.” Helping the artist, the non-profit, the institution and the student; this is what makes an art scene, and a society thrive. ae Erin Keever is a writer and visual arts critic living in Austin, Texas. She teaches Art History at Austin Community College.

ESTAMPAS DE LA RAZA: Contemporary Prints from the Romo Collection, is on view at the McNay through January 27, 2013.

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Lyuba Titovets, Spring in the Studio, oil, 30 x 24 in.

Across Two Cultures

Lyuba & Aleksander Titovets

by JUDITH TAYLOR

I first met Lyuba Titovets and her husband,

Aleksander, in 1996. The occasion was the Denver Artists of America show, a national invitational at the Colorado Historical Museum. Lyuba had the countenance of a storybook Russian princess. Petite, with flowing dark hair, she had a graciousness about her that said, “I am very comfortable with who I am.” The crowded festivities did not faze her. Close by, Aleksander was enjoying the camaraderie of the other artists around the table. Jovial and animated, he had the ruggedness of a man used to the harsh Russian winters.

ON THE BORDER This summer, I visited with Lyuba and Aleksander at their home in El Paso, Texas. From the balcony of their spacious second story studio, we could see Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico. Scanning the panoramic view, Lyuba pointed out the man-made wall that defined the border between Texas and Mexico.

Barriers, whether they are physical, political, or economic, are part of any immigrant’s story.

By 1992, the political climate was changing in

the Soviet Union and that spring, the Titovets, along with Lyuba’s parents, were able to leave St. Petersburg for the West. The conditions under which they were allowed to exit required them to leave Russia permanently, taking only a few personal items and twenty five dollars each. They arrived in El Paso, where Lyuba’s uncle lived, not knowing what to expect.

Over lunch I asked both what they valued most about coming to the United States. For Lyuba, “It is the opportunity to be yourself and pursue your own path.” Under the Soviet system, artistic policies were restrictive, and there was no market economy for art. Aleksander added that “being respected and accepted” was also important. He expressed his gratitude for the people of the border, “Here, at the crossroads with so many immigrants, no one ever made us feel awful with ‘oh, you are Russian!’

People were eager to share their culture with us.”

In the U.S., they found opportunity and support.

Their adopted community warmly embraced them.

Within a few short years, the duo had established themselves professionally. Now, twenty years later, the classically trained artists are nationally recognized and highly collected.

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(left) Aleksander Titovets New Beginning, oil, 34.5 x 40.5 in. (right) Lyuba Titovets Winter Tradition, acrylic, 10 x 8 in.

VISUAL STORYTELLING Lyuba grew up in St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) amidst the city’s cultural richness. The only child of two engineers, she describes her parents as Russian intellectuals known for their love of culture. She says, “I was surrounded by it. At five, I began my first art classes; at ten, I began art school. My dreams were different from those of my friends. For me, creating art was almost like breathing.” Lyuba earned her BA and MFA at the State University of St. Petersburg’s College of Fine Arts. Exploring a range of creative ventures, she worked in stage and costume design, illustrated books, and was involved with the development of an art history program which integrated history, philosophy and the arts. As a painter, Lyuba’s talent lies in her visual storytelling. When she first arrived in the U.S., she captured and shared her homeland’s cultural heritage in folkloric paintings. These festive village scenes conveyed universal themes, community traditions, and social interaction. Today, Lyuba

finds joy in everyday happenings and regional customs—everything from small town Fourth of July celebrations to country western dancing. One of her favorite places to visit when she’s in Austin is The Broken Spoke, a local institution. The country western dance hall, which brings together people of all ages, provides a counterpoint to the festivals that she recalls from Russia.

Lyuba gravitates to the simple things in life— enjoying a cup of tea with a friend, as we always do when I see her, or gathering an armful of pomegranates from the trees in her backyard. She is acutely aware of her surroundings and sketches constantly. A bowl of peaches or a shawl draped casually over a chair might catch her eye. On canvas, artistic harmony takes hold as she distills and arranges these elements from her environment to create grounded, yet vibrant still lifes.

THE LAST LIGHT OF DAY

Like Lyuba, Aleksander received his MFA from the State University of St Petersburg. It was there they met. A large portrait of the two on campus, painted by Aleksander, hangs in their home as a reminder of their student days and early years of marriage.

The decision to emigrate was a difficult one, especially for Aleksander, who left his family behind. He grew up in a cabin in the woods of western Siberia, the youngest of three boys. He reminisces, “We did not have much, but we had a big family and were very happy.” His work is derived from his childhood experiences within that environment. “Watching the last light of

day, [I felt as if I] could melt into nature.” These recollections continue to resonate as he gravitates to what he calls “quiet paintings” which express a sense of solitude as well as a reflective spirit. His strong, confident brushstrokes and harmonic use of color create inviting warmth that dominates even his signature winterscapes.

Aleksander’s painterly style reflects the Russian School of Oil Painting, a genre that combines a powerful realistic element with the soft, lyrical looseness of impressionism. By moving from areas of detail to less literal imagery, he achieves a rhythmic complexity and a sensitivity rarely seen in landscape painting.

Aleksander Titovets, Hushed Treasures, oil, 24 x 48 in.

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Aleksander Titovets Winter Glow, oil, 11 x 14 in.

Memories of the Russian countryside dominated his work in his early years in Texas. “Like all artists, I am most comfortable painting what I know,” he admits. As his connection to his new environment became stronger, he added regional imagery to his repertoire. He found similarity, and perhaps comfort, in the forested areas of New Mexico. With an endearing sense of irony and humor, he told me that he had never encountered a bear in Siberia as he has on several occasions near Cloudcroft. The twinkle in his eye assured me that his emotional ties to his adopted home are strong.

