modern.dallas ed.45 / may 2023

photo: dave shafer photography

DREAM AS BIG

Bernbaum/Magadini Architects at 25

by J. Claiborne Bowdon

Twenty-five years may not strike some as a particularly long stretch of time in the life of a city, but it’s a world away from the Dallas we know today. Obviously, Klyde Warren Park was not spanning Woodall Rodgers yet, but the West Village development at McKinney and Blackburn and Mockingbird Station didn’t exist either. The Bishop Arts District was certainly not on the radar as a destination

for the Metroplex. The Katy Trail was only just taking shape; it was still an abandoned rail route that had recently been donated to the city by Union Pacific. NorthPark was largely just one story, Valley View was still open and thriving, and the Mavericks and the Stars were still playing in Reunion Arena. This was still J.R. Ewing’s Dallas, and in this era before iPhones and craft breweries two

armstrong residence - bernbaum/magadini | photo: dave shafer photography

sale residence - bernbaum/magadini | photo: charles davis smith faia

architects would find each other again to add their own unique contribution in the shaping of the New Dallas.

Bruce Bernbaum and Tricy Magadini met as students at the University of Arizona studying architecture. As Tricy remembers “When we were in college, we were very different students as we are very different people

today. (Bruce) worked so hard in college. He sat at his desk in the design studios from one o’clock until five o’clock every single day. Other than the three o’clock break he would take to play Frisbee for 15 minutes.” Bruce is a Dallas native, and moved back after he graduated. He brought that same work ethic with him, but there would be very little time for Frisbee breaks as he started his

museum tower - bernbaum/magadini | photo: nathan schroeder

meaders residence - bernbaum/magadini | photo:

charles davis smith faia

Our Newest Timeless Contemporary

own firm that he would maintain for thirteen years. Tricy would find her way to Dallas after working in Tuscon after college, and would go on to work with celebrated architects Bill Booziotis and Downing Thomas working on highend residential projects before also starting her own firm.

It was then that Bruce mentioned there was an office next to his if Tricy didn’t want to work from home, which sounded

like a great idea to her. In that close proximity the same spirit and rhythm of collaboration that had buoyed them as students was rekindled, and soon they’d find themselves seeking the other’s thoughts and working on each other’s projects. “As it went along, (Bruce and I) found out our projects were getting better, with different strengths and different viewpoints, and eventually became partners.” They bid farewell to the two offices and brought in a few

// hollow way - bernbaum/magadini | photo: charles davis smith faia

more heads to put together with theirs. To date, they’re an office of ten people, and Tricy feels that “(it’s) a great size for us, and as we’ve grown the opportunities have grown.”

“We’ve had a few benchmark projects that have been really important to us. One residential project that sort of helped us develop our style.” That residential project was the Meaders House, and the almost absurd perfection

of it shames any gaudy ostentation that a similar budget may have purchased. The home is two stories rising up from the earth like an elegant mesa and clad here and there with limestone along the jutting rectangles to soften the lines and help it talk to the grass. It’s purity of form that’s breathtaking in its dedication to the highest promise of Modernism, not an antiseptic vacuum of white, but an uncomplicated space to live and breathe.

caruth residence - bernbaum/magadini

photo: charles davis smith faia

Its DNA is transparently present in several of the other structures in their portfolio, but none are entirely beholden to it. Sale is a standout that puts an enfant terrible swagger into the roster by utilizing stunning colorful stonework that thumbs its nose at the regal limestone and has a waterfall that comes off the roof into a reservoir built into the patio. Holloway is a multilevel two-story with an almost scandalous view of the staircase allowing access to both

floors. And if you believed it couldn’t get any better than Meaders there is their most recently completed project Armstrong, which makes it plain that there are still mountains to climb and marvel at for this firm. Whatever parties take place at the home will likely have a staggered start time, as the cantilevered entranceway with tobacco-colored wood along the underside will stop guests in their tracks.

manning residence - bernbaum/magadini | photo: charles davis smith faia

bernbaum/magadini architects | photo:

Aristotle noted in a past even further distant than the Dallas of twenty-five years ago that “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” The casual feel of both Bruce and Tricy’s recollections of their early days and how it all came together speaks to their openness to process, both the ebb and flow of their lives and careers and the approach to the projects they’ve taken on, and will take on. In Bruce’s estimation, “Part of the future is staying relevant,

so we are constantly learning…Tricy and I are becoming the elder statespersons in the industry. And so, our future is bringing up talent to carry on.” There’s no question that Bernbaum/Magadini Architects will carry on, as their past still dictates their future. “(Meaders) is still a house that people bring in pictures of and say, ‘We love this house.”

