ISSUE Magazine

THE ARTS MAGAZINE OF THE ART STUDIO, INC.

SHOP-O-RAMA RETURNS TO TASI PAGE 5 INSIDE: NEW WEB SITE, TANNER AT MFAH, ‘STRANGE EGGS,’ AND MORE

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

Life Drawing Wednesdays.

6-8 p.m. $5.

Open to everyone.

Join the facebook Figure Drawing group Become a member of the studio — it’s worth it.

SEE MEMBERSHIP FORM ON PAGE 3.

A View From The Top Greg Busceme, TASI Director

THE END OF THE year will mark significant changes in The Studio operations, appearance and accessibility, and a continued commitment to the goals and purposes that have been the soul and backbone of The Art Studio.

There are many good people, artists, teachers and lovers of art who assist this organization in its effort to advance the arts in the community, and to assist in the proliferation of arts in our educational institutions.

Their commitment is a testament to the idea that the arts are a significant and necessary part of curriculum and assist the students in broad-based critical thinking, creative concepts (outside-the-box thinking) and complex problem solving.

Arts can be used as an addendum to any core class. We use ceramics to illustrate chemistry, engineering, geology, anthropology, mathematics, history, civics, etc. It is our contention that removing art from schools is like removing chalkboards and computers from the classroom: an excellent tool is left out of the mix.

The arts’ impact on the individuals in our community, especially our young people, brings a new facet of community life. Not based in commercial profit, The Art Studio offers opportunities for cultural fulfillment in the visual and performing arts at no or minimal costs. Local concerts of regional originating musicians, visual arts exhibitions, classes

ISSUE Vol. 19, No. 4 Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Art Studio, Inc. Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andy Coughlan Copy Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tracy Danna Contributing Writers. . . . . . . . . . . . Elena Ivanova, . . . . . Thomas Lee Harris Jr., Rachel Binagia, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Dixon The Art Studio, Inc. Board of Directors President Ex-Officio . . . . . . . . . . . . Greg Busceme Vice-President. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Angela Busceme Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Roberts Treasurer/Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beth Gallaspy Members at large: . . . . . . . . . . . . Sheila Busceme, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elizabeth French, . . . . . . . . . . Andy Ledesma, Stephan Malick, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heather Butler

The Art Studio, Inc. 720 Franklin Beaumont, TX 77701 409-838-5393 www.artstudio.org artstudio@artstudio.org The ISSUE is a monthly publication of The Art Studio, Inc. Its mission is to publicize The Art Studio and its tenants, and to promote the growth of the arts in Southeast Texas. ISSUE is also charged with informing TASI members of projects, progress, achievements and setbacks in TASI’s well-being. Further, ISSUE strives to promote and distribute the writings of local authors in its “Thoughtcrime” feature.

ISSUE is provided free of charge to members of TASI and is also available, free of charge, at more than 30 locations in Southeast Texas.

Regular features include local artists of note and reputation who are not currently exhibiting at TASI; artists currently or soon to be exhibiting at TASI; Instructional articles for artists; news stories regarding the state of TASI’s organization; and arts news features dealing with general philosophical issues of interest to artists.

Contents TASI’s New Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4 Holiday Shop-O-Rama Extravaganza . . . . . . Page 5 !Storm Generation! Photo Story. . . . . . . . . . Page 6 Geek’s Gift Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8 Tanner’s “Annunciation”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10 “Strange Eggs” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 11 Around & About. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12 Thoughtcrime. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 13 Book Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Cover photo of 2011 Shop-O-Rama

by Andy Coughlan

in clay and drawing and performances of local theatre productions (Studio 33, for example) are offered on a monthly or nearmonthly basis and are open to all to participate.

Our new-look Web site is up and functioning, thanks to Stacey Haynes, our Webmaster. We now have video capabilities and online membership renewal, easier accessibility, and more pages of information about our Studio activities and artists. We also hope we can develop some instructional videos on ceramics for teachers and students to answer the basic questions they may have.

We see a long-term benefit in communication and energy savings, and a reduction in printing costs.

The fence will be going up on Nov. 30, directed by jack-of-all-trades, Joey Raab, who will guide us in securing our perimeter. Any stalwart volunteers would be greatly appreciated. We recently got our parking lot restriped by Brandon Cates, Eagle Scout candidate, as well as some much needed landscaping.

Our wall and door to the office area is completely ridden with termites and will soon be in danger, much like our front door was, of collapsing. As we rebuild our entry way, we will also upgrade our ADA accessi-

See VIEW on page 15

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS AT THE ART STUDIO D EC EM B ER

FEBRUARY

Holiday Shop-O-Rama Extravaganza Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 1

Joe Winston Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 2

BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ART STUDIO Membership in The Art Studio, Inc., provides invitations to all exhibitions and one year of ISSUE, the monthly arts magazine of The Art Studio. It also gives free eligibility for members to enter the annual membership art exhibition (TASIMJAE) and participate in various exhibitions throughout the year.

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T U R N I N G T H E ( W EB ) P A G E

4 • ISSUE December 2012

Volume 19, No. 4

TASI ONLINE PRESENCE GETS FACELIFT TO EMPHASIZE CONTENT, SERVICES THE ART STUDIO, INC. has a new Web presence at www.artstudio.org.

