L O C A L A E S T H E T I C M
A
G
A
Z
I
N
E
An inside look at San Antonio’s local art world
GREG G. MACHETE
A month after the mayhem San Antonio’s
Chuck Ramirez introducing
gone but not forgotten
Liz paris 2010
FOTOSEPTIEMBRE January 2011
L O C A L A E S T H E T I C
Kat: Founder, Editor-in-Chef & Photographer
Felicia: Co Founder, Writer,
Mike: CO Founder, Writer
James: Co Founder, Writer
Liz Paris, Writer
contributors Jaime Alexander TreviĂąo The OďŹƒcial Fotoseptembere Xavier Ramirez For more information on contributing to Local Aesthetic please call 210.748.2982 or email us at localasa@gmail.com
Contents
Jan. 2011
EDITOR’S LETTER
Dear San Antonio,
I would like to first take this opportunity to mention the tragic loss of our one and only Chuck Ramirez. He was a great inspiration to artists young and old. My first internship in college was at the Blue Star Contemporary Complex. You could say that Chuck Ramirez was a household name there. I was only privileged to meet him a few times but he quickly became an artist that I looked up to and was inspired by. Bright, funny, loving, talented and brave only begins to describe him. To the community he was so much more. Chuck knew that life should never be taken for granted. He was a loving friend, brother, uncle, son and even acquaintance. From South Town to Stone Oak he will truly be missed. Chuck Ramirez 1962 - 2010 2010 has passed me by so quickly. I know that it has been a hard year for many in San Antonio and for others it has been nothing short of a blessing. I for one am extremely excited to see what the new year brings. My resolution is to learn from the past, hope for the future and be thankful for the present. No matter if you are a chef, producer, painter, photographer, dancer or writer, create something that expresses you this year. From the bottom of our hearts here at Local Aesthetic, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Editorial
08 The Year of Dylan 10 Posts on Celeste’s Wall
Sounds
16 Greg G “ Talented is an Understatement”
Taste
58 Chef’s Choice 62 Photo Documentary of the CIA San Antonio
Sights
26 The Subconscious Effects of Blobs 30 FotoSeptiembre 37 Machete 42 ‘Tierra, Libertad, Y No ReElección!’ 46 Mother 54 San Antonio’s Great Loss
Calendar
73 Galleries and events
PHOTO SHOOTS I STAGING I EVENTS I HOME I OFFICE
A N -T I L -O -K
W
E
E
fresh
U R B A N F L O W E R S
BROOKE HARRIS I 210.382.5181 I BROOKE @ANTELOQUY.COM
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Do you have a Story, Photograph, Event, Painting, Sculptor, Design, Recipe, Album, Organization, Announcement, Drawing, Video, Movie, Poem, etc. that you would like to share with your city? Submit it to: localasa@gmail.com
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Welcome to the Library Editorials by Felicia Esparza
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
The Year of Dylan By Felicia Esparza
I’d been pestering James, my
welcome us. Dylan is sometimes
boyfriend, for a cat every day of the
mean and moody but he’s alive and
summer, waking him up by meowing
happy and smart and is always sure
in his ears as he slept. When he finally
not to scratch or bite too hard when
agreed, we spent a day adopting a
he knows we’re just playing. Dylan
kitten named “Nick” who eventually
was still small when my mom died
became our “Dylan”. Like his
suddenly this year, he was around
namesake, Dylan, from the start, has
when I cried, when I needed
been full of surprises and a lot of
distraction from the dark and hollow
trouble. When thinking of things from
place that can follow death. It was
this year, things that mattered, things
an odd realization, knowing that
that were important, things that
Dylan was still alive, still growing and
happened that showed me
discovering and breathing today and
something, I thought of James and I
would be tomorrow, but that my
thought of Dylan. My cat. You see,
mother would no longer. Dylan has
Dylan, for me and for James, is an
been a light, a stunning reminder of
example of the success of us working
the simplicity and joy of love and of
together at something. However
the delicate nature of life. And for
severely sassy and misbehaved he
these reasons and more, when I think
can be, Dylan is also at the door
of what 2010 has been, is now and
every day when we come home with
what it will always be for me; I think of
a sleepy meow to
it as The Year of Dylan.
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Dylan Love Courtney
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Posts on Celeste’s Wall By, Felicia Esparza
Celeste and I have been friends for years, originally bonding over our Gap jackets and a love for the tortilla soup from Arizona Café we often ate as an excuse for gossipy lunches during our time working together at City Hall. Celeste has been an amazing friend and we’ve shared many moments (this is starting to sound so Gayle and Oprah...) that have been special. When Celeste moved to Houston to be the Beyonce to her husbands Jay Z (who got a new job there), a little piece of my heart broke and is only really ever mended when she visits or I visit. A major reason Celeste leaving was so lame for me was that we talked about everything under the sun; I would go on and on about this and she would go on and on about that. To satisfy my need to (over)share everything with Celeste, I often resort to Facebook to share and post links to news I deem “major”. In the near year she’s been gone much has happened that we haven’t skipped a chance to speculate, judge, and ‘chisme’ about. In the spirit of End of the Year lists, I’ll share with you some of the things that, over the past year, have been posts on Celeste’s wall: Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
- Kim Zolciak gets pregnant http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20451181,00.html
Probably the biggest news for Celeste and I this year was Kim Zolciak, star of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, announcing her surprise pregnancy. Huge fans of the Real Housewives franchises, we’ve followed Kim since we first met her as a millionaire’s mistress who was also, of course, an aspiring singer. One huge single (Tardy for the Party anyone?) and drama filled Real Housewives seasons later Kim Zolciak’s big blonde wig and even bigger attitude give me and Celeste a lot to keep talking about. - Angelina from Jersey Shore releases a single http://www.tmz.com/2010/11/11/angelina-jersey-shore-song-im-hot-rapmusic/
Ok, had to take a breath before I started this one. Angelina, the biggest shit starter I’ve ever witnessed (and that’s saying a lot) released a single this year simply titled “Im Hot”. The song isn’t singing as much as it is rapping, or not even as much rapping as it is, well, just talking over an actually catchy tune (catchy enough to stay in my mind two numbing hours later). With lines like “I’m hot/so hot/like an ice cream cone with a cherry on top” the song is a lot like Angelina in that it’s like that little gnat you just can’t quite swipe away and just keeps coming around until you pretend it doesn’t exist anymore. - What the hell is wrong with Camille Grammer? http://www.usmagazine.com/moviestvmusic/news/camille-grammer-kelsey-gotme-on-housewives-so-he-could-cheat-20102710
Camille Grammer is the soon to be ex-wife of Frasier star Kelsey Grammer. Recently voted “Most Hated Housewife” by one of the many bestselling supermarket tabloids that feature her face, Camille makes no fans on the show, displaying odd and stunningly selfish behavior. I’d say Celeste and I probably dislike Camille (soon to be $50 million richer after her divorce from Kelsey) the most of all the Housewives... but shit, she keeps me watching. - Snooki got arrested http://www.tmz.com/2010/07/30/snooki-seaside-heights-new-jersey-mtvarrest-police/
