Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/907630
P erhaps at no time in our history have we been so attracted to the trivial. A decade ago, everything was supersized; now, it's just super. And fantastic. And amazing. Sometimes it's even fabulous. Or a combination of all the above. More than ever, we're attracted to bright shiny objects. Reality shows, big hair, big breasts, and big jewelry. Bigger is better. Louder is the norm. We see the parties and the bright lights, and we stand amazed. I am not amazed. Away from the lights and the glitz, there are people from all walks of life creating substantial films, art, food, and design that deserve our attention. The people profiled in these pages are among those. They are from another world. A place where the lights have been dimmed and we can see the stars around us for the beautiful things they are. So, turn down the lights and take a few moments to meet some of Houston's creative beings. PATRICIA RESTREPO Mathematician; economic analyst; cultural policymaker; assistant curator and exhibitions manager, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston Project: "Dissent and Desire," January 19 – April 29, 2018, CAMH Background. I received my master's in cultural studies and art history from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium. I obtained my undergraduate degree from Rice University, where I double-majored in mathematical economic analysis and policy studies. Getting here from there. My trajectory has not been linear, although the work I have chosen has always circled around issues of identity and expression, particularly through lenses of culture and economics. During my undergraduate tenure, I spent summers experimenting with applying theoretical math to nonprofit issues of women's empowerment, as well as to structured mergers and acquisitions. After spending a summer with the Foundation for International Community Assistance (FINCA) in Washington, D.C., I was a summer analyst at Lehman Brothers (the last year that it existed) then Barclay's Capital, both in New York. Upon graduation, I decided to return to a nonprofit realm by pursuing an opportunity to work for the Instituto de Investigaciones Estéticas (Institute of Aesthetic Research) at the UNAM in Oaxaca, Mexico. I later worked for the London Art Fair and Saatchi Gallery before pursuing my master's. Post graduation, I served as editor in chief of an online arts publication in Berlin. A break from finance. Believe it or not , I find math and economics fascinating — especially as both can be used as a filter through which we can discuss cultural shifts and the seemingly irrational decisions individuals make. I wanted to find a way to apply my interests in cultural human endeavors in a more creative direc- tion. I have always relished aesthetic theory, as well as the hunt for and combination of objects (be they artworks or clothing) in conversation with each other. The world in your eyes. The conversations I had in my master's program in Belgium truly made me feel rooted in the direction and decision to continue studying cultural studies and aesthetic theory. The program was ridiculously idyllic, as I lived in achingly beautiful quarters inside a completely restored, UNESCO world heritage beguinage and was able to bike throughout the medieval city of Leuven and zip on trains to see works like the Ghent Altarpiece. More importantly, however, my fellow classmates challenged my notions about art historical, performative, and film scholarship. As the only American in the program, I was able to have an exchange with equally charged individuals arriving from different contexts, who widened my understanding of the possible. Your start at the CAMH. When I moved back to the states from Germany, I applied for a curatorial internship at the CAMH. After several months in which I grew increasingly attached to the institution and its role in our community, a full-time position opened up in the department. I applied for the job and was fortunate to be selected for the position. I have now been at CAMH for over three years in shifting capacities, and am the assistant curator and exhibitions manager. Double life. The first show I worked on upon my arrival was "Double Life," curated by CAMH curator Dean Daderko. This brilliant, ambitious show focused on performance in the absence of live bodies. The first show I will officially curate, alongside CAMH director Bill Arning, opens January 2018. Called "Dissent and Desire," it will feature over 40 photographs and one video by romantic partners and collaborators Sunil Gupta and Charan Singh, documenting the multiplicity of LGBTQ+ lives in Delhi, India. This show will be our presentation in the FotoFest 2018 Biennial. The world outside CAMH. My life outside of work might be perceived as work to some, as it often involves visiting exhibitions, artist studios, and art-related trips. I enjoy exploratory vacations, be they road trips through former Yugoslavia to see spomeniks or to Houston's immense Chinatown, where I find myself weekly. I am committed to supporting ethical fash- ion production, treasuring my secondhand scores and acquiring pieces from innovative independent designers. I was also fortunate to have inherited clothing from my great- grandmother, two grandmothers, and my mother, so I love engaging with this intimate fashion history on a daily basis. That is my performance. Anyone who knows me knows that food is always on my mind, so I live for food hunts around the city (recent regular spots include blue corn quesadillas at Sunny Flea Market and Ethiopian at Addis Ababa) and weekly dinner parties with equally food-centered friends MARCUS PONTELLO Storyteller, independent filmmaker Project: Documentary about the iconic Numbers nightclub, Friday I'm In Love Background. I studied theater and acting at HSPVA and received a BFA in theater and acting at CalArts. I was having trouble finding my way in L.A., so in 2012 a close friend Patricia Restrepo 37