Visitors to the Web site recently will have noticed a new — and drastically improved — site.

Volunteer Stacey Haynes has revamped the site in order to offer greater content and easier access to The Studio’s wide range of activities.

“I think they were looking for something that was very content heavy,” Haynes said. “I feel like they love the fact that the Web site they had before had a pretty picture on the front, but there just wasn’t enough content. When a visitor logged on, you kind of had to dig deep into it.

“We wanted to make it so that when a visitor comes to the site, they can immediately see things.”

Haynes said it is important that people can easily search the site, and for people who want to become members to be able to pay for their memberships online.

“For me, it was just a question of asking if they wanted it to be really pretty, or do they want it to be content heavy?” she said. “And they wanted content.

That made it easy for me, because then I could just pick a layout and go for it.

“It’s really about helping The Studio get what they wanted, which was more information.”

While Haynes said that the focus is on content over looks, the content on the site is visually appealing.

“The content makes it pretty, the work of the artists makes it pretty — everything that is going on at The Studio and the pictures we present on the Web site can definitely make it pretty,” she said.

“Having lots of good content and nice pictures, artists making work, people taking pictures at events — you don’t need a whole lot of extra fluff when you have artists doing beautiful work.”

One of the new features of the site is to be able to archive the ISSUE, with the stories easily searchable on the Web. “I am so impressed that they have been doing it for so many years,” Haynes said. “It is such a beautiful magazine packed full of information, lovely pictures, and great reviews and stories. I am excited that it gets to be featured on the Web site and really build the site around that.”

Instead of just viewing a static pdf of the page, visitors wanting to see the page layouts will get to “turn” the pages.

Haynes said the new-look site is still in its infancy.

“Things will be ever changing,” she said. “If people want to leave comments and suggestions, we welcome them. To me, the user of a site knows what they want and what they like.”

Haynes and her husband Richie, an exhibiting artist, are long-time Studio members and she said working on the Web site is a labor of love.

“If I know how to do something and people are

Story by Andy Coughlan

in need, I like to help,” she said. “The Art Studio has been in my life for as long as I can remember. Since I was a young adult I have been going to The Studio.

So many of my friends are artists. That organization and what they do for local artists means something to both of us.

“Working all my life for non-profit organizations, I know how much they need people who care and

can commit and give time, their talents and their energy. So I’ve always wanted to find a way to help them but didn’t really know how. So when the Web site opportunity came along, it was something I could do at home in the evenings — it was something I could commit to and I have the skills to do it.

“So it was a pleasure for me to help — finally I have something I can help The Studio with.”

Volume 19, No. 4

December 2012 ISSUE • 5

SHOP-O-RAMA TO BEGIN DEC. 1 THE ECONOMY IS STILL a talking point even though the election is over.

Social media is chock-a-block with updates about jobs being lost to under-paid, overseas workers, and corporations under-insuring their workers while making huge profits.

You know who never makes huge profits? Artists.

But you can change that.

The “shop local” movement comes to The Art Studio in December, with the Annual Shop-O-Rama Extravaganza, a sale of hand-made, Southeast Texas-produced, reasonablypriced gifts (Phew, that was a lot of hyphens, but you get the point).

The grand sale begins 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Dec. 1, with a free reception from 7-10 p.m., with many of the artists in attendance.

Shoppers can also buy items during regular Studio hours, 2-5 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday, through Dec. 19.

The Shop-O-Rama traditionally offers smaller versions of the great art produced by tenants and members of The Art Studio year round.

“This event is always a great opportunity to spread the word about the great work produced at The Studio,” tenant Andy Coughlan said.

“And it is also one of our major fundraisers. It’s important that we encourage people to come out and buy a lot

of stuff.”

An eclectic group of artists will ply their wares during the show, including ceramics, paintings, drawings and prints, decorative boxes, photographs, woodcarvings, dolls, jewelry, crafts and other knick-knacks.

Many of the items will be available for as little as $10-$20, but there will be a selection of higher priced items as well.

“Most of the artists create work specifically for gift ideas,” Coughlan said. “I realize that not everyone can afford large-scale paintings, but people enjoy the chance to buy smaller pieces that are created with affordability in mind.

“It’s not just for buying gifts. It is also a great way for people to start their art collections.”

Participation in the sale is open to TASI members in good standing.

Anyone wishing to take part in the event can become a member of The Art Studio when they bring their work in. Memberships begin at $35. TASI takes a commission of 25 percent on all items sold. The display will accept entries through Nov. 28. All artwork must be brought by in person. Artists are responsible for their own displays.

Work may be added at any time during the run of the Holiday Shop-ORama Extravaganza.

Paintings and ceramics were among the many items on sale at The Art Studio’s 2011 Holiday Shop-O-Rama Extravaganza “The commission is particularly low in relation to other arts organizations,” Coughlan said. “It is not unusual for galleries to charge as much as 50 or 60 percent commission. We have always tried to keep the percentage low to encourage the less experienced artist to become involved in exhibiting and selling their work.”

The artists are doing their part by producing local work — now it is up to the consumers to “buy local.”

The Art Studio, Inc. is located at 720 Franklin in downtown Beaumont.

Regular hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday.

For more information, call 409838-5393 or visit www.artstudio.org.