AN OPTIMISTIC SPIRIT

Back in the Titovets’ spacious studio, I had a chance to preview new work for a fall exhibition which will celebrate the couple’s success in their adopted country. As Aleksander lined the walls with paintings, I was immediately drawn to one of Lyuba’s canvases, Spring in the Studio. The jeweltoned vignette is an inviting composition depicting a vase full of crocuses, a bowl of orange fruit and a figure seated in the background. The artist’s

placement of the figure and a partial banister establishes perspective, pulling our eye into the scene. A balance of textures, shadows, and a vernal palette convey the comfort of home, and a sense of serenity and warmth.

Propped on the opposite wall was Hushed Treasures, Aleksander’s evening view of the city of El Paso. His impressionistic interpretation of an expansive evening sky, glowing above mountains dotted with city lights, seems a world away from the last light of his homeland. Both of these new paintings represent the life the two immigrants have built in the U.S. I was reminded of an observation made by Aleksander’s professor, Leonid Krivitsky.

“You got your education in Russia, but you became an artist in the United States.” The remark summarizes both Lyuba and Aleksander’s artistic accomplishments. They arrived in the United States two decades ago with few possessions but an innate artistic talent. With that talent, and optimism as bright as the sunlight that shines on their studio walls, each has used their rich visual language to communicate their experience of a new culture. ae

A leksa nder & Ly uba Titovet s • w w w.ga l ler yshoa lcreek.com

Lyuba Titovets, Night, oil, 30 x 24 in.

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datebook OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

through December 2 NEW WORKS: APRIL WOOD Laguna Gloria/Gatehouse

November 2 through December 22 FUTURE-PERFECT-IN-PAST TENSE grayDUCK Gallery

April Wood is a metalsmith artist working with the complex relationship between food and the body. Wood is interested in the ritual process of eating and the tools societies use to feed one another. For the artist, eating is a form of consumption, which can span a range of emotions, from pleasurable to horrific, from overindulgent to controlling.

Future-perfect-in-past Tense is an absolute-relative tense that involves three points in time. The tense refers to a time that is in the future, relative to another point in the past, but is in the past relative to a point in its future. This exhibition brings together 9 local and national artists from our past and our future. Here is a chance to view a diverse set of interpretations on how history affects who we are, and who we will become.

through January 6 I HAVE SEEN THE FUTURE: Norman Bel Geddes Designs America Harry Ransom Center Geddes was both a visionary and a pragmatist who had a significant role in shaping not only modern America but also the nation's image of itself as leading the way into the future. The show explores the life and career of this complex and influential man and is organized into five thematic sections.

October 20 through November 10 MARGIE CRISP: RIVER OF CONTRASTS Wally Workman Gallery Hand-colored linocuts, lithographs and silkscreen prints by artist and writer Margie Crisp will be on display in the gallery's upstairs exhibition space. All the works are pieces included in her recent book by the same name.

October 26 through 28 HENRY HORENSTEIN HONKY TONK Portraits of Country Music grayDUCK Gallery Honky Tonk is a collection of black and white photographs captured between 1972 and 2011 that document the changing world of traditional country music and its fans.

Matthew Winters

November 3 through 24 ANNE SIEMS Wally Workman Gallery In works on paper and panel, Siems' figures hover in transparent lace costumes amid pastoral scenes adorned with botanical and faunal companions. She is inspired by her love for the work of the European Masters and Early American Folk Art. Her pieces ruminate on life and death, sensuality, sexuality, nature and the realm of dreams, psyche and spirit.

DECEMBER November 10 through 18 EAST AUSTIN STUDIO TOUR hundreds of east side studios

The East Austin Studio Tour is a self-guided tour and celebration of east Austin’s creative culture. A free nine day event, spanning across two weekends.

Experience the vibrant energy of east Austin by exploring the work of hundreds of artists in their studios, gallery spaces and a number of exciting art events.

November 17 through May 5 RESTORATION AND REVELATION: Conserving The Suida-Manning Collection The Blanton Museum of Art Go beneath the surface of old master works to explore how the convergence of art and science can reveal new discoveries and understanding about paintings and drawings while preserving them for future generations.

December 1 through January 17 TRUE FALSETTO: Lauren Kelley Women and Their Work Kelley creates stop motion animations that will bring you into her world of True Falsetto. This work is an interdisciplinary effort exploring notions of strength. The genesis of this work is a response to 70s politics that altered the general perception of women from weak to strong.

December 1 through 22 ANGIE RENFRO Wally Workman Gallery Angie Renfro's paintings are compelling explorations of the beauty of standing apart. Through stark subject matter like factories, weeds and ships at sea, she describes the strange gracefulness of being alone. Her austere compositions are painted with loose, bold strokes using a simple, sophisticated color palette. Wistful and filled with a sense of longing, each work is a vignette of powerful quiet.

November 29 through January 12 SHAWN CAMP + BEILI LUI + SANDRA PRATT Gallery Shoal Creek

December 8 through January 19 GROUP HOLIDAY SHOW Davis Gallery

Working on the fringes of landscape, three Austin artists investigate density through collective markmaking. Whether using a literal buildup of paint or intertwining linear forms, their surfaces undulate from concentrated density to open expanse.

Showcasing an array of both traditional and contemporary by a selection of Davis Gallery artists. Image pictured to the right by Lisa Beaman. aether

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next issue

Spring/Summer 2013

ae aether (Greek αἰθήρ aithēr[1])

n. 1 the material that fills the region of the universe above the terrestrial sphere 2 a medium that in the wave theory of light permeates all space and transmits transverse waves 3 personification of the sky or upper air breathed by the Olympians.