// bernbaummagadini.com

// wildwood 1 residence - bernbaum/magadini | photo: charles davis smith faia

ATM/DFW

GROUP EXHIBITION

TARO WAGGONER

XXAVIER CARTER

BRIAN JONES

BRIAN SCOTT

KEER TANCHAK

JOSHUA GOODE

CELIA MUNOZ

ANDREA TOSTEN

CELIA EBERLE

TABATHA TROLLI

HEYD FONTENOT

ERIN STAFFORD

Erin Stafford, Fiddle-de-dee, I don’t really care do U, 2021, parasol, fabric, trim, tassel

Emerging from Border. Latest Works by Adrian Esparza

at Cris Worley Gallery by Cinzia Franceschini

Adrian Esparza (b.1970) creates works that emerge, physically and metaphorically, from space. They are pulsating objects that seem to extrovert from the walls of Cris Worley Gallery in Dallas. They break its twodimensionality, crossing the flat and achromatic surface of the walls. But there’s more: Esparza’s creations not only evade the limits of the white space, but they also challenge the barriers of visual perception and the

mental perspectives of the viewer. These intangible geometric configurations are seemingly minimalist and abstract artworks, but they are not immaterial and cold: they are dense with matter and different meanings.

Opening May 20, the new exhibition Emerging from Space, the third solo exhibition by the El Paso-based artist at the Dallas gallery, provides visitors with

// the here and now, 2022 pen on archival paper 18h x 24w in

// community camps, 2023 pen on archival paper 22h x 22w in

a comprehensive and evocative insight into his artistic practice. Cris Worley Fine Arts shows different phases of Esparza’s creative process: from pen sketches of the ideational moment to the constructive step of textile installations, to more recent experiments with the medium of painting. For the first time, the variety of the visual artist’s body of work finds space. His artistic practice unravels little by little, unwrapping point by point

the weave of a fabric and reconfiguring it into ever new forms. It is necessary to try to read between the lines, in the space between one yarn and another, to grasp the multiple levels of interpretation of these artworks.

Esparza’s art practice springs from a material object: the serape. The artist gradually breaks down the threads of the colorful and iconic Mexican fabric, splitting and

// out of the blue, 2023 serape, wood, nails, enamel 126h x 164w in

knotting them around regularly arranged nails. In this way, he creates textile installations with regular composition, which diverge from the original, fringed appearance of the cloak. Mounted on the wall, these objects appear to the viewer as structures with refracted colors. The shapes selected by Esparza are reminiscent of those of modern architecture: in some cases, they look like buildings or clusters of urban constructions, in other cases they echo the inlays of a marble floor or the repeated patterns of a mosaic. The artist arranges geometric shapes, lines, and dots

to create interplays of expansion and contraction: the final effect is vibrant and plays with the viewer’s perception. The colors of the yarns also contribute to creating dynamism. Like a prism, the different shades of the decomposed textile fibers generate a radiating effect. The perceptual experience of the viewer of Esparza’s deconstructed serapes involves multiple senses. It is synaesthetic: light, geometry and color play on the visual and optical plane; the material quality of the threads -knotted, stretched, frayed- lets one feel the tactility.

The ultimate in modern chill.

In addition to the famous textile installations realized from serapes, the Emerging from Space exhibition also gives space to other technical experiments by Esparza. In particular, it shows its designing phase by exhibiting six pen-on-archival -paper drawings. By using these sketches, colorful structures that almost seem to float on an evanescent grid, the artist elaborates on the successive phases of his works. The drawings embody the most embryonic phase of his practice, which is thus in a hybrid territory: between the material craftsmanship of textile work and the pure conceptual-abstract tendency of Minimalism.