! S T O R M G E N E R A TI O N !

6 • ISSUE December 2012

Volume 19, No. 4

PERFORMANCE ARTISTS, PRINTMAKERS INVADE STUDIO THE CHAINSAW ROARED AS the girl with the brain for a head dragged a suited mannequin around the yard. Megaphones crackled and discordant guitar sounds mixed with the pop of a fire in the cool evening air.

A sizeable crowd watched as the girl with the deer on her head wielded a branding iron.

Everywhere one looked, there was choreographed mayhem — well, it may not have been choreographed, who knows.

Whatever it was, it was interesting. The Estonian Non Grata performance group returned with to The Studio with their brand of anarchic theater, Nov. 9, as the three-day “Rite of Print” event wound down.

Printmakers Toomas Kuusing and Peeter Allik were on hand to sell their work, as well as student artists from various schools.

Organizer Xenia Fedorchenko, Lamar University professor of print, met the artists and invited them to Beaumont, to show Southeast Texans another view.

Non Grata had been here before — this time there was no styrofoam — and they always challenge the way art can be conceived. “!Storm Generation!” is just the latest incarnation of their process. With any luck, they will be back again some day. Maybe there’s time to learn Estonian.

Photos by Andy Coughlan

Toomas Kuusing

Volume 19, No. 4

December 2012 ISSUE • 7

Peeter Allik

8 • ISSUE December 2012

Volume 19, No. 4

Gifts for those HE’S BAAACK. NO, NOT THE ONCE AGAIN THAT COLD north wind is blowing and ever ywhere you look, trees and wreaths are all over yards, street signs, doors, malls, city parks, free clinics, underpasses, abandoned mines — well, you get the idea. It’s Christmas and that means some of you have no idea what to get your friends besides iTunes gift cards and Starbucks coffee. Have no fear, dear ones.

Commentary by Jeff Dixon (Jeff Dixon loves movies and comic books in a way that often terrifies him. You can follow his insane ramblings on Twitter @RoiVampire if he let’s you.)

JAWS — This one should be a no brainer, but maybe you already own “Jaws” on DVD. Maybe you own two copies of it, in case “something happens.” Maybe you have some sort of weird obsession with “Jaws” because it’s a perfect work of cinema. Regardless, if you like “Jaws” enough to own it (and by the way, if you don’t, what is wrong with you?), then you need this Blu Ray. It’s astounding how good the film looks. I can’t really adequately describe how crisp and clear the movie looks. You have to see it for yourself. Honestly, if you take anything away from this article it should be that the “Jaws” Blu Ray is some sort of magic done by a wizard in a far-off land.

DICK TRACY — Let’s be honest, this is not a great movie, but it is gorgeous to look at and Blu Ray is the only way I would recommend owning this film. There are no muted colors in “Dick Tracy.” Things are black, white, yellow, red, and blue — and what gorgeous blues they are.

The script is run-of-themill and lacks the grittiness of the old Tracy comics, but the performances more than make up for this softer side of the greatest detective to ever wear a radio watch.

HEAVYWEIGHTS — This is the Blu Ray for that friend of yours obsessed with “Zoolander” and “Dodgeball.” This little cult classic was written by Judd Apatow, before he was anybody, and stars Ben Stiller, also before he was anybody.

The fun thing about this movie is you can almost view it as a prequel to “Dodgeball” with Stiller using the same cocky swagger and voice for his character in both films. There aren’t many things funnier than Stiller making fat kids at camp miserable. “Lunch has been canceled today…due to lack of hustle.”

TOXIC AVENGER: JAPANESE CUT — Available for the first time in the United States, the full director’s cut of “The Toxic Avenger.”

Trust me, for the geek who has everything, this is a perfect gift. If they’re anything like me, they will be shocked and amazed that you had the foresight to purchase this little ball of weirdness. After they open it tell them you wanted to get them the original in preparation for the remake. They’ll be amazed at your insider knowledge.

Or not. It could go either way, really.

Volume 19, No. 4

December 2012 ISSUE • 9

pale as snow

SHARK, THE GEEK. OH, YEAH, THE SHARK, TOO TARANTINO BLU RAY COLLECTION — Here’s the big one. All of Tarantino’s movies in high definition in a super snazzy box set.

“Reservoir Dogs,” “True Romance,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Jackie Brown,” “Kill Bill Vol. 1,” “Kill Bill Vol. 2,” “Death Proof” and “Inglourious Basterds,” plus two discs of never-before-seen extras. Boom.

Sold. You can say what you want about Tarantino but the man knows how to get great performances out of his actors and his movies feel like movies.

They feel like the creation of a writer/director and a group of actors, not like some ham-fisted cash grab set up by studio executives. There’s real passion in these films and it comes through in every gorgeous frame. Plus, Pam Grier, Bridget Fonda and Uma Thurman in high definition. Who could pass that up?

WARRIOR BY KE$HA — I’m not going to lie to you folks, I love Ke$ha. I’m not going to apologize for it either. I am one of her Animals and damn proud of it.

With “Warrior,” Ke$ha has been drawing influence from psychedelic rock as well as her time as a global ambassador for the Humane Society. Yeah, you read that right. A full grown woman with a dollar sign in her name is the first global ambassador for the Humane Society. Take that, high school guidance counselor.

