Trigger-Happy Texas. ART Gun in Apollo Magazine

Gun sculpture silenced in trigger-happy Texas

Rakewell

12 May 2016

Introducing Rakewell, Apollo’s wandering eye on the art world. Look out for regular posts taking a rakish perspective on art and museum stories.

Rakewell’s thousand-yard stare is today directed towards Houston, where student artist Alton DuLaney has found himself in the line of fire over a recent sculpture. The work in question – a framed revolver with the word ‘ART’ printed on a flag protruding from its barrel – has reportedly been censored at an exhibition at the Blaffer Art Museum.

According to the Houston Press, the decision to censor DuLaney’s work was taken by officials from the University of Houston, on whose campus the Blaffer is located (it houses the university’s teaching collection). The gun has now been removed from the exhibit, presumably along with the point of the work: namely, as DuLaney says, to highlight the prevalence of guns in Texan culture.

Oddly enough, the silencing of this work coincides with the passing of the State of Texas’s new ‘campus carry’ law, which, as of August, will allow students at public universities across the Lone Star State to carry concealed guns. Among the institutions where the new law will apply is… the University of Houston! Indeed, back in February, when the law was ratified, UH prepared a slideshow warning faculty members to be ‘careful discussing sensitive topics’, ‘Not “go there” if you sense anger’ and, most astonishingly, to ‘drop certain topics from [their] curriculum’. And although UH has attempted to limit the terms of the new law – forbidding firearms in as many buildings and campus spaces as it can – one does rather marvel at the university museum’s decision to interfere with DuLaney’s work. 

 

As the Press reports, UH’s Office of Central Council has said that even if DuLaney had tried to exhibit his, erm, explosive work after the new measures are implemented, it would still have been suppressed – though it has as yet neglected to explain why.

At this point, might Rakewell suggest that the censorious officials reconsider their priorities?

For more, check out Apollo International Art Magazine 

Pistol Packing Artists Alton DuLaney is "amused" on Fussion.net

University of Houston removes student’s gun art project—just weeks before campus carry law goes into effect

ART Gun by Alton DuLaney at center of Texas controversy. 2016.

The University of Houston has removed a student artist’s project that shows a real gun shooting a banner that says “art”—just weeks before Texas’ new concealed-campus-carry law goes into effect.
The Daily Cougar reports that first-year MFA student Alton DuLaney created the piece to make a direct statement on the law, which was passed last summer.

He then directly contacted the University’s police about whether his piece would be allowed; the police forwarded his inquiry to school administrators. Eventually, the Office of the General Counsel released the following statement:

“Under current Texas state law, firearms are forbidden on campus. The fact that they may be exhibited as part of an arts exhibition doesn’t change the analysis.”

In an email, the Cougar said, the school’s chief of police added, “No guns are currently allowed on campus. We do not censor art.”

The piece is now being displayed without the gun.

Censored ART Gun by Alton DuLaney as seen on ABC13 Houston Eyewitness News. 2016

 

 

DuLaney said he is amused.

“There’s an obvious implication of power that this thing has, that this inanimate object has when combined with ammunition and intent to create damage,” DuLaney told Houston Press. “So I wanted to create a piece that said all of that, but that was diffused by being cloaked in a statement of art.”
Nine states now have concealed campus carry laws.

“I was hoping my alterations of this piece would transform it and it would be seen strictly as an art piece and then we could be having this conversation,” DuLaney told ABC13. “The authorities here on campus felt otherwise. They felt it was still a weapon, even though it had been altered, and couldn’t be included.”

Read the whole article at Fussion.net 

Straight Shooting! ART Gun on NPR's Texas Standard

Straight Shooting! ART Gun on Texas Standard

As heard on these stations across the great state of Texas...

Gun Art, Without the Gun

The censorship of the piece has garnered more attention than it would have originally.

By Rhonda Fanning & Laura Rice  |  May 9, 2016  12:00 pm

 

ART Gun by Alton DuLaney, Texas 2016.

 

Courtesy Anton DuLaney

The original ARTGun piece has been modified due to university rules.

The school of art annual student exhibition is underway at the University of Houston’s Blaffer Art Museum. An incomplete piece called ‘ARTGun’ is on display in the exhibition.

The art? A .22 revolver, unloaded and displayed in a glass frame with a red flag with the words “ART” on it sticking out of the barrel. But the university police and the school’s general council said it could not be displayed as originally designed. The gun is no longer part of the art. Instead, it’s now a framed box with a cut out of where the gun was originally supposed to be
Artist Anton DuLaney, the creator of ‘ARTGun’ says the school authorities made it clear that the “gun is not allowed on campus and it is not open to discussion.”

As a native Texan DuLaney says that guns are “omnipotent” in Texas.