Materiality and abstraction are also fully revealed in Esparza’s new artistic experiments. Emerging from Space exceptionally introduces his new body of work, the serape paintings. The latest paintings are creat-

satellite garden, 2023 acrylic and serape on wood panel 40h x 30w in

ed with acrylic and serape on wood panels, combining additive and reductive techniques, adding and removing materials. Esparza first attaches the serape yarn to the panel, then covers it with paint. Only after burnishing the topcoat, the geometric pattern emerges. It is an interplay between covering and uncovering, obscuring and revealing, allowing underlying traces to surface.

In the series of serape paintings in the exhibition, the artist outlines new structures that appear more like abstract, mental places than actual architectural constructions. Satellite Garden, Unicorn Corral, Social Planning, Which

is Which are all works that create evocative scenarios that lack precise references. Seen from a distance they appear cold, programmed, minimalist works of art. Getting closer one discovers their textile quality; a short-circuit between physical and mental space that makes them truly intriguing. They are territories between conceptual visions and materiality, so interwoven with each other that one no longer knows where one ends and the other begins.

At Cris Worley Fine Arts in Dallas, Esparza’s artistic production shows all its timeliness. It stands at a time

// stray star, 2023 pen on archival paper 22h x 22w in

social planning, 2023 acrylic and serape on wood panel 40h x 30w in

when in the contemporary art world, textile artworks are extremely represented -just think of the last Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art, where embroideries, arpilleras, tapestries, and voodoo flags dominated the space. Esparza’s textile pieces have been exhibited nationally and internationally and are currently part of the permanent collections of several museums, including the Dallas Museum of Art, the El Paso Museum of Art, and the Perez Miami Art Museum, as well as in many prominent private and public collections including Houston Airports, Microsoft, and Soho House.

However, beyond the technical and aesthetic value, what makes Esparza’s textile works powerful is his choice to work on Mexican serape, a fabric that is not neutral. The artist’s gesture is not merely an aesthetic act, but an operation of symbolic deconstruction. The serape -unraveled and patiently reknotted is a material connoted by ethnographic and anthropological meanings, an icon of Mexican cultural heritage. More than disassembling a material, Esparza

disassembles and reconfigures a symbol. He investigates the power of this fabric: once a precious object of traditional craftsmanship, now a pop, mass-produced, and almost kitsch element of Mexican identity, to the point of fuelling its stereotypical image abroad. Esparza physically displaces the serape from the context of Mexican tradition to reconstruct its identity free of prejudice and clichés. The entire theoretical process can be glimpsed at Cris Worley Gallery. His deconstructed serapes epitomize the complex identity of those who, like him, live on the Mexican

American border. Born in El Paso, Esparza experienced a melting pot of traditions and absorbed its variety of languages. His objects speak the hybrid language of border towns, weaving traditional Mexican textile culture with the logical-geometric voice of American minimalism. They are objects that are born on the border: a line that is not a fracture, but a thin thread that separates and, inextricably, reweaves.

// out of no where, 2023 pen on archival paper 22h x 22w in

The Dallas Architecture Forum is for everyone who wants to experience inspired design. The Forum presents an award-winning Lecture Series that brings outstanding architects,interior designers, landscape architects and urban planners from around the world, as well as Symposia, Receptions at architecturally significant residences, and Panel Discussions on issues impacting North Texas.

Reflecting History With A Modern Lens

by Hardy Haberman

As a lifetime Dallas resident, I was familiar with the building at the corner of Good-Latimer Expressway and Elm Street. I remember it as the Union Bankers Life offices. The architectural details of the building were hidden under a coat of dull white paint, and most of the character of the structure was obscured.

Still, it fascinated me and after some research, I found it was actually a Dallas historical gem. Built originally in

1916 as the Knights of Pythias Temple it was the first major structure in Dallas designed by an African American Architect, William Sidney Pittman. The Pythian Temple became known as the social, professional, and cultural center of the city’s African-American community. According to the City of Dallas Office of Historic Preservation, “The temple hosted lectures, meetings, conventions, and dances, as well as housed the offices of African-American professionals in the area.

It languished for years after Union Bankers moved out and I had worried it might give way to the wrecking ball like so many other historic Dallas buildings. Luckily the city declared it a Historic Landmark in 1989, and several proposals to restore the building came and went. All that changed when Westdale Real Estate Investment teamed with developers KDC, StreetLights Residential and Vine Street Ventures on the 8-acre Epic project which included the historic Pythian Temple building.