INTO THE FUTURE BY BAD BRAINS — Got a friend who loves punk rock and always gives you a hard time about the “music” you listen to on the “radio?” This is the gift for them. Bad Brains set the tone for East Coast punk in the 80s and the group is still going strong. After sticking to live shows in their hometown of Washington D.C., the band is finally back with a fulllength studio album. If your friend likes punk and doesn’t like Bad Brains, then they are a figment of your imagination and you should probably stop reading this and get some kind of help.

SPIDER-MEN BY BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS AND SARA PICHELLI — In Marvel’s Ultimate Universe, which is now more than a decade old, Peter Parker died a hero’s death protecting his neighborhood of Forest Hills in Queens from the wrath of Norman Osborn. Since his very public death, a young boy named Miles Morales has taken on the mantle of Spider-Man. Here’s where it gets weird.

Peter Parker from the main Marvel Universe has accidentally been transported to the Ultimate Universe, meeting Miles and pretty much freaking out about the whole situation. It might sound a little complicated but trust me, this is the best mini-series I read all year. It’s a coming of age tale about someone who knows how hard life can be preparing a young man for the harshness of the world. Peter Parker is dead. Long live Peter Parker.

MAN-THING OMNIBUS — Ever been reading a horror comic and thought, “Man this is great but I doubt I could actually murder someone with this book?” Have I got a gift for you. Created in 1974 by Stan Lee, Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway, Man-

Thing is our guide through the weirder sections of the Marvel Universe. A mass of plant matter with supernatural, fear-based powers, the Man-Thing is a truly odd creation from the House of Ideas. This omnibus collects more than 40 issues in a gorgeous hardcover that you could easily use to kill someone with. But whatever you do, don’t lose your cool, man.

Just remember; “Whoever knows fear burns at the touch of the Man-Thing.”

And on that cheerful note I must bid you adieu. I am off to pour something in my hot chocolate to make the day pass a little faster. Bundle up out there you poor souls and pray for me if that’s your bag. I’ll be muttering to myself during Rockets games most nights. Have a safe winter. I’ll see you all again in the summer to talk about which remakes and reboots I’m dreading/secretly loving.

Mahalo!

10 • ISSUE December 2012

Volume 19, No. 4

VIRGIN MARY AND ELECTRICITY

A Contemplation on Henry Ossawa Tanner’s Painting ‘The Annunciation’ Story by Elena Ivanova

“My effort has been to not only put the Biblical incident in the original setting, but at the same time give the human touch ‘which makes the whole world kin’1 and which ever remains the same.”

— Henry Ossawa Tanner

FOR VISITORS OF THE Salon exhibition in Paris in 1898, the painting titled “The Annunciation,” by American artist Henr y Ossawa Tanner, must have looked unusual, revelator y or even disturbing and blasphemous. Nothing in this work reminded them of the popular biblical subject, at least not in the way it had been portrayed since the Renaissance: no golden-winged angel, no ethereally beautiful Madonna, no haloes, no luscious display of textures and rich garments. In fact, if it were not for the title, one may not have guessed that the scene portrayed the Virgin Mar y at the moment she is visited by archangel Gabriel.

Tanner’s work looks like an ordinar y domestic scene. A young woman is sitting up in bed among crumpled sheets as if awakened by a sudden noise. A few details in the interior point to the possible middle-eastern location of the scene — a low vaulted ceiling, a patterned mat on the paved floor, a striped carpet pinned to the wall, and ceramic jugs on a shelf. The only extraordinar y thing in this other wise unremarkable place is a beam of blinding light, which has no obvious source and which seems to have hypnotized the occupant of the humble dwelling.

Today, having seen lots of movies in which biblical characters look and act like ordinar y people, we may find it hard to understand what was so radical about this idea a hundred years ago. However, even in our more open-minded society, not ever yone accepts such movies as Pasolini’s “The Gospel According to St. Matthew,” or Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ,” in which Jesus appears to be too much like a vulnerable human being. In a similar way, Tanner’s emphasis on the ordinar y while portraying a sacred event could be interpreted as subversive by devout Christians of his time.

What do we know about Henr y Ossawa Tanner? Born and raised in Philadelphia in the family of a prominent African Methodist Episcopal bishop, Tanner was the first African American artist to achieve international fame. He studied with Thomas Eakins at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and later at the Académie Julian in Paris. Having settled in France, where society was more open to the idea of racial diversity than in America, he became an influential figure among expatriate American artists. The French government bestowed upon him the highest accolades: he was elected Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur

Henry Ossawa Tanner, “The Annunciation,” 1898, oil on canvas Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, purchased with the W.P. Wilstach Fund, 1899, W1899-1-1.

and his paintings were acquired by the state.

Tanner chose to follow the path of religious painting early in his career. He felt a strong kinship with painters of religious subjects from the past, particularly with Rembrandt. His desire was to find a modern artistic language which would enable him to express what he considered the most important about religious experience — “a unity in human aspirations and revealed faith.”

Like the majority of religious genre artists of his time, Tanner believed that it was important to be historically and ethnographically accurate when painting biblical scenes. He traveled to Palestine where he tirelessly recorded the landscape, the people and the material culture of the land of the Bible. At the same time, he was not nostalgic about the past. He was a modern man who was excited about new developments in science and technology. In art, he embraced innovation without breaking away from the great realistic tradition of West-European art.

