Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/135428
COURTESY THE ARTIST AND D. M. ALLISON ART RICK WELLS Art Notes Why Not Houston? Increasingly, attention is hopping from NYC to L.A. — witness the recent multimillion-dollar, citywide "Pacific Standard Time," which had East Coasters (including the venerated New York Times) scrambling to cover myriad important historical shows. But our time will come — or maybe it's already here. On view this month are those whose hearts and talents are intrinsically linked to the founding of our art nexus. (It's no accident that we choose Lawndale David Aylsworth's Spider Spinning Daydreams, 2012, at Inman Gallery Art Center patriarch James Surls, page 22, to represent the quintessential Americana man.) Now we turn to a few other types who made — and continue to make — our scene so very much the real deal. Pittsburgh, Detroit, Cleveland … Houston. First up, Perry House solos at Art Car Museum, continuing the energy from the landmark mid-1980s "Fresh Paint" show at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, when he was one of the abstractionists, following in the tradition established by Dorothy Hood and Charles Schorre but with his own visual language. Consider more than three decades of House in this extraordinary survey (June 2 – August 12) … Speaking of abstraction: David Aylsworth is another excellent artist, one whose loopy signature style and endearingly clumsy way of paint handling are inimitable and instantly recognizable. Inman Gallery celebrates 20 years of exhibiting Aylsworth with a fresh crop of recent canvases (through July 7; book signing of the commemorative catalog on Saturday, June 30) … When we're talking about "Fresh Paint," Ibsen Espada must be in the discussion. Espada, the ground-breaking maker of volatile, high-voltage abstractions, gets his due at New Gallery/Thom Andriola in an heirloom exhibit that spans an incredible 40-plus years (through July 6) … Forty is a good number. Just ask H.J. Bott, whose four-decade tribute to his obsessive DoV principle headlines at the place where it began: Galveston. Bott reveals all at the Galveston Arts Center, and it promises to be a wild, optically explosive peep show (June 2 – July 8) … In the mood for a road trip? Head to Victoria for the Nave Museum's showcase of a force that is synonymous with art cars — and one of the best creators of vehicular sculpture. David Best, that is, including his latest, Prayer Wheels (through July 1) … Meanwhile, if you're up Cypress way, check out the edgy group view "Luxuriant Refuse," presented by the Houston Fine Art Fair at the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts; MKG Art's Melissa Grobmyer does curatorial honors (June 5 – August 5) … Finally, performing art collides with visual components at G Gallery as crooners Zoe JacksonJarra and Natalie Foreman take the stage Saturday, June 9 (tickets 713.398.2554). Their exciting backdrop is the G's current view, "Brass Tacks," organized by Diane Barber, who pairs rising NYC and San Antonio talents with something to say about domestic architecture (June 2 – 29). We're happy former DiverseWorks director Barber is back to curating, shaking things up in this Heights destination for provocateurs. Catherine D. Anspon Perry House's Explosion Series (Red), 1995, at the Art Car Museum Designer Suzanne Kasler Books It Interior designer and author Suzanne Kasler is in Houston Tuesday, June 12, 11 am, at Houston Design Center at the Bunch & Shoemaker Showroom. Kasler will speak about the design business, accompanied by stunning visuals of her work, and sign her new book, Suzanne Kasler, Inspired Interiors ($50). Kasler is the principal of Atlanta-based Suzanne Kasler Interiors, and her work has been featured in Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, House Beautiful, House & Garden, Southern Accents and Veranda. Her book showcases her "deft use of couture-like detailing, a keen sense of sublime color selections and an aesthetic that bridges American and European sensibilities." There is no charge to attend the talk and book signing, but reservations are required; seating is limited, so speed-peck thehoustondesigncenter.com, or call 713.864.2660. Books will be for sale at the event. Houston Design Center, 7026 Old Katy Road, Bunch & Shoemaker Showroom, Suite 512. Are You a Locovore? If you pride yourself on eating and cooking not only organic fare, but also locally sourced produce, meats, breads and foodstuffs, have we got a concept for you. Farmhouse Delivery, an Austin enterprise founded in 2009 by Stephanie Scherzer and Elizabeth Winslow, is taking on Houston. The concept: Unite local farmers with appreciative eaters who can sign Elizabeth Winslow up online for weekly or biweekly drops of all sorts of nourishing veggies, fruit and greens ($37 to $39 per bushel drop). The prerequisite for all food suppliers, be they small gentleman farmers with a handful of acreage or large bustling farmsteads outside the city limits, is that they must be certified organic or abide by sustainable growing methods. (Read: Say no to chemical fertilizers and dastardly pesticides.) Supporting these local farmers allows them to flourish, providing our food community with an ever-changing array of fresh products. Whether you crave heirloom melons or unique squashes, our newfound farm friends also listen to your requests and plant accordingly — imagine that! There are also local farmstead cheeses; artisan breads; herbs; pastured, grass-fed beef, lamb, poultry; and more. Finally, to inspire you to cook your bounty, Scherzer and Winslow even supply you with recipes and culinary classes. Information 832.529.4747; houston.farmhousedelivery.com. Laurann Claridge The Skinny on NINI By Kate Allen Stukenberg. Portrait Jenny Antill. I first noticed these sumptuous, roguish jewels on a few fashionable ladies … then on a few more. Who was this jeweler who could imagine a rakish emerald and yellow diamond dragon brooch clutching a moonstone in its golden claws, a pagoda-like ring topped with a gob-smacker pearl or fireworks of sapphires and diamonds cascading into a brooch. I found her name, Nini Hale, and to my astonishment, she works two miles from my Houston office. This very impish thirdgeneration designer follows in the footsteps of her Thai grandmother who, more than a hundred years ago, created her vividly hued, hand-painted clothing and jewelry to satisfy her love for fashion. Soon the Thai Royal Family came calling. Today, Nini designs at a small Galleria-area studio, reinterpreting many of those fantastical pieces, adding her own modern flourish and selling to Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue in sun-bright cities such as Beverly Hills, Palm Beach and Boca Raton. We put a few questions to her, simply to listen to her musical voice. Designer Nini Hale Your inspiration? My own history. I love fashion. And youth. I feel like even when I'm 80, I want to feel 60; I want to feel 40. But not to chase after a young man! Which of your grandmother's designs is your favorite? The Birdcage. I still wear it. I still love it. With lots of diamonds, it's very evening to me, but with emeralds and pearls, it's more fun. And if the thief came, he won't rob me. He'll think it's jade or costume. And that's what I tell my customers: If you wear big, you are not in danger. 7 "My grandmother was not the diamond lady. She thought the diamond was the most boring on earth. She loved the vivid colors of Thai silk, and so do I." — Nini Hale 3 2 3 1 3 4 5 5 6 1. Diamond necklace $67,000, with carved sapphire and cabochon emerald drop pendant $53,300. 2. Bird Cage ring with South Sea pearl and diamonds $22,000. 3. Dragon bracelet with topaz, ruby, sapphire, tsavorite and diamonds $89,900. 4. Natural ivory cuff bracelet set with tsavorites and sapphires $90,900. 5. South Sea pearl, sapphire and diamond ring $38,500. 6. Cuff bracelets $84,700 to $128,300 each. 7. Cabochon emerald and diamond brooch $121,000. JUNE | PAGE 6 | 2012