Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1517953
J ANET HOBBY, board chairman of The Menil Collection; partner in art advisory MKG Art Management; with husband Paul Hobby, among Houston's dashing philanthropic arts couples. "The artist that comes to mind is Tomoo Gokita. He's inspired by '60s and '70s Japanese and American subcultures, and his work is emotionally charged. His portraits are always distorted and eerily anonymous. Very unsettling, but super interesting." A NITA SMITH, interior designer; art collector; co-chaired $10 million capital campaign to restore Project Row Houses' Eldorado Ballroom; co-chair with Leigh Smith and their respective husbands, Gerald Smith and Reggie Smith, of Contemporary Arts Museum Houston Gala, April 6. "Georgia O'Keeffe ... To spend time with this amazing trailblazer female artist would be a treasured gift." L EIGH SMITH, fearless supporter of performing and visual arts; art collector; co-chair with Anita Smith, and respective husbands Reggie Smith and Gerald Smith of Contemporary Arts Museum Houston Gala April 6. "My fantasy portrait would be painted by either Francis Picabia, Will Cotton, or a funky Surrealist-type portrait by George Condo. Picabia's portraits are moody and dramatic women with simplified features often heavily outlined. Will Cotton has painted pop icons like Katy Perry into his fantastic landscapes of candy, whipped cream, cupcakes, and cotton candy. His narratives reflect desire, indulgence, and our overblown consumer's 'land of plenty.' And Cotton's work is just pretty. Of course, George Condo would not paint me in a flattering light, but the result would be a gorgeous, strange, and iconic painting." P HOEBE TUDOR, Astrodome savior; passionate preservationist; benevolent friend of Hermann Park, Houston Ballet, Asia Society, and Rice University. "My choice would be Slim Aarons, I'm kind of into the whole Swans thing right now. I would get family and friends to join me in creating one of his stylish scenes, maybe inside the Astrodome!" B ARBARA DAVIS, founder of Barbara Davis Gallery, incubator for eminent international contemporary artists such as Julie Mehretu, Andrea Bianconi, and Shahzia Sikander. "I would choose Chuck Close, because in his interpretation, he's able to reveal the essence of the subject." Right: Tomoo Gokita's Female Head, 2023, at Petzel, NYC. Far right: Slim Aarons' iconic image of the Kaufmann House by Richard Neutra, Palm Springs, 1970. Below: Will Cotton's Cotton Candy Katy, 2010, album cover art for Katy Perry's Teenage Dream, 2010. Below left: Georgia O'Keeffe's Trees in Autumn, 1920-1921, at Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe. Below: Chuck Close's Kate, 2007, jacquard woven tapestry, published by Magnolia Editions, Oakland, CA. WILL COTTON: PAINTINGS & WORKS ON PAPER (RIZZOLI © 2011) COURTESY THE ARTIST AND PETZEL, NEW YORK. PHOTO KENJI TAKAHASHI. SLIM AARONS: THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION (ABRAMS © 2023) PHOTO © SLIM AARONS/ GETTY IMAGES. MAGNOLIA EDITIONS, OAKLAND, CA THE GEORGIA O'KEEFFE MUSEUM (ABRAMS, © 1997) (Continued)