At the dawn of the 20th centur y, the world was rapidly changing, with discoveries in physics, chemistr y, biology and psychology replacing old assumptions about man and nature based on reli-

gious beliefs. Tanner, however, never doubted that faith would continue to play an important role in the new centur y. The question that he pondered was how to express the divine in his art in a way that would be consistent with the contemporaneous world.

In “The Annunciation,” Tanner offers an astounding example of marriage between religious experience and science. The beam of light which signifies the presence of the divine evokes Nikola Tesla’s experiments with electricity. In the late 1880s-early 1890s, Tesla traveled extensively presenting lectures in Europe and America demonstrating the capabilities of electric current. When Tanner exhibited his work at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 he could not have missed the largest demonstration of all: the whole fair was illuminated through the first use of the alternating current device.

Parisians looking at “The Annunciation” in 1898 were likely to make a connection with Tesla’s electricity demonstrations and, consequently, to

See TANNER on page 11

Volume 19, No. 4

December 2012 ISSUE • 11

Oldenburg lays ‘Strange Eggs’ at Menil CLAES OLDENBURG IS AN odd bird and has laid some “Strange Eggs” over his career.

The Sweden-born American artist has gained fame though his playful interpretations of everyday objects, which he manipulates into large-scale, colorful public installations.

Now, the Menil Collection in Houston has hatched “Strange Eggs,” an exhibit of the artist’s early collages, in its surrealist galleries.

The 18 small pieces were constructed over a twoyear period following his move from Chicago to New York in 1956.

It is fitting that the works hang in the Menil’s impressive Surrealist section. Oldenburg draws heavily on the playful collages of the earlier artists, with Max Ernst seeming to be the most influential.

While Ernst’s collages were recognizable juxtapositions of images, Oldenburg twists the images a step further, giving us pictures that suggest something without ever taking us all the way.

The source material is often unrecognizable, just textures culled from magazine photographs. Sure, we get a glimpse — a toe here, a feather there, and there’s a head that seems to be emerging from a cake, isn’t there? The orange, ah yes, there is definitely an orange.

But the source image is really irrelevant, as is the created amalgam.

Oldenburg invites us to make of the image what we will. And we will try. The nature of human curiosity, when faced with any sort of abstraction, is to try to make sense of what we see. It must “be” something, we think, and it is our job to find out what.

The images are clearly representational. It is a frog on a log, yet it isn’t. It is a mermaid seated on a rock, but it’s not. The people are people, yet not people, really. But we are confident they are meant to represent people — or maybe not.

Many of the images seem to explore the inter-

Review by Andy Coughlan

Strange Eggs X, 1957-58, Collage, mounted on cardboard, 10-15/16 x 14-3/16" Collection of Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen

play of the binary; two shapes working together — or are they just randomly juxtaposed.

One of the “Strange Eggs” reminds me of my favorite joke: Q. How many Surrealists does it take to change a light bulb?

A. Fish.

TANNER from page 10

Henry Ossawa Tanner

relate Tanner’s work to the ongoing debate about the natural and the supernatural. They probably had another association — with performances of “la fée électrique,” by the American dancer Loïe Fuller. Fuller designed a special “underlighting” device which dramatically illuminated her body from beneath as she danced on the dark stage. Tanner could have seen Fuller’s performance either in Paris or at the Chicago World’s Fair.

He recorded his impressions in the painting titled “Salome,” which evokes the title of one of Fuller’s dances.

Given the public’s fascination with electricity and his own preoccupation with conveying the idea of the divine, it may seem odd that Tanner did not give a more prominent place to the beam of light in his composition, but chose to push it to the edge of the painting, almost off the canvas. However, upon further consideration, one understands his reason for giving the central place

Maybe that’s Oldenburg’s point. Life is just a mixed up joke and it is up to us to make sense of it all — or not.

The Menil Collection is located at 1515 Sul Ross in Houston.

For more, visit www.menil.org.

to Mar y, her face ablaze with the reflected light from the mysterious source. Tanner probably obser ved such intense, unblinking gaze on the faces of spectators watching Tesla’s demonstration or Fuller’s dance. True to his artistic credo to “give the human touch ‘which makes the whole world kin’ and which ever remains the same,” Tanner invites us to share Mar y’s emotions and maybe, through this experience, to come closer to understanding the spiritual message of his painting.

The exhibition “Henr y Ossawa Tanner: Modern Spirit” is on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, through Jan. 13. The exhibition is a sur vey of more than 100 works, including 12 paintings that have never been shown in a Tanner retrospective, as well as the only two known sculptures that Tanner completed.

For more information, visit www.mfah.org.

1

The quotation comes from Shakespeare’s tragedy “Troilus and Cressida.” In general usage this expression means that the show of a fundamental human emotion often has the ef fect of bringing people closer together.

12 • ISSUE December 2012

Volume 19, No. 4

Around & About If you come across any interesting exhibitions, museums or other places on your travels, share them with us. Call 409-838-5393, or contact us through our web site at www.artstudio.org. Be sure to include the location and dates of the subject, as well as any costs.