Celeste and I want to party with Snooki. Really. A lot of people can’t understand my fascination with Snooki and sometimes I can’t explain it either but that’s just it... sometimes you can’t explain why you like something but whether it makes you laugh or makes you cringe or just entertains you, you like it, and you don’t have to justify that shit to anyone. Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
This past summer Snooki got real wasted at the beach and started a lot of ruckus and got arrested and bailed out of jail by JWOWW (best friend ever) and I can’t wait to see the episode documenting the whole thing this January. - Snooki’s new man http://www.wetpaint.com/jersey-shore/articles/snookis-new-man-jionni-lavalle
After all the trouble Snooki had this past summer (see above) Snooki met a new man. I like to think of Snooki as my main homegirl who had some problems being too big of a party all the time and had this catharsis that allowed her to find herself somewhere in all that and came out a stronger woman with a brand new awesome boo. Been there homegirl! (note: Snooki’s new man looks like a Guido Ken. Real cute!) Note: Celeste and I have now moved our daily ‘chisme’ convos to Twitter, you can follow us there @_shinesobright (celeste) @beansieweensie (feli)
music
local film
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Food dance
art
Reviews
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
s c Mu ic M si M s c s c i u u s i u c s M i c u i M u c s M i u s i M c s M s c u i s c Mu ic M si c c u M u i u s M s c i c M si u i s M c u s M u i u c s c Mu i M s c i c M si M u c u s i M i u s c Mu i M s c s c Mu ic M si u u i c u s i M c s M i u s i M c u s i u c s M M s c Mu ic Mu si us ic Mu sic M usi c u i s c Mu ic M M c s i u s M c u i u c s M i u s c M c s M si c i u s M c u i u c s M i Mu si c M usi c Mus ic Mu sic Mu usi c M us ic M s s c Mu ic M si M si c c Mu si u u i i u i c s M c u M u c s M i c u s i M c s M i u s i M c u s i u c s c Mu i M s c s c Mu ic M si M s u i u s i M c u s i u c s M c u s i M u c s M i c u i M s c u i s c Mu ic M si M s u c s c Mu i i M c Mu si s M u u c s i u i M s c Mu ic M si M s c s c Mu ic u u i u c s M i u s c M c s M si c i u s M c u i u c s M M si s c Mu ic Mu si M si c c Mu si u u i i u c s M c u i M u c s M i c u s i M c s M i u s i M c u s i u c s c Mu i M s c s c Mu ic M si M u i u s i M c u s i u c s M c u s i M u c s M i c i M s c u i c Mu si s M u c s i u M u i s c Mu ic M si M c s u M u c i u s i M s c s c Mu ic M si M s c c u u i u i M u c s M s c M si c s c Mu ic Mu si M si c u u M si s c Mu ic Mu si M si c c Mu si u u i i u c s M c u i M u c s M i c u s i M s c s c Mu ic M si M i u s u c u s c Mu i i M s c Mu ic M si M s u i c u s i u c us ic Mu sic M usi c M us ic Mus sic Mu si c M M s c u i s c Mu ic M si M c u M u i u s M c s M si c u i s c Mu ic M si c c u M u i u s s c M si c M si c M us c Mu ic Mu si u M si s c Mu ic Mu si M si c c Mu si u u i i u c s M c u i M u c s M i c u s i M s c s c Mu ic M si M i u s u c s c Mu i i M c Mu si s M u c s i u i M u s c Mu ic M si c s u s M u c i c u i Mu si c M us c Mus ic Mu sic M usi c M us ic M Mu si c M usi c Mus ic Mu sic M usi c M us ic Mu si c M usi c Mus ic Mu sic M usi c M us ic i M ic Mu usi c M us ic Mus ic Mu sic c M usi c Mus M s i M si us c Mu i ic M
M
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
s M s c s c Mu ic Mu si ic M usi c u u i u i i M c s M c u s i M c s M i u si c Mus ic Mu sic M si c M us ic Mus ic Mu u i s c Mu i M c s u s M c u s i u c s M i Mu sic c M usi c Mus ic Mu sic Mu usi c M us ic Mu si c M usi c Mus ic Mu sic M usi c M us ic Mu si c M usi c Mus ic Mu sic M usi c M us ic i M ic Mu usi c M us ic Mus ic Mu sic c M usi c Mus s c Mu i M s c c M si s M si c u i u i u s M s c u i s c Mu ic M si M c u M i u s i M c u s i u c s M c u s i M u c s M i c u Mu si c M usi c Mus ic Mu sic M usi c M us ic Mu si c M usi c Mus ic Mu sic M usi c M us ic Mu si c M usi c Mus ic Mu sic M usi c M us ic i M ic Mu usi c M us ic Mus ic Mu sic c M usi c Mus s c Mu i M s c i c M si s M u s i u i u c s c Mu i M s c s c Mu ic M si M u i u s i M c u s i u c s M c u s i M u c s M i c u Mu si c M usi c Mus ic Mu sic M usi c M us ic Mu si c M usi c Mus ic Mu sic M usi c M us ic Mu si c M usi c Mus ic Mu sic M usi c M us ic i M ic Mu usi c M us ic Mus ic Mu sic c M usi c Mus s c Mu i M s c i c M si s M u s i u i u c us ic Mu sic M usi c M us ic Mus sic Mu si c M u M s c u i s c Mu ic M si M c u M u i u s M c s M si c u i s c Mu ic M si c c u M u i u s s c M si c M si c M us c Mu ic Mu si u M si s c Mu ic Mu si M si c c Mu si u u i i u c s M c u i M u c s M i c s M s c s c Mu ic Mu si M si c i u u M s s c Mu ic Mu si M si c c Mu si u i u i u i c s M c u s M u c s M i c u i M s c u i s c Mu ic M si M s c u u i s i M u c s M c u i M u c s M i u s i M c s M s c i u i s c Mu ic M c u s M u i u c s c M si c M si c M us c Mus ic Mu si u i u M c s M si c i c Mu si u s M c i u i s c Mu i M s c u M c u i u s M i u s M c s i u s ic M usi c M c u i u c s M M s s c Mu ic Mu si M si c c M si u i u i u c s M c u s i M u c s M i c u M s c u i s c Mu ic M si M si c u u i s i M u c s M c u i M u c s M i u s i M c s M Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
GREG G. “Talented”
is an Understatement Interview and Photography by Kat Carey.
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Spend enough time driving through Texas, and you will inevitably cross paths with several entities. Blue skies, wide-open spaces, probably some cows, and a chain of restaurants known simply as “Dairy Queen”, all staples of the southern United States, serve their purpose of reminding you where you are, and what you can expect down the road. In the last few years, one figure has taken it upon himself to enter those elite ranks as a Texas staple, blazing a trail in music as exciting as it is powerful. This path belongs to Greg G. Since 2002, Greg G (aka The Golden Child) has been on a straight shot to the top of Texas’ music scene, unparalleled even by industry standards. While most artists spend years perfecting their craft, Greg was signed to “Holla At Ya Boy” Records the same year he even began producing beats on a Radio Shack keyboard. By 2003, Greg had moved to Dallas, founded Golden Productions (the company he still produces with to this day), and began working with Strong Arm Entertainment, a group affiliated with Rockafella Records. However, it was in 2004, upon relocating to San Antonio, Texas, that Greg began to find his niche. Within three years, Greg opened his own studio, co-founded Dynamak Entertainment, released D.E. Mixtapes 1-5, and was crowned San Antonio’s “Top Hip Hop Artist” (at the age of 22) after a performance thrown by Cricket Mobile. Between local news coverage and attending music classes at UTSA, Greg has spent the last three years playing shows with Texas legends like Bun B, Slim Thug, and Question. He has produced and written for Grammy-Award winning artists Bizzy Bone (of Bone Thugs & Harmony), and Toni Braxton, and with the help of projects like King Mike’s “Rambis” mixtape (garnering 15,000 downloads in the first two days upon release), Greg had made a name for himself as not just a performer, or producer, but both equally. Now, with the upcoming release of his mixtape “The Golden Child”, and the startup of his website www.GoldenChild210.com, the world may very well get a taste of what Texas has been listening to for some time… another Golden Production.