“In my work I try to examine pride, power and patriotism and for me the actual gun represented all those things,” DuLaney says.

DuLaney says that while he understands that the school was enforcing the law, it is still censorship. He says the gun would have been displayed in a glass frame and the museum has security cameras so it posed no threat to anyone.

The censorship has generated more interest in the piece than it would have otherwise received.
“They did me a big favor by not allowing it,” DuLaney says.

“I was really (more) interested in my First Amendment rights, than my second amendment rights on this. They really just reinforced that for me,” DuLaney says.

The censorship comes at a time when concealed handguns will be allowed on school campuses starting August this year.

“Through the course of this piece I started taking gun safety classes and went through the whole training for the license to carry program here in Texas,” DuLaney says. “I have got a broader perspective on this now than ever before.”

Post prepared by Swathi Narayanan.

Guns a blazing! Houston Matters KUHF

Alton DuLaney's ART Gun on KUHF Houston Matters May 2016

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
A lot can happen in a week. Some of it good. Some of it bad. Some of it downright ugly. When faced with intriguing developments in the week’s news, we turn to our rotating panel of “non-experts” to parse The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of it all. Today Kyrie O’Connor, Wayne Ashley and Russ Capper discuss the possibility of the proposed high-speed rail line between Houston and Dallas including a stop downtown, ALTON DULANEY - a University of Houston student artist’s gun-themed work displayed without the gun, and suspicion by municipalities over CenterPoint Energy’s request to charge customers to cover an additional $60 million in costs to deliver power to the region.


Listen to the discussion on ART Gun (5.40 into recording) on KUHF

Taking Aim at Controversy - ABC13 Eyewitness News

ABC13 Eyewitness News Houston coverage of ART Gun by Alton DuLaney

Alton DuLaney being interviewed for ABC13 Eyewitness News Houston by Steve Campio for ART Gun. Texas May 2016

THE ARTS

Campus police censor UH student's gun-inspired ART

Officials say a ban on weapons applies even to art installations.

By Steve Campion

Thursday, May 05, 2016 05:33PM

HOUSTON (KTRK) --

Is it art or a weapon? A University of Houston graduate student said his work of art was censored by campus police.

Alton DuLaney told abc13 his piece titled "ART Gun" featured a .22 caliber single action revolver to symbolize power. DuLaney placed a bright flag with the world "ART" in the barrel of the gun.

The artist said he wanted to spark a broader conversation about gun culture. Instead, he was told the art was illegal to make or bring on campus.

"I was trying to take a very neutral stance on it because it's a very divided subject here in Texas in particular, whether pro or anti-gun," said DuLaney.

"My stance was pro-art. I really wanted to present it and let the viewing audience have the conservation. I really wanted to start up a conversation. I think the censoring of it by the police department was very helpful in that."

ART Gun by Alton DuLaney. Texas May 2016

DuLaney's piece is hanging inside the Blaffer Museum for the annual student art exhibition without the revolver. There are two explainers placed next to it -- one written by DuLaney and another from general counsel.

"I view the museum as a sacred place. I think art has the power to transform both objects and opinions. I was hoping my alterations of this piece would transform it and it would be seen strictly as an art piece and then we could be having this conversation. The authorities here on campus felt otherwise. They felt it was still a weapon, even though it had been altered, and couldn't be included."

The University of Houston released the following statement to abc13 when asked for comment.

"SB11, adopted in our last legislative session, allows individuals licensed to carry concealed handguns to 'carry a concealed handgun on or about the license holder's person while the license holder is on the campus of an institution of higher education' effective August 1, 2016 subject to rules adopted by the president of the institution.

"Until August 1, 2016, the Texas Penal Code prohibits a person from bringing a firearm onto campus, even in the guise of 'art.' The art as proposed was to include a real firearm and therefore, it was explained that the law did not have an exception for what was proposed. Under these circumstances, the guidance provided to the student and the Blaffer was related to compliance, nothing more."

Read the article, watch the video on ABC13.com

Banning ART - The Houston Press

UH Removes Gun Art Display From Exhibit, Pretty Much Making Artist's Point for Him

Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 6 a.m.

By Meagan Flynn

ART Gun by Artist Alton DuLaney Texas 2016

Artist Alton DuLaney couldn't be mad that University of Houston officials censored his gun art from an exhibit at the Blaffer Art Museum — they basically made his point for him.

Despite the fact that students will literally be sitting in English class with loaded guns on them in just three months, apparently DuLaney's exhibit, showing an unloaded revolver with a cartoonish banner that says "ART" protruding from its barrel, is all too threatening right now. Unlike private schools, UH is required to implement the new campus carry law slated to go into effect this August whether it likes it or not (from the looks of its restrictive campus-carry proposal, it doesn't like it). But even