The BEAUMONT AR T LEAGUE will host the 51ST ANNUAL NATIONAL JURIED EXHIBITION, May 1 through 31, 2013.

The deadline to submit digital entries is Feb. 14.

The artists whose pieces are selected by a panel of jurists will be notified by letter after March 1.

The show’s prospectus is available for download on the League’s Web site at www.beaumontart league.org. ______________ The Beaumont Art League will present two exhibitions in January. A solo show by JOEY BLAZEK will be on display in the Brown Gallery, and a group show will be presented in the Scurlock Gallery, featuring ABBY MCLAURIN, SARAH VONKAIN AND KAILEE VIATOR. Both shows open Jan. 12 with a free reception from 7-10 p.m.

BAL is located on Gulf Street in Beaumont.

For more, call 409-833-4179. ______________ The AR T MUSEUM OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS is hosting ANTELOPE LIGHT: PHOTOGRAPHS BY LISA F. RICHARDSON, on view through Jan. 20 in AMSET’s Café Arts.

This show features a collection of photographs that were taken at the Lower Antelope Canyon in Northern Arizona in April.

“Photographing the American Southwest has been an awakening and a justification of spirit,” Richardson states in a release. “I am always romanced by the high desert light and how eloquently it defines shape and color. My approach to photography is often about portraying the reality or truth of a subject, but I also enjoy finding abstract qualities and letting them be my muse.”

Much like the abstract expressionists, who took subjects out of context, she used shapes and their relationship with light to communicate her vision,” Monique Sennet, AMSET representative, states in a release. “By suspending reality, she hopes to invite the viewer to consider, not only what these pictures are, but also their emotional response to them.

Ultimately, each person’s response may be different. This is the true beauty of ‘Antelope Light.’”

Richardson grew up in Beaumont and is a graduate of Lamar University. After a career in graphic design, she became involved in photography in 2006. Her photography often shows a deep connection to the American Southwest and its unique qualities.

The exhibition is open for viewing during regular museum hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.

Two Magnolia’s serves lunch in Café Arts from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For more information, contact AMSET at 409832-3432 or visit www.amset.org. ______________ The MUSEUM OF FINE AR TS, HOUSTON, is hosting an exhibition exploring the experience of

war through the eyes of photographers.

WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY: IMAGES OF ARMED CONFLICT AND ITS AFTERMATH features nearly 500 objects, including photographs, books, magazines, albums and photographic equipment. The photographs were made by more than 280 photographers, from 28 nations, who have covered conflict on six continents over 165 years, from the Mexican-American War of 1846 through present-day conflicts.

The exhibition takes a critical look at the relationship between war and photography, exploring what types of photographs are, and are not, made, and by whom and for whom. Rather than a chronological survey of wartime photographs or a survey of “greatest hits,” the exhibition presents types of photographs repeatedly made during the many phases of war — regardless of the size or cause of the conflict, the photographers’ or subjects’ culture or the era in which the pictures were recorded. The images in the exhibition are organized according to the progression of war: from the acts that instigate armed conflict, to “the fight,” to victory and defeat, and images that memorialize a war, its combatants and its victims. Both iconic images and previously unknown images are on view, taken by military photographers, commercial photographers (portrait and photojournalist), amateurs and artists.

Curators Anne Wilkes Tucker, Natalie Zelt and Will Michels spent a decade preparing the show which explores the complex and profound relationship between war and photography.

“Photographs serve the public as a collective memory of the experience of war, yet most presentations that deal with the material are organized chronologically,” Tucker said in a release. “We ‘War/Photography’ is unique in its scope, exploring conflict and its consequences across the globe and over time, analyzing this complex and unrelenting

RECENT ART STUDIO NEW OR RENEWING MEMBERS Linnis Blanton Mona Brittain & Donavon Salter Mary Jane Cole Bill & Nancy DeForest Sarah Hamilton & Bryan Lee Sirena & Scott LaBurn JoRita & Steve Lyle Marianna Measells Rose Stark

phenomenon.”

The earliest work in the exhibition is from 1847, taken from the first photographed conflict: the Mexican-American War. Other early examples include photographs from the Crimean War, such as Roger Fenton’s iconic The Valley of the Shadow of Death (1855) and Felice Beato’s photograph of the devastated interior of Fort Taku in China during the Second Opium War (1860). Among the most recent images is a 2008 photograph of the Battle Company of the 173rd Airborne Brigade in the remote Korengal Valley of Eastern Afghanistan by Tim Hetherington, who was killed in April 2011 while covering the civil war in Libya.

The museum is located at 1001 Bissonnet in Houston.

For more information, visit www.mfah.org, or call 713-639-7300.

L L SE UR O Y

K R O W T R A

@

JOIN TODAY!

AC X T SE ORG .

Volume 19, No. 4

December 2012 ISSUE • 13

Thoughtcrime

The Garden Growing Slow Yesterday, I planted old seed in an old field.

Submission Guidelines and Disclaimer ISSUE solicits and publishes the work of local authors. Poetry, short fiction, scholarly works and opinion pieces may be submitted for review. All works must be typed or submitted on a disk (using approved word processing software), or may be sent to TASI by e-mail.

All works are subject for review by our editor, and may be rejected or edited on the basis of grammar, spelling or content.