BIO courtesy of GoldenChild210.com
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Local: What was the moment that you knew you wanted to be an artist? G: “I was making beats on my RadioShack keyboard at the time, and I was like “Man, I think I want to write a song” so I wrote a song about my first love. She was in Florida and we had just moved to Texas and it was called “I’m lonely.” Then my second song was called “Why You Gotta Lie?” because she had cheated on me. My mom came in the room and she was like “You should write a rap to it.” I was like “Man. Rap? I don’t rap. How am I supposed to do that?” and my mom said “You could rap. The song calls for a rap.” so I wrote a rap to it, and I sang to it, and that’s how I formulated my whole style. I was like “I can make beats, rap and sing. I should do it all instead of just trying to do one.” My parents always taught me that you could do more than just one thing. I always played multiple sports football, basketball, baseball, everything like that - so why not do that in music? So at that exact moment, I was like “man, I wanna do this.” So that was a pivotal point for me. Another pivotal point for me was my senior year. That’s when I really started taking music seriously. One of my friends at the time told me to enter the talent show because at the time I had Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
recorded a song to a CD for the first time. It was a terrible recording, but I had printed up like 300 CD’s, wrote on them, and sold them at school for, like, $2 a copy. They all went the first day in the first, like, four hours, and nobody really had thought I was going to be able to do that. I came home with a big stack of ones and I felt that this was something I could really do for the rest of my life. So those were the two moments that were really pivotal for me in deciding that this was going to be my career.” Local: Who were some of your biggest influences and why? G: “I have a wide range of influences. I would say that my first huge influence is from Musiq Soulchild. I really liked the way that he recorded his vocals with a lot of harmonies in the back all the time. It was really stacked up. I liked that. I liked that he recorded songs about feeling. It was R&B kinda. It was Neo Soul kinda. But it was really just good songs on tight beats, and that’s what I like to make. I actually learned how to write songs by listening to his CD’s. No one ever really taught me - I just listened so much and I thought “this is the way you’re supposed to write music.” Some of my other influences producer wise - I
guess the first time I really fell in love with hip hop was when I heard Juvenile’s “Huh” when I was in the eighth grade. That was Manny Fresh on the beat, and that was a huge, huge influence. Also Timbaland with all the different elements he brings into the beats. I like the Neptunes because they’ve got a certain groove. I love grooves. I don’t really like head nodding beats too much. I like grooves something that’s just real smooth. Ludacris - I love his animation in his raps and how you can hear his feelings. Kanye West and his creativity challenges me to take it to the next level. More recently is a guy by the name of Dom Kennedy and his attitude towards music. I feel it’s really, really, really the type of attitude I would like to have. I look at him as someone I cannot wait to work with because I feel like we’re going to be in the industry together. And Drake. The way he comes up with clever things to say and the most cool, smooth lines that probably anybody could have thought up but that he thought up first. Those are some of my influences. Jill Scott, Faith Evans. You hear a lot of artists say [they’re influenced by] all these old school artists. I don’t really listen to old school like that. I’m more influenced by the new
school and how they were brought in. [The artists from] when I really started falling in love with music. Those are some of my biggest influences. I’m sure I have more, but those are just off the top of my head.” Local: San Antonio is your home, what kind of fuel does that give you in your song writing and as an artist? G: “I moved here when I was 16, so that was the middle of my life being that I’m 26 now. There was one point in time that I felt like I had no home town. I felt like I spent the majority of my life in Florida, but I didn’t have any family there. Then, all of my accent, a lot of my flair and everything, came from Pittsburgh because my mom and my dad were from up there. But I wasn’t from Pittsburgh. Then I moved to San Antonio, but I only went to high school here. So I always had the new kid vibe. It was just around this year that I felt like San Antonio was my home. I’ve been here for 10 years. I grew up here. I know a lot of people. I know how to get around now. San Antonio being my home and seeing the different things that San Antonio has to offer - so much variety, so much flavor - it lets me know that I can
do whatever I want to do with my music. The audience is so vast here that I can find one facet from each part of the city to at least appreciate one of my songs. And in my music there’s something that everybody can accept. San Antonio has just embraced my music so much. Plus, the grind here in San Antonio - so many artists just pushing forward -
culture and people’s lives. That‘s what I want to be doing musically. And doing other things other than just hip hop and R&B. I want to be producing rock, country. I really, really want to be conducting orchestras. Winning Grammy’s for great movie scores. I’m really passionate about movie scores because it’s the type of music that changes your mood and makes you feel different and that’s the type of music that I want to make.”
“Seeing the different things that San Antonio has to offer - so much variety, so much flavor - lets me know that I can do whatever I want to do with my music. “
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
you can’t beat that hustle.” Local: Where do you see your self musically in the next 5 years. G: “Musically I want to be wherever God puts me, and that’s my honest answer. I definitely want to be better than where I am now. And I know there’s only growth when you work as hard as I do now, so I’m certain I’ll be better. I don’t know where I’ll be, but I want to be at a different place in my music. Making things that impact
Local: What would you say your favorite part of creating music is?
G: “My favorite part of creating music - of the whole process - is right when I finish the beat and I’m creating the melody. The whole concept of the song comes to me at one time. I’ll make the beat, and that’s the tedious part. Then, right before you put it in song format, there’s this time where you’re sitting there and the beat is playing and you’re just humming and you’re saying different cadences for the rap, and you’re humming different melodies for the song, and then a subject comes to you, and that’s the time when you know the song is
going to be a hit. That’s my favorite part. At that point, you know if you should go ahead and make it, or if you should just scrap it. And that’s the best part of creating music for me.” Local: What has been or is your greatest challenge at this point in your carrier? G: “My greatest challenge is myself. All the time. I feel like God gives us an unlimited amount of chances to be better and do more things with everything that we have. And He gives us just what we need. I think there are times when I’ve thought that I’m only human and that maybe I can’t do this or that I’m scared of doing a certain
“My biggest challenge is overcoming the most driven, stubborn person that I know. And that’s me…I’ll never let anything else be thing or I back out or I’m too lazy or I don’t get up. My biggest challenge is overcoming the most driven, stubborn person that I know. And that’s me. Sometimes I’ll give up on a song because I think it won’t be the best instead of just following Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
through with it and maybe seeing what it sounds like at the end. But definitely my greatest challenge is myself and I think it’s going to be that way for the rest of my career. I’ll never let anything else be my biggest challenge because ultimately I’m my biggest pick me up, too.”
chilled because I was on the football team and he was on the basketball team, but we were cool because we played AAU basketball together for one summer, so we knew each other. When we did our second mixtape, we had to be in a room together for more than 30 hours trying to bounce it down. I had a defect on my computer that “Musically I want to made bouncing be wherever God puts the mixtape me.” down a long, tedious process. Local: Tell me about an interesting moment something that happened that maybe changed the course of your life or influenced the future of your craft? G: “At the time, I think meeting King Mike definitely was a pivotal point in my career. At that time I was like 20. It was at a time early in my career when a lot of people had burned me. I’d been teaming up with a lot of people, and I decided I was going to do this by myself. I had a whole bunch of studio equipment and I met this guy who was a DJ I had gone to school with. We never really
But I learned him and he learned me. And I respected him because he was someone I would argue with, and he would argue back at me. And then we would still be friends afterwards. Now, like then he gives me great opinions and is one of the smartest people I know. When I met him I knew that at that moment me and him could take it to the next level. I had the piece of the puzzle I needed to take it there. Me and him share a lot of the same characteristics. We love music. The drive that he has he’s the only person that I
know with as much drive as me. I respect him for that. Ever since then me and him, we’ve him could take it to the next level. I had the piece of the puzzle I needed to take it there. We share a lot of the same characteristics. We love music. The drive that he has he’s the only person that I know with as much drive as me. I respect him for that. Ever since then me and him, we’ve built what’s known as Greg G. the artist and Dynamic Entertainment. I say “we” because there’s been a whole team of people. I’m Gregary Griffin,
but Greg G the Golden Child, it takes a team of people. Every time I accomplish something, I say “we” because it’s more than me. He’s definitely been a blessing from God. Now he’s my best friend and more than just a business partner. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me next. For me and him.”
“The grind here in San Antonio - so many artists just pushing forward - you can’t beat that hustle.”
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Check out Greg G’s music videos and blog at goldenchild210.com
“I don’t really like head nodding beats too much. I like grooves something that’s just real smooth.”