Architects Perkins&Will oversaw the repurposing of the building and the addition of a multi-story modern structure that compliments the vintage Beaux-Arts style. The paired buildings are a reflection of old and new in a 165 room boutique hotel by Kimpton Hotels and is aptly named The Pittman, after the original architect.

From the sheltered driveway entrance to the lobby, guests are welcomed into a modern space that exposes much

of the bare bones of the building yet softens them with custom designed furnishings. Artwork and photographs adorn the walls and much of it reflects the history of the building and the Deep Elum neighborhood.

The original entrance on Elm Street now serves as the door to Elm & Good, the hotel restaurant that features seasonal, American tavern-inspired cooking overseen by Executive Chef Graham Dodds. The restaurant includes

private dining rooms for special occasions and meetings as well as catering for all the hotel venues including the rooftop Parker Ballroom with its arching windows and views of the Deep Elum Entertainment District.

Guest rooms are spacious and feel more like modern loft apartments than a hotel. Room furnishings mirror the style of the hotel lobby and public areas with colorful and comfortable modern designs. The bathrooms are adorned

with gleaming white tile wall treatments and lots of glass and some feature freestanding bathtubs.

The proximity of the Kimpton Pittman Hotel to Deep Elum cannot be understated. It is at the gateway to an entertainment district with dozens of restaurants, clubs and music venues, all within walking distance. For out-of-

town guests it makes a great base for tourism and for an in-town getaway it makes a great romantic weekend spot, Overall, the project is a stunning success at bringing one of Dallas’ historic treasures back into use as a vibrant and attractive landmark.

// pittmanhoteldallas.com

CADDALLAS.ORG

2023 MEMBERS

Carneal Simmons Contemporary Art

Conduit Gallery

Craighead Green Gallery

Cris Worley Fine Arts

Erin Cluley Gallery

Galleri Urbane Marfa+Dallas

Holly Johnson Gallery

Keijsers Koning

Kirk Hopper Fine Art

Laura Rathe Fine Art

PDNB Gallery

Pencil on Paper Gallery

RO2 Art

Valley House Gallery & Sculpture Garden

ART: Kevin Vogel - Valley House Gallery

DEVELOPER: Diane Cheatham - Urban Edge

ARCHITECTURE: Bernbaum/Magadini

// torii nest outdoor is a garden sofa with upholstered seat and woven rope backrest. designed by nendo for minotti at smink

// ippolito bollard, although minimalistic, has a decorative valence. designed by alessandro pedretti for artemide

// mon oncle is a reinterpretation of the classic concept of a barbecue by mermelada estudio at scottcooner

Modern events and activities make for fun around the Metroplex.

365 MODERN - BROOKVIEW RESIDENCE

Dallas Architecture Forum

WALKING TOURS

Discover the Arts District + Fair Park Tram Tour

Ad Ex

PRESERVATION DALLAS

InTown Outings

SHEPARD FAIREY

Dallas Contemporary

MARK DI SUVERO

Nasher Sculpture Center

MOVEMENT: THE LEGACY OF KINETICISM

Dallas Museum Of Art

JAPAN, FORM & FUNCTION EXHIBITION

Crow Museum Of Asian Art

ROBERT MOTHERWELL: PURE PAINTING

The Modern Art Museum

CHRISTINA FERNANDEZ: MULTIPLE EXPOSURES

The Amon Carter Museum of American Art

Modern art, exhibits, around the Metroplex.

art galleries

KATHY BOORTZ + CINDI HOLT

Valley House Gallery

MYRA BARRAZA + MICHAEL CORRIS + TINO WARD

Liliana Bloch Gallery

ATM/DFW

Kirk Hopper Fine Art

LIZ WARD + JAMES LUMSDEN

Holly Johnson Gallery

LETITIA HUCKABY

Talley Dunn Gallery

ADRIAN ESPARZA + LAUREN CLAY

Cris Worley Fine Arts

LINDA & ED BLACKBURN COLLECTIONS

Site 131

BONNY LEIBOWITZ + GABRIELA MORAWETZ

The MAC

JOHANNES BOEKHOUDT

Markowicz Fine Art

JAMES + DEBRA FERRARI

Ferrari Gallery