The opinions expressed in “Thoughtcrime” do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TASI, its Board of Directors, ISSUE’s editorial staff, or donors to TASI.

I did so tenderly, because they were old.

Not much will come of the sowing – if anything at all – the tilling only toil.

Harvest will be small and like as not

Send typed works to: ISSUE 720 Franklin, Beaumont, TX 77701 or e-mail: artstudio@artstudio.org Authors must submit a daytime telephone number along with all submissions. Pen names are acceptable, but authors must supply real names for verification. All submitted works become property of TASI, and whether rejected or accepted, are not returned to the author.

ISSUE does not notify of rejection by mail or telephone.

left in the dirt than washed for any meal.

But what is done is done, and yesterday is done.

Today, I wake before the sun, again, and in the dark

sing a call based upon a recollection of how I remember you in spite of maturity, a closeted fisted baron intention yes this here, as it was in her nature lonesome was a part from her replied with fucking fervor my lord without a tone of dissonance she never obliged

easy woman She’s an easy woman Easy to be around bewitching entrancing musky

reach out for her.

There, beneath the tangled bedclothes, I find my garden growing slow, still wet with dew.

Jesse Doiron

because he reminded a dream once young deliberate of a coming that became undone, yes some an indifference to none elated within majesty a placated bewilderment begging to forget, yes some delegated from this desperate plea forsaken yes some, some untethered unfiltered insatiable need has overcome

Moon Magic

a fix in the morning i'll fix it in the morning

I see the moon in

stop calling, I don't have, anything, left.

my cup this morning.

an easy intrusion of presence, With the power of She the lingering presence who stays because she likes it here, and she stays and she plays and she weaves herself into the fabric of us.

She’s an easy woman enchanting beguiling sensuous A place I’m afraid to go, She rekindles my passions with her

All is quiet when the moment begins.

The ocean waves when

reconciled for nothing

Knowing, innocent, gray eyes, and gracious ease

the moment begins.

What can I do to

logically who would make desire then to appear in front of her

But she’s an easy woman the fears easily disappear

so she tried to make it more descriptive pausing and rhyming with time, the mood lighted by something still a vacant 3-dimensional structure that appears okay yes some dark news about how much loss is at stake there is no promise for anything new

So you wake up one day not remembering and

save the magic world?

Nat Doiron

Paper Haiku

reconciled for nothing (smh) yes some

She’s moved in an everlasting easy part of the whole

Solo

Cathy Atkinson

When paper piles so high it dwarfs hope, I curse trees who cannot escape.

Andy Coughlan

14 • ISSUE December 2012

Volume 19, No. 4

‘Change By Design’ offers broad vision “CHANGE BY DESIGN” OFFERS a broad vision for the future of design thinking. Tim Brown defines “design thinking” as a compelling way to think creatively and to solve problems. It is a fundamental process to innovation, not only to be used by designers but by a wide range of professionals to acquire new alternatives for bettering their business or society as a whole.

Brown mentions that the MFA is the new MBA, that design thinking is the way to create products that work, and he gives a perception of how to successfully build the marketing of the product.

He begins by explaining the design thinking process and its major themes. As creative engines, we need to first start by playing with ideas, brainstorming. We loosen our creative consciousness to start with a gestural idea. For instance, in drawing we are taught to start very loosely with a gestural drawing that takes only seconds or a few brief minutes. Then, once the general layout is found and decided within the composition, we begin to hone in on those decisions. We decide what qualities and characters of the original are correct, and work and which of those do not. Then as we are making these decisions our drawing develops thoroughly. Brown’s strategy of organized playfulness allows the creator to loosen up and use more of an organic thought process before thinking scientifically or mathematically about a problem.

Storytelling helps us to come together as a group, and build on a scenario or situation to determine how products will work and what the outcome may be.

Review by Thomas Lee Harris Jr.

Prototyping helps designers manufacture a simple object that may represent the product to explore its capabilities and ease communication between designer, user, and even consumer.

They are able to communicate how the product might work, its applications, and what is the idea’s strengths and weaknesses, by using office supplies to communicate as quickly as possible.

The faster these ideas are communicated — which are wrong and what needs improvement — the faster designers can move onto a better product. This all comes together and ends in workshops which helps implement these tools.

Brown connects design thinking to graphic design by showing generic relationships and examples from the graphic design world. This book is reassuring for young designers to keep their academic and experimental thinking processes, and to build upon them in their career.

“Change By Design” explains that the innovations happening today are more from creative engines who study immediate, everyday challenges, and from those who use the creative process of design thinking to formulate new ideas and improve those ideas rigorously — not only by designers but those of the non-design world as well.

‘I Wonder’ part textbook, part autobiography ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS, A CAREER as a designer, the memories made throughout life and, most importantly, the sense of wonder that humans are able to experience — these are the inspirations behind “I Wonder,” by Marian Bantjes.

The book was first conceived as a compilation of essays. The end result still contains a variety of essays, but it is more like a journey through Bantjes’ mind. The way she uses artwork and typography expresses her ideas and her feelings of wonder, to create a work that bridges the line between fine art and design.

The book starts out by introducing the reason she wrote the book, and then highlights the different ways wonder has influenced humans. She pushes readers to think outside of the box and realize that, when we ask questions, we find meaning in life, even if we do not find answers to the question.