Greg G
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
rt rt r t A t A Art Art Art A A r r A r t A rt Art rt t A t A A rt A rt A r r rt rt t A t A rt Art Art Art Art Art rt A r A t A A r t A r A rt Art rt t A t A r Art Art r t A r t A t A A r A rt rt t A t A rt A A rt Art rt r A r Art rt rt t A t A Art Art Art Art Art Art r A rt A A r A r A r t A r rt Art Art rt t A t A t A Art Ar A r r rt t A Art Art rt t A A Art r r A rt A r t A t A A r A rt Art rt t A t A r Art r t r Art rt t A t A A r A t A A r t r rt rt t A t A rt Art A rt Art r A r rt rt t A t A Art Art Art Art Art A A r A r Art rt rt t A t A Art Art Art Art Art Art r A rt A A r A r A r t A r rt rt t A t A t A Art Art A rt Art r r A rt rt t A t A rt Art Art Art Art A r A r t A A rt Art rt t A t A rt rt Art Art Art rt A r A A r t A r A rt rt t A t A Art Art rt Art A A r A r rt rt t A t A Art Art Art Art Art Ar A r A r rt t A Art Art rt t A A A r r rt Art Art rt rt t A t A A A A r r rt rt t A t A rt Art Art rt Art Art A r A r A rt rt t A t A rt Art Art Art Art A r A r t A A rt Art rt t A t A rt A rt Art Art A r A r A rt rt t A t A rt Art Art Art Art Art Art Art rt A A A r A r A r t rt Art Art Ar rt t A t A A A A r r rt t A Art rt t A r A A r t r rt Art Art rt rt t A t A A A A r r rt rt t A t A Art Art rt Art Art A r t A A r A rt rt t A t A rt Art rt Art Art A r A r A rt rt t A t A rt Art Art Art Art A A r A r A rt rt t A t A rt Art Art Art Art Art r Art Art r A A t A r A r rt rt t A t A Art A A rt Art Art r r rt rt t A t A Art Art Art Art Art Art rt A r A t A A r t A r A rt rt t A t A rt Art Art rt Art A r A r A rt rt t A t A rt Art Art Art A A r A r A r t A r t Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
rt rt rt t A t A t A Art Art Art Art r A r A r t A Art Art A A r t A rt A rt A t Ar t Ar r rt Art A rt t A t A rt A t Ar t Ar rt rt rt t A t A rt Art Art Art Art A A r A r A rt rt t A t A rt Art Art Art Art Art r Art Art r A A t A r A r rt rt t A t A Art A A rt Art Art r r rt rt t A t A Art Art Art Art Art Art rt A r A t A A r t A r A rt rt t A t A rt Art Art rt Art A r A r A rt rt t A t A rt Art Art Art A A r A r Art rt rt t A t A Art Art Art Art Art Art r A rt A A r A r A r t A r rt rt t A t A t A Art Art A rt Art r r rt rt t A t A Art Art Art Art Art A r A r t A A rt t A Art rt t A r A r t r rt Art Art rt t A t A A A A r r rt rt t A t A Art Art rt Art A A r A r rt rt t A t A Art Art Art Art Art Ar A r A r Art rt rt t A t A Art Art Art Art Art Art rt A rt A A r A r A r t A r rt rt t A t A t A Art Art A rt Art r r A rt rt t A t A rt Art Art Art Art A r A r t A A rt Art rt t A t A rt rt Art Art Art rt A r A A r t A r A rt rt t A t A Art Art rt Art A A r A r rt rt t A t A Art Art Art Art Art Ar A r A r rt t A Art Art rt t A A A r r rt Art Art rt rt t A t A A A A r r rt rt t A t A Art Art rt Art Art A r t A A r A rt rt t A t A rt Art rt Art Art A r A r A rt rt t A t A rt Art Art Art Art A A r A r A rt rt t A t A rt Art Art Art Art Art r Art Art r A A t A r A r rt rt t A t A Art A A rt Art Art r r rt rt t A t A Art Art Art Art Art Art rt A r A t A A r t A r A rt Art rt t A t A r Art Art r t A r t A t A A r A rt rt t A t A rt Art rt Art rt A r A r A rt rt t A t A rt Art Art Art Art rt Art Art r A A t A r A r rt Art Art rt t A t A Art A A r r A r Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
The Subconscious Effects of Blobs: Women’s Art at The McNay Liz Paris
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Of course, I’m the female writer that wanted to cover the Women’s Exhibit at the McNay. Why wouldn’t a woman want to cover a female-dominated art exhibit? Well, it’s statements like these that form the base of every argument and issue concerning women in art. But we’ll get back to that later. ‘Neither Model Nor Muse’ (a quite fitting title, indeed) was organized by the McNay and the Elizabeth Huth Coates Endowment, drawing from thousands of works in storage to render a powerful, striking sample of Women’s contribution to the Arts. The exhibit opened with an ethereal watercolor, ‘Woman mething with Vase,’ painted in 1914 by Marion Koogler McNay herself; an appropriate homage to begin the journey. The following works were arranged chronologically, starting with works from the late 19th Century. The familiar pastels of Impressionist Mary Cassatt did not fail to bring me to a halt, although her work is often featured in many exhibits. Looking around, I noticed the telltale flowers and desert sunrises of Georgia O’Keefe, all beautiful, awe-inspiring images of delicate beauty against the roughest of backgrounds. It is always a pleasure to view works by women like Cassatt and O’Keefe, but the thing is that they’re rather wellknown in the art world, and it
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
was extremely refreshing to note the plethora of works by lesser-known artists as well. For example, I had never heard of Mary Bonner, a frighteninglytalented etching artist and printmaker with a penchant for iconic landmarks of San Antonio. As someone that was born here in good old San Antone, I’m just as sick of seeing images of the Alamo or Riverwalk as any other native in the city. That didn’t happen here, however. I spent a fair amount of time closely inspecting images of fighting bulls, the grounds of The McNay, and other remarkable residences in the Heights area. I also spent a fair amount of time irritating the solitary guard in the exhibit, an older gentleman who was probably not expecting many visitors on that Friday afternoon— especially an art nerd with a nasty habit of lingering and leaning dangerously close to each work on the wall. This should not by any means deter any prospective visitor from venturing to the McNay; I’m sure he, along with any other guard present, is extremely knowledgeable concerning that which he strives to protect. Well, despite the death glare of my wise old friend straightening my back from a particularly sharp viewing angle, I proceeded onward. As I walked the perimeter of each room in the exhibit, my mental list of
noteworthy female artists was getting longer and longer. Another exceptional artist previously unknown to me was Natalia Goncharova, a Russian pioneer in the styles of Neoprimitivism, Cubism and Futurism. In layman’s terms, this hip lady was doing everything that Gaugin, Picasso and Boccioni were doing…except with much less recognition. Add to this the fact that, along with her husband, she invented Rayonism, a term derived from the ray-like images created in abstract work. This technique can still be detected in many contemporary or abstract works of art, but searching for in-depth commentary on Goncharova herself proves to be disappointing. Nevertheless, I was exceedingly pleased with a large canvas entitled ‘Portrait of Spanish Ladies’ (1925, oil on canvas), an image of two women in formal dress facing the viewer. Rendered in thick yet organized brushstrokes of black, grey, brown and white, ‘Spanish Ladies’ does not exhibit many minute details, but Goncharova captures the darkly elegant sophistication of the two women in a way that is reminiscent of a monochromatic Franz Marc. Now it gets heavy. Let me preface this with the fact that, although I am a devout worshipper of the arts, I had yet to become moved to the point of tears by any work of art. In
that, although I am a devout worshipper of the arts, I had yet to become moved to the point of tears by any work of art. In fact, my father and I used to joke about a woman we saw in the Getty Center in Los Angeles several years ago. She was standing in front of Van Gogh’s ‘Irises’ crying her eyes out. At the time, it was unfathomable to me for a person to be so emotional about a painting. I will never crack another joke about that woman again. Now that we’ve said this about that, let’s discuss Joan Mitchell’s art. When I was first introduced to Joan Mitchell’s work, my instructor forewarned us that her paintings are a splendid example of art that is very difficult to understand. Why? Because there is never a recognizable image in any of Mitchell’s paintings; they are masses of wild brushstrokes, usually rendered in several colors, and accompanied by drip trails that would fit perfectly within a movie massacre scene were it not for the fact that they are usually sunshine yellow or sea-foam green. As I turned the corner and approached the opposite wall, I immediately recognized the large canvases displayed as Mitchell’s work. “It’s like the paint section at an art supply store projectile vomited all over the canvas display,” I thought to myself. It’s not that I disliked Mitchell’s work; it’s just that I never gave it much thought Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
before. “Oh hey, those are pretty colors. What crazy brushstrokes…she must have had a great pitching arm.” How unfortunate. I stopped to look at one particular painting of Mitchell’s entitled, ‘Woods/Country’: a large, vertical canvas painted in 1966. The sweeping, seemingly random brushstrokes, the dripping paint, the bright colors all were present. I looked at the title again…’Woods/Country.’ Well, the colors were appropriate; there were varying shades of blue, green, red, yellow, and brown. As I thought this over, I began to notice the textures rendered on the canvas: the smudge of cobalt blue running into a glob of emerald green; a thin, dripping trail of sepia running out from under a puddle of blood red blotches all complimented by an occasional shy glimmer of canary yellow. The rooms of the exhibit were all dead silent around me…or perhaps there was noise; if there was, it was unbeknownst to me. I had once likened my experiences with some works of art to a fleeting, yet powerful case of tunnel vision, a momentarily allconsuming rapture. It happened so suddenly. The texture, color, line all sucked me into the painting, and the mass of dripping, thickly applied brushstrokes became the most perfect, tangible encounter with the woods that
I could ever imagine. It was silent, still, and yet glimmering and practically quivering with the colors of the woods in their most sublime shades. Just as soon as it had started, all at once it was over. I was standing in front of the canvas, the guard was eyeing me from the corner of the room, and my cheeks were wet. Had I done the unthinkable? The laughingly absurd? I quickly walked away from the canvas, trying to pull myself together and reason that I couldn’t have possibly lost it over a painting, especially such an abstract one—a colorful picture of nothing. I was succeeding until I saw a quote by Mitchell on the next wall: “Empathy…that’s what my painting is about…nature, dogs, gardens, and all that is just the way I am. It has to do with something you feel.” Needless to say, I lost it again. Here’s the thing: that quote didn’t get to me because I had a brief virtual encounter with the woods. That quote serves as a universal explanation for all art. Not just the art of Joan Mitchell or women artists, but all art. This is what I was getting at earlier in this article. I wasn’t moved to tears by Mitchell’s painting because I was a woman viewing another woman’s art.
It was because I found that subconscious, almost intangible, spider web-thin line connecting the artist to the viewer through the crude medium of paint on a canvas. I found the parallel and clung to the ensuing vision for a brief, but glorious moment. People cry when they view paintings by Picasso, Munch, and Van Gogh—all celebrated male artists. I cried while viewing a fellow woman’s painting…so what? I’ve seen plenty of paintings by plenty of artists, but there was something extremely powerful about this one. People that talk about the power of a Kandinsky painting should experience the way Dorothy Hood makes white paint cut like jagged glass through a sea of black on a canvas. A fan of Duchamp’s assemblage might do well to view Louise Nevelson’s enormous installations of found objects, painted black and carefully arranged to form something much greater than what was forgotten when they were originally thrown out. The power evoked in the art of these wonderful women was not lost on me, and it deserves to resonate with many other viewers. Don’t underestimate the effect that any work of art may have on you, whether it is created by a man or a woman. Sadly, this exhibit came and went, but as I mentioned previously, the paintings were Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
pulled from archives and permanent exhibits at the McNay. San Antonio houses masterpieces, my dear Aestheticians; it would benefit you to take a stroll over to the McNay, or any other museum, gallery, showroom or colorful alleyway in this fine city. Call me up—I’ll go with you…and I swear I’ll try not to cry.
FOTOSEPTIEMBRE Just incase you missed it: A short rundown of some of the official exhibits for FotoSeptiembre 2010
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
There were so many amazin g exhibits at this years FOTOSEPTIEMBRE. Its almost impossible to atten d every event. So if you misse d them here is a quick rund own of this years local exhibits Ramin Samandari • Veils Of Nephele • Curated by Kathy Armstrong. Southwest School of Art & Craft • Ursuline Hall Gallery.
Veils of Nephele (In Greek mythology, Nephele is the cloud nymph). One of the most vivid memories I have of my childhood in Iran is of the summer nights when we used to sleep outside on the rooftop. I remember lying there on my bed, covered by mosquito netting, watching the sky. Looking up at the night sky full of stars and planets was fun but my favorite times were when there were clouds present. How they moved about the sky so freely, changing shapes at will. The images in this exhibit are remnants of my childhood memories, even though these clouds have been photographed in the past two years, some forty years since those summer nights. In this series, I have combined photographs of clouds with my long-time interest in Taoism by using snippets of Lao-Tze’s writings around the edges of some of the images and into the titles. Ramin Samandari, September 2010.
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
7th Annual Fotos At INKstravaganza located at the Pearl Stable.Various Photographers contributed there work for the auction. The event was coordinated by Rosemary Catacalos and Gemini Ink.
Images by Dudley Harris and Carlotta Hargrove.
Images by Michael Nye and Kevin Moriarty.
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Casasola Archives: Mexico – Beyond The Revolution!
Curated by Michael Mehl and presented by the City of San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs and Instituto Cultural de México. City of San Antonio International Center. SECRETARIA DE RELACIONES EXTERIORES & SISTEMA NACIONAL DE FOTOTECAS (INAH). The photographs in the Casasola archives are a document of the crude realities of the revolutionary war and other political and social events before, during, and after the Mexican Revolution; a civil war that shook Mexico for nearly two decades. Agustín Víctor Casasola (1874 – 1938) is considered one of the first documentary photographers of Latin America.
From the images in the hallway niches, Soldaderas y Soldados.
La Soldadera.
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Tierra, Libertad, Y No Re-Elecci贸n: Photographic Images From The Mexican Revolution. San Antonio Museum of Art. Curated by Marion Oettinger Jr.
Image with Emiliano Zapata (left).
See page 42 to read the review!!!!!! Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Keith Carter • Autobiography In Fiction • Lecture •
San Antonio College – McAllister Auditorium. Coordinated by Debra Schafter.
Sequence of images from Keith Carter’s lecture, Autobiography In Fiction.
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011 2011
All information and photography provide by
FOTOSEPTIEMBRE
USA
SAFOTO For more information, photos and information on ALL of the photo exhibits in San Antonio this past September Please Visit http://www.fotoseptiembreusa.com/
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
MACHET
A month
by, Xavie
after the
r Ramire
z
E
mayhem.
In the midst of the histor ic Arizona immigration d ebacle, this 16 year old f idea has deve ilm loped into a 105 minute, v bloodbath, la iolent, ugh riot labe led as the ne Mexploitation w genre . Leading up th e September 3 rd national r of the little elease film Machete, all hell brok loose(like th e e climax of a ll Rodriguez Troublemaker f i lms). Studios was p ointing out t this is the f h a t irst action h ero film feat latin leading u r ing a man. However various media channels were shouting back that the movi a race war ep e was ic and really just propagan piece. Alex d a Jones, a sour ce for conspi theories, cal racy led Machete a "racist blood and accused p bath" roducers of m isleading the public. Jones claims he got a copy of the script from a concerned Rod riguez staff in May. Jones member interpretatio n of the scri that it promo pt was ted war again st anyone who opposed illeg al immigratio n of any kind we have the v . Then iral video wh ere Rodrigue a threatening z made intro trailer featuring Tre Machete and r jo as eleased on Ci nco de Mayo. referring to It was Arizona over its 1070 immi law targeting gration undocumented immigrants.
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Would you call this Mexploitation? Robert Rodriguez: “ Yes... This is why I would call it Mexploitation. This is an interesting thing. I mean, you've all heard of Blaxsploitation. The reason the Machete trailer did so well when it hit Grindhouse (2007 Tarantino/Rodriguez), was because no one had ever seen a movie like that before. And it just seemed so obvious that they hadn't done it with a Latin. People cheered as soon as Danny...when you watch the DVD of Planet Terror and play the audience track, you'll hear people's original reaction to that. And it was quite overwhelming as soon as Danny walks out, they said, "They call him Machete." People go ape shit! Because it makes so much sense. Yes, why doesn't a Latin play a lead in an exploitation film? Why Danny has never been the lead? And I actually made up the term Mexploitation. So yes, I would call it Mexploitation.
On the Immigration issue. Robert Rodriguez: When I wrote this script originally, the original version of this script 16 years ago. Then we shot this over a year ago; so the events that took place in the movie, you know, there's an immigration issue. 16 years ago they never done anything about it so that's why it's still so timely and even more so because of what's going on in Arizona. But no, it wasn't in response to that. It was always going to be the back drop for this character because he was gonna be a day laborer. Danny Trejo: We already finished it before the thing in Arizona came up. So really, we owe Arizona a debt of thanks. Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
button issue, an independent company of exploitation
Robert Rodriguez: I was just checking Rotten Tomatoes and we have from one of the top critics in Arizona, "he loves Machete!" What it is really that it just points to the government needs to do something about this issue otherwise states on there own are gonna do something. And very much something like that happens in the movie where because no one has done anything, federal government hasn't done anything different factions are creating there own solutions. So you know I think what is gonna really be cool is once these elections go by, everyone's gonna do it before these elections; but after these election, I think there gonna have to face and do something about it, which would be good for everybody. But what's cool about the timing is that in an exploitation film, it was always the reverse that would happen. Back in the 70's, people would, if there was a hot Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
filmmakers would run out and make a movie about that subject and then say, "Ripped from today's headlines." They would make a movie probably very much like this but capitalize on it. This just happened in reverse. That just shows how fortunate we were and that even though we started it 16 years ago, doesn't it seem like a perfect time for this movie to come out and it's just gonna stir up a lot of things in people? Good, a lotta good mainly. And when people go and see it they will see the immigration issue is just a red herring, for bad guys really just want to close the border because of money reasons, plus the biggest thing is on corruption. Someone who really helped me a lot with the border issues and taught me a lot about all of the far fetched crazy ideas that I put into this, I passed it on to this guy who's a specialist and he said "Oh no, a lot of that is really true". -9/2/10 Paramount Theater Austin, Texas
According to William Gheen of ALIPAC (Americans for Legal Immigration), the recent MacArthur Park protests should be seen in light of the release of "Machete." "The latest illegal alien fueled riots in Los Angeles began three days after MACHETE was released nationally, depicting an army of illegals violently rising up against American oppressors," Gheen wrote in a Thursday letter to ALIPAC supporters. "Having a movie like Robert Rodriguez's MACHETE showing in over 3,000 movie theaters in America, we must be on guard for possible massive civil unrest. If the unrest in Los Angeles continues or spreads, ALIPAC will publicly demand that MACHETE be withdrawn from theaters." via http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alexanderzaitchik The films violence is focused on the borders drug trade; not race. So it all comes down to the numbers. The film ends announcing a sequel Machete Kills and a over confident part 3 Machete kills again. So doing a little movie math, Machete has an $20,000,000 (estimated) budget and as of (19 September 2010) the film has Grossed $24,391,354 (USA). Not to mention 16 scheduled international release dates ending on November 26th 2010 in the UK. via IMBD box office Mojo. This means that these sequels are more than a possibility and Rodriguez has proven again that the Grindhouse genre is in a full swing. What's going on in Arizona has just guaranteed enough attention to fund a sequel and maybe the Machete trilogy. Xavier Ramirez, cc. Creative Commons 2010. Photo credits Dahlia Doll 2010, and Troublemaker Studios 2010. Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Guess Who Supports Local Artists...