The chapters explore different topics, including the different types of stars beyond the simple five-point star. She also questions heraldry, and asks what the world would be like if we applied the same process used to create a coat of arms to designing corporate logos.

Review by Rachel Binagia

She dissects each topic and looks at them from different perspectives. She allows the reader to see how her mind works, and how new ideas are created. The visuals are created specifically go with the text and are inseparable from the text. They provide further insight into how her mind works.

The book is a personal memoir, or a journey through Bantjes’ mind. The artistic images merge with the personal thoughts to create a book that breaks the boundaries of normal graphic design.

The book is a good read for both the designer and nondesigner. Although it covers topics specific to the area of graphic design, Bantjes’ style invites the non-designer. Her feelings of wonder can be implemented into any topic and lead to new ideas.

Mission Statement Founded in 1983, The Art Studio, Inc. is devoted to: providing opportunities for interaction between the public and the Southeast Texas community of artists; furnishing affordable studio space to originating artists of every medium; promoting cultural growth and diversity of all art forms in Southeast Texas; and providing art educational opportunities to everyone, of every age, regardless of income level, race, national origin, sex or religion.

PURPOSE The purpose of The Art Studio, Inc. is to (1) provide educational opportunities between the general public and the community of artists and (2) to offer sustained support for the artist by operating a non-profit cooperative to provide studio space and exhibition space to working artists and crafts people, and to provide an area for group work sessions for those artists and crafts people to jointly offer their labor, ideas, and enthusiasm to each other.

GOALS 1.

2.

3.

4.

To present public exhibitions To provide educational opportunities To provide accessible equipment for artists To provide peer feedback through association with other artists and crafts people

OBJECTIVES 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

To present 10 art exhibitions per year To maintain equipment for artists in a safe working environment To provide better access to artists for the public To offer regularly scheduled adult and children’s classes To develop and maintain public activities with all sectors of the community To develop and maintain equipment to aid artists in their work To provide a display retail outlet for artists To expand programming and activities with increased facility space

Volume 19, No. 4

December 2012 ISSUE • 15

VIEW from page 3

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

bility. Our ramp, located in back of the building has been blocked by our neighbors’ fence across Trinity Street for some time. To resolve this problem we propose a lift that can handle either a wheel chair or an ambulatory individual at the front entrance.

We still need storage space for our supplies and material (we have more than you think). Shipping containers would be the perfect solution and the cheapest, especially if someone can get a couple of them for us. An extended back porch is planned for rough storage and metal works, fabrication and clay mixing. Few of these projects have financial backing yet, but they are imperative if we are to advance our capabilities as an organization and continue to grow our facility, rather than live without certain disciplines because of natural disasters.

Look for more news about what’s happening at The Studio, more people are coming in, spaces are full and artwork is selling. We are seeing the first big resurgence of interest in classes since before Hurricane Rita.

The Great Recession is seemingly receding, and that is good news for the arts.

We are thrilled to see so many new faces at our events.

We hope you enjoy them and we hope you return for other activities. The Art Studio is the only self-supporting independent arts organization in the region that is assisted by its members and its own resources, and receives grants only to enhance an already successful program.

Your gifts and donations are greatly appreciated.

The Art Studio is looking for energetic people who have a few hours a month to help us in the following areas:

OFFICE SUPPORT BUILDINGS & GROUNDS SPECIAL EVENTS • MAILOUTS If you are interested in one or more of these opportunities or if you know of anyone who might be, give us a call at 409-838-5393

WE WANT YOU FOR BAND NITE Hear original music by local musicians at For upcoming gigs, visit the studio’s facebook page

$5

admission

All ages welcome • 21 and up BYOB and have your ID.

720 Franklin, Beaumont, Texas 77701

Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage PAID Permit #135 Beaumont, TX

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

INSIDE • GEEK’S GIFT GUIDE RETURNS • THOUGHTCRIME: MUSINGS FROM AREA POETS • TANNER’S ‘ANNUNCIATION’ • ‘RITE OF PRINT’ IN PICTURES

When you support The Art Studio with your membership, you receive ISSUE, Southeast Texas’ and Southwest Louisiana’s alternative press as well as class schedules, invitations to opening receptions and various Studio functions.

Volunteers These people are the life blood of our organization.

WE COULDN’T DO IT WITHOUT YOU! To volunteer, drop by The Art Studio, Inc., or call 409-838-5393.

Elizabeth Fontenot Bryan Castino Heather & Adam Butler Andy Ledesma Rhonda Rodman Sue Wright Cyndi Grimes Rhonda McNally Andy Coughlan Ben Jennings Beth Gallaspy John Roberts Beau Dumesnil Karen Dumesnil Sheila Busceme Kailee Viator Haley Bruyn Bryan LaVergne Gabe Sellers Ian Grice Abby McLaurin Samantha Wheeler Scott & John Alexander Heather Adams Terri Fox April Falgout B.J. Bourg Michelle Falgout Dana Dorman Reagan Havens Anna Buchele Nick Wilcox

JOIN US FOR ART OPENINGS ON THE FIRST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH THIS MONTH:

DECEMBER 1-19 GALLERY RECEPTION IS DEC. 1, 7-10 P.M.

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