Park North Stone Oak
WestLakes
www.drafthouse.com Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
‘Tierra, Libertad, Y No Re-Elección!’ Revolt (Quietly) at the SAMA! By Liz Paris Ok. It’s a Sunday afternoon. You’re slightly hung-over. You roll out of bed, grab your coffee and prepare yourself for a long, lazy day before the grind starts again tomorrow. And that’s the story of you. Well, that’s not acceptable. It’s still Mexican Heritage Month, and you should be hightailing it over to the San Antonio Museum of Art to check out some Revolutionary Photography. Take that, morning coffee. This past Sunday, I visited the SAMA with colorful, albeit stereotypical images of
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Pancho Villa running through my mind. As I passed through the Contemporary section, I turned a corner and was greeted by a row of fierce Mexican soldiers in full regalia on the wall—a perfect start to the exhibit. The work of two photographers is featured in the showing: Hugo Brehme and Agustín Casasola. At first glance, the photographs appear to indicate similar subject matter—grosslydiffering social classes, oppression rendered by smartly-dressed dignitaries, and the inherent courage of those who refused to bend to their will. However, it is imperative for the viewer to conduct a closer
examination of each image (as with any photography display). I did just this, and I discovered a very interesting juxtaposition in the work of Brehme and Casasola. But first, a quick background on both photographers… Hugo Brehme was born in Germany in 1882 and arrived in Mexico in 1906 for a brief visit with his family. Almost immediately, he fell in love with the people and culture there, later becoming a naturalized citizen himself. As a pictorialist photographer, he influenced many other artists, and was an important part of Pictorialism’s spread in Mexico. Brehme’s
Brehme’s love for his adopted homeland is inherent in his work; the already beautiful, strikingly diverse landscapes of Mexico are made all the more picturesque by the photographer’s close attention to the presence and positioning of light on each subject. A certain sense of endearment may also be detected in the way Brehme portrays the people of Mexico. This love does not exactly skew the way Brehme’s photos portray the area, but the images are certainly a fitting personification of his idealized, romantic view of Mexico.
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Agustín Casasola, while working at the same time as Brehme, had a rather different (not to mention intriguing) story. He was born in Mexico in 1874, and started his career by working for local newspaper El Imparcial. It was while working in journalism that Casasola began compiling massive amounts of negatives from various stories and events surrounding the Revolution and regime of the infamous Porfirio Díaz. These particular photographs are featured in this exhibit, and here’s where it gets interesting… There’s nothing like examining sepia-toned gelatin
silver prints of a revolution. Now that I’ve said this about that, let’s go into detail about a few. Brehme is to be credited for the large photograph of the soldiers that I mentioned earlier. It’s truly powerful, and one may even view it on the SAMA website. Again, he brilliantly captures something very honest, albeit idealistic about Mexico and its inhabitants. However, it is Casasola’s images that clue the viewer into the gritty, sometimes aweinspiring, sometimes terrifying DIRT on the Revolution. Now, I recall hearing some old adage proclaiming that behind every strong man,
that behind every strong man, there’s a strong woman (or something to that effect). Anyone that disagrees with this should take a good, hard look at Casasola’s Generals Emiliano and Eufemio Zapata with their Wives. The two men are standing in the center of the photo with their wives at their sides. Behind this group are several local individuals, all of which are looking directly at the camera. The two couples are standing proudly in the center of the shot; Eufemio’s wife has one hand on her hip, and Emiliano’s wife is penetrating the camera lens with what has to be described as the mother of defiant death stares. This isn’t the average pomp and glory shot of two wannabe hard-ass generals. The reasons for their tough demeanor are in the photograph with them. Everything they are fighting for is personified by the women at their sides and the people behind them (whether it’s a handful or in the thousands). Censorship is rampant nowadays, and there is a TON of it in war coverage. There are photographs that convey the truth, however, and this is nothing new. Casasola proves this with Execution in Chalco, Mexico, a two-part set of images illuminating the moments right before and right after three prisoners are executed. In the first image, the prisoners are lined up for
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
execution. The firing squad is ready with their rifles, and a soldier is standing ready with his sword held high. The prisoner standing at the far end of the line is dressed in a white shirt, and has his hand extended outward as if trying to reason with the squad of men. Directly underneath this photo is another image of the aftermath. The three men are lying on the ground with matching bullet wounds. Two of the men still have an arm slightly upraised and extended —a morbid continuation of a plea that fell on deaf ears. If this isn’t a stark, gruesome example of martyrdom, then I don’t know what is. In fact, this set of photographs is eerily similar to a painting by Goya entitled Third of May, 1808 (1814). Although the painting portrays a scene from a different time period on a completely different continent, it features another set of three men lined up before certain death. One man stands in the center, dressed in a white shirt with his hands outstretched, pleading for mercy that will not be given. The parallel between the two images is profound, and anyone visiting this exhibit at the SAMA should take a look at this particular painting as well. As a native of Mexico that also worked in journalism, Casasola obtained an obvious advantage when it came to the ins and outs of the
Revolution. Some may even venture to remark that this elevates Casasola’s material to a higher level than that of Brehme. It’s like asking a Dallas native if they prefer IHOP or Jim’s (we all know the answer to this one, don’t we?). Conversely, it is almost astonishing to observe the intimacy Brehme upholds in his photographs despite his foreign background. Together, the two artists create a simultaneously beautiful and horrific, allencompassing reflection of the happenings in Mexico during this uneasy time. Although the exhibit is not large, it does not take hundreds of photographs to evoke some small stirring of emotions within the viewer— emotions that may be likened to that of the individuals in the images themselves. If this occurs, both the photographers and the viewers are successful. That’s what this is all about. So, get your lazy ass out of bed, and stir up a revolution. (Tierra, Libertad, y No Re-Eleccion will be at the SAMA until February 13, 2011.)
darkroom I Stu!os photography + video
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
210.748.2982 • info@darkroomstudiosa.com • www.darkroomstudiosa.com
Artist Statement My initial interest in photography was born out of a necessity to document experiences throughout my life. I have a terrible memory at times and this served as a trigger to keep hold of these moments. I would consider myself an amateur photographer. I don’t have a formal education in the field but I have a great passion for the art and I feel I am constantly growing. I usually don't set out to produce art but rather stay conscious and have come to realize a photograph will usually let me know that it wants to be taken. I am never without some type of camera; you just never know who or what will be waiting for you. I feel at this point I am in an experimentation phase, exploring various types of lighting, textures and techniques while ultimately trying to present my work in interesting and unique ways. I have been told that most of my work walks the line of the abstract with an ethereal presence however I usually try and stay away from labeling or classifying. I take inspiration from experiences and the people that have passed through my life. From those that briefly moved in and out to my family and friends who have been by my side all along, they have all played a significant role in shaping me and through me the work that I create.
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Mother
By Chris Stokes
absence by Chris Stokes Šlaughter box photography
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
reverence by Chris Stokes Šlaughter box photography Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
untitled by Chris Stokes Šlaughter box photography Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
equivalence by Chris Stokes Šlaughter box photography Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Series These are a few from a series of edited photos of my mother from her early childhood and teenage years. I have recently collected boxes of old photos while cleaning out my grandparent’s home. Needing more attention in their old age they had moved in with my aunt and over the last couple of months I have been chipping away at getting their house in order. From day one I felt like a guest star on an episode of Hoarders, piles upon piles of junk mail, magazines, books and other misc items acquired over the years. I knew I was in trouble when it took me nearly 6hrs just to clean off the sofa. I think my grandmother had successfully purchased every mail order/ television gizmo and gadget on the planet. It was while I was going through these heaps that photos started to appear between the strata of rubbish. I found it odd that none of the photos were cataloged in the traditional manner, no photo albums or old shoeboxes, just randomly scattered images throughout the entire house. There were other mementos and oddities around every corner, my grandfathers 2ft tall German beer steins, over 20 antique wall clocks and the amazing find, “Games You Can Play With Your Pussy”. I also found, “Organize Your Life: Free Yourself from Clutter and Find More Personal Time”, how ironic! I displayed it on the mantle for an occasional laugh, I’m gathering the spine had never been cracked on that one. I was never very close to my grandparents, they were always a bit dodgy and solitary. It was unfortunate I only got to know them through this process. It's been almost 10yrs since I've lost my mother so it was remarkably heartwarming to find these treasures amongst the Tae Bo tapes, the overabundance of personalized address labels and the ever so curious silverfish. I am truly grateful for these. I hope you enjoy them.
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
remembrance by Chris Stokes Šlaughter box photography
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
resemblance by Chris Stokes Šlaughter box photography Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
San Antonio Mourns the Loss of Chuck Ramirez
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
April 28, 1962 November 6, 2010 In the early morning hours of November 6th, 2010 Chuck Ramirez was riding his bicycle near St. Mary’s in Southtown when he suffered a fatal head wound after an accident that caused him to fly over his handlebars. After being rushed to Brooke Army Medical Center he passed later that day. The cause of the accident remains unclear. Chuck Ramirez was only 48. He was best known for his large-scale photography and sculptural installations. News Spread quickly throughout the community and by George Schroeder Chuck’s friends, family and admirers filled his Facebook page with loving goodbyes and shared memories. Scrolling through the page that Chuck left behind I was touched and moved to tears reading all the beautiful things people had to say about him and to him. Because Chuck’s loved ones are spread far and wide - not just in San Antonio - there were many that could not attend the beautiful memorial service held at The Blue Star Contemporary Art Center. I found that his Facebook page was serving as a substitute memorial service for those who could not mourn with the thousand or so that held a candle in one hand and a bike helmet in the other that night at Blue Star. Photos and inspired works of art fill his page just like the overflow of flowers, photos and trinkets left at the site of his tragic accident. Chuck was a loving and kind person. His talent and bravery was something that could not be measured. To say that he was a pillar in the art community would be a drastic understatement. Even if you didn’t get to meet Chuck Ramirez you have most likely seen his work. Whether at Blue Star, HEB or even the airport I’m sure you have passed it or even admired it. I will never forget him and I know that we are all better for having known him. Rest in peace, Chuck Ramirez .
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
F o o d F o o d d F o o o d d F o o o o d F o o o o d F F o o o d F F o o d F o o d d F o o d d F o o o o d F o o o o d F F o o d F o o d Fo d F od F o o d F o o d F o o d F o o o o d F o o d F o o Fo d F od F ood F o o d F d o d Fo d F od o o o o F o o o F F o d F F o o d d F o o d d F o o o d d F o o o o d o o d F o o Fo d F od F ood F o o d F o d F o d F o o o d F od Foo o o d F F o o d F o o d F o o d d F o o o d d F o o o o d F o o o d F F o oo o d F F o o d F o o d d F o o d d F o o o o d F o o o o d F F o o o d F F o o d F F o o d d F o o d d F o o o o d F o o o o d F F o o d F o o d Fo d F od F o o d F o o d F o o d F o o o o d F o o d F o o Fo d F od F ood F o o d F d o d d Fo d F od o o o o F o o o F F o d F F o o d d F o o d d F o o o d d F o o o o d F o o o o d F F o o d F F o o d d F o o d d F o o o d F o o o d F od Foo o o d F F o o d F o o d F o o d d F o o o d d F o o o o d F o o o d F F o oo o d F F o o d F o o d d F o o d d F o o o o d F o o o o d F F o o o d F F o o d F F o o d d F o o d d F o o o d F o o o o d F F o o d F o o d Fo d F od F o o d F o o d F o o d F o o o o d F o o o d F F o o d F F o o d d F o o d d F o o o d d F o o o o d F o o d F o o d Fo d F od F o o d F o o d F o o d d F o o o o d F o o o o d F F o o d F F o o d F o o d d F o o o d d F o o o d o o d F o oo o Fo d Fo od F ood F o o F o d F d d F o o o o d F o o o o d F F o o d F o o d Fo d F od F o o d F o o d F o o d F o o o o d F o o d F o o Fo d F od F ood F o o d F d o d Fo d F od o o o o F o o o F F o d F F o o d d F o o d d F o o o d d F o o o o d o o d F o o Fo d F od F ood F o o d F o d F o d F o o o d F od Foo o o d F F o o d F o o d F o o d d F o o o d d F o o o o d F o o o d F F o oo o d F F o o d F o o d d F o o d d F o o o o d F o o o o d F F o o o d F F o o d F F o o d d F o o d d F o o o o d F o o o o d F F o o d F o o d Fo d F od F o o d F o o d F o o d F o o o o d F o o d F o o Fo d F od F ood F o o d F d o d Fo d F od F od oo oo Fo Fo Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
F o o d d F o o o d F o o o o d F o o o d F F o o d F F o o d d F o o d d F o o o d F o o o o d F o o o d F F o o d F F o o d d F o o d d F o o o d F o o o o d F o o d F o o d Fo d F od F o o d F o o d F o o d d F o o o o d F o o o d F F o o d F F o o d d F o o d d F o o o d d F o o o o d F o o o d F o o d Fo d F od F o o F o o d F o o d d F o o o o d F o o o o d F F o o o d F F o o d F o o d d F o o d d F o o o o d F o o o o d F F o o o d F F o o d F F o o d d F o o d d F o o o d F o o o o d F F o o d F o o d Fo d F od F o o d F o o d F o o d F o o o o d F o o o d F F o o d F F o o d d F o o d d F o o o d d F o o o o d F o o d F o o d Fo d F od F o o d F o o d F o o d d F o o o o d F o o o o d F F o o d F F o o d F o o d d F o o o d d F o o o o d F o o o d F F o oo o d F F o o d F o o d d F o o d d F o o o o d F o o o o d F F o o d F o o d Fo d F od F o o d F o o d F o o d F o o o o d F o o d F o o Fo d F od F ood F o o d F d o d Fo d F od o o o o F o o o F F o d F F o o d d F o o d d F o o o d d F o o o o d F o o o d F F o o d F F o o d d F o o d d F o o o d F o o o d F od Foo o o d F F o o d F o o d d F o o d d F o o o d d F o o o o d F o o o o d F F o o o d F F o o d F o o d d F o o d o o o d Fo d F od od Foo o o F F o o o F o d F F o o d d F o o d d F o o o o d F o o o o d F F o o d F o o d Fo d F od F o o d F o o d F o o d F o o o o d F o o d F o o Fo d F od F ood F o o d F d o d Fo d F od o o o o F o o o F F o d F F o o d d F o o d d F o o o d d F o o o o d F o o o d F F o o d F F o o d d F o o d d F o o o d F o o o d F od Foo o o d F F o o d F o o d F o o d d F o o o d d F o o o o d F o o o o d F F o o o d F F o o d F o o d d F o o d d F o o o o d F o o o o d F F o o o d F F o o d F F o o d d F o o d d F o o o d F o o o o d F F o o d F o o d Fo d F od F o o d F o o d F o o d F o o o o d F o o o d F F o o d F F o o d d F o o d d F o o o d d F o o o o d F o o d F o o d Fo d F od F o o d F o o d F o o d d F o o o o d F o o o d F F F Fo oo d Fo od oo Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Jaime Alexander Trevino Photography by Kat Carey
Sometimes I wish I was Italian for several reasons. However, if I had to choose the one most important reason why, I would sum it up with one word; pizza. Not just any pizza, but a pie, made from scratch, with hand tossed dough, homemade sauces, and only the freshest of toppings. Who doesn’t like pizza? Add a little vino to the mix and boom - you have a pizza party. Pizza parties are always fun to have and a great way to get the family together or simply impress your date. As long as you have time you should make your own pizza, sauce and all. Here is the recipe for dough I’ve used for the pizzas you see here. In a small bowl start off with 3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F), add 1 envelope of active dry yeast and stir until yeast dissolves. Then let it stand for 3-5 min. While the yeast does its thing brush a large bowl with a light layer of olive oil. Then mix 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of sugar and ¾ teaspoon of salt in a food processor.
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Once this is done grab one big mixing bowl for this; add your yeast/water mix and 3 tablespoons of olive oil to your dry mix and combine until it forms a sticky ball. Transfer this to a lightly dusted floured surface and knead the dough until its smooth. You can add more flour (by the tablespoon) if the dough is very sticky, usually around a minute will do. Transfer the dough ball to your oiled bowl and coat lightly with olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise like the sun in a warm draft-free place for about an hour or until it has doubled in size. Finally punch down your dough like it stole something from you, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and start in the center and work your way out to the edges but not rolling over them if you’re using a roller. If you want to toss, once you’ve got it to around 6-8 inches is the time to toss so get to it! This can be made in advance up to a day ahead, just store in an airtight container in the fridge. Now the dough is done. Have fun with the toppings!
These three are my favorite pizzas to make and I hope you like them as much as I do. On my first pizza I made homemade roasted Roma tomatoes and garlic sauce, sweet Italian sausage, fresh mozzarella, red bell peppers and Asiago cheese. The second is topped with homemade basil pesto (home-grown red Rublin basil and lemon basil, parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic, kosher salt and pepper all blended in a food processor), grilled chicken, cherub tomatoes, zucchini ribbons and feta cheese. The last pizza, which is my favorite pizza by far, is the Granny Smith apples and Gorgonzola pizza; and no, this is not a dessert pizza. The tartness of the apples and savory saltiness of the Gorgonzola is ridiculously harmonious together; I love it. The trick is that as soon as this pizza comes out, you must drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and fresh cracked pepper. I hope you like what you’ve
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
read and you are inspired to get in the kitchen and let your imagination run wild, there’s no limit to what you can use.
Happy eating and just FYI, food blog coming back real soon!
Live music Margaritas & Tacos Since 2005, we’ve been serving, simply, the best Tex-Mex food in San Antonio from what was once a Brake Check. No frills, no mariachi band and nothing out of a can. Just simple homemade goodness. From our breakfast tacos that come served on fresh, hand-made corn and flour tortillas to our made-to-order Tecate beer battered “Chopped & Dropped” fajitas, our food will leave you with a full tank and a smile on your face. Oh yeah, our margaritas are no joke either. So whether you’re out on our patio enjoying the live music and a V6 margarita sampler, stopping by to pick up breakfast tacos on the way to the office or just enjoying a big, hot plate of chilaquiles on a Saturday morning, we hope you keep coming back for more.
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Send your local food reviews to localasa@gmail.com
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
sounds
Culinary Institute of America at the
opens
Pearl Brewery
photography by Kat Carey
Dog Day’s...
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
MUSIC
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
MUSIC
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011
Do you have an artist you would like to nominate to be Artist of the Month? Send us an email.
(Localasa@gmail.com)
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011!
Sights
Even if the artist is yourself...
(Localasa@gmail.com)
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011!
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011!
Calendar
Art in the Garden: George Schroeder Visual Arts - Installation 10/14/2010 - 03/01/2011 at San Antonio Botanical Garden Venue Name: San Antonio Botanical Garden The unique sculptures of San Antonio’s very own George Schroeder will be displayed in the fall presentation of Art in the Garden. More Info
EXHIBITION | Leigh Anne Lester: Solo Exhibition Cultural Centers - Art/Visual 12/09/2010 - 02/26/2011 at Southwest School of Art Venue Name: Southwest School of Art Prolific San Antonio artist exhibits current sculptural works using soft materials and cut paper. . Public reception: Dec 9, 5:30 – 7:30. Russell Hill Rogers Gallery II, Navarro Campus More Info
Winter Exhibitions at Blue Star Visual Arts - 3D, Visual Arts - Installation, Visual Arts - Galleries 12/09/2010 - 02/12/2011 at Blue Star Contemporary Art Center Venue Name: Blue Star Contemporary Art Center Winter exhibitions at Blue Star Contemporary Art Center; opening December 9th, 6-9 pm More Info
Music in SAN ANTONIO http://www.reverbnation.com/venue/themixinsanantonio http://www.reverbnation.com/venue/samburgerjoint http://www.last.fm/venue/8791133+Limelight http://www.reverbnation.com/venue/538425
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011!
Luminaria 2011 Saturday, March 12, 2011 from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. at HemisFair Park. Luminaria is a free event and is celebrating its fourth year by growing larger and bolder. The footprint has tripled, now encompassing the HemisFair Park Grounds. Also there is a new curatorial vision under the broad theme of “light.” Artists are encouraged to create new work by “reimagining HemisFair Park as a canvas for enlightened, innovative, and interactive artwork from all artistic disciplines.”
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011!
Galleries Artpace 445 N Main Avenue San Antonio, Tx 78205 htt://www.artpace.org (210)212.4900 Art at the Jalapeno, 512 South Flores, San Antonio Their First Friday myspace.com/artatthejalapeno Art in The Chamber, Chamber of Commerce, 602 East Commerce, San Antonio , ArtistiKIDS! A mobile art ministry, encouraging Creativity through Christ, www.artistikids.org Alisha 210-909-1409 Bent Easel, 121 Blue Star Suite 6, San Antonio Blue Star Art Complex 116 Blue Star in Southtown San Antonio, Celebrate First Fridays of the Month www.bluestar.com 210-227-6960 Bihl Haus Arts, 2803 Fredricksburg Road, www.bihlhouse.org Brad Braun Studios, 9107 East Mistletoe, They are a part of the Second Friday Art Walk, Art on the Hill Carver Cultural Center, 226 North Hackberry, Will be displaying the art of the Gevers Street Studio, www.thecarver.org 210-207-7211 Calcasieu Gallery 214 Broadway San Antonio Casa Margarita, 732 South Alamo, San Antonio, Texas78205 210-222-8444 Centro Cultural Aztlan 1800 Fredricksburg Road Suite 103, Ramon Vasquez 210-649-6072 David Shelton Gallery, 20626 Stone Oak Parkway San Antonio, 210-481-5200, El Sol Studios, 936 South Flores www.elsolstudios.com 210-226-9700 Esperanza Center for Justice, 9200 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio Fighting Wolf Studio, Bandera Road, San Antonio 210-534-8109 Gallist Art Gallery, 1913 South Flores, Second Saturday Celebration, Art Poetry (hosted by Tom E), music and refreshments, call Joe Lopez 210-212-8606 joegallista@sbcglobal.net Gevers Street Studio, 718 South Gevers,
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011!
Gevers News (Lauren Browning) will be displaying her art at the Brenda Ladd Studio in Austin, 1509 Newning Avenue, Austin 512-707-0070, The Carver Cultural Center on North Hackberry in San Antonio and La Casa Rosa 527 West Dewey San Antonio. www.laurenbrowning.com/
Studios 9107 Mistletoe and others) start time is 5:30 pm www.highwireart.com 210-785-0743 Villa del Carmen Sculpture Conservatory, 11354 Vance Jackson, San Antonio, Texas"Tx Dinner Wine Friends Sculptors Outdoors Cool!!!, March 27, 2010 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Galleria Ortiz, 4026 McCullough www.galleriaortiz.com 210-826-8623
Witte Museum, 3801 Broadway, San Antonio, Texas www.wittemuseum.com
Guadalupe Cultural Art Center, 1300 Gudalupe Street, 210-271-3151 www.guadalupeculturalarts.org High Wire Arts, 326 West Josephine, 210-827-7652 210-320-5702 www.highwirearts.com They are Part of the Second Friday Art Walk "Art on the Hill" Inspire Fine Art Center, 1539 East Sandlewood, San Antonio, Texas (In an old Red Brick Firehouse) More Info 210-829-5592 www.inspirart.ning.com Tracy Oliver 210-842-9723 Joan Grona Studio, 116 Blue Starr , Oart of the First Friday Celebration at the Complex La Casa Rosa Art Studio, 527 West Dewey,www.luislopezartist.com 210-785-0743 Long Hall Art Gallery, 618 West Craig, www.longhallgallery.com Mango's Gallery ouz@mangosgallery.com www.discoveredartist.com/ ofeliaz McNay Art Gallery, 6000 North New Braunfels www.mcnay.org 210-824-5368 SAVA Art Gallery, River Center Mall 101 Bwie Street (Corner of Bowie And Commerce shirleneharris@yahoo.com www.savisualartists.org Studio4FM The Martinez Street Women's Shelter, 1508 South Hackberry, 210-534-6638 www.mswomenscenter.org SAMA San Antonio Museum of Art Free on Tuesdays, 200 West Jones www.samuseum.org 210-978-8100 Tobin Hill Art Alliance, "Art on the Hill", Every second Friday of the Month, several galleries and studios within walking distance of each other have an Art Walk (High Wire Art 326 West Josephine, La Casa Rosa 527 West Dewey, Brad Braun
Local Aesthetic JANUARY 2011!
Announcements
Societies and Organizations San Antonio Visual Artists SAVA Shirleneharris@yahoo.com www.savisualartists.org Texas Photographic Society www.texasphoto.org
To add an art organization, event or announcement, email us at: localasa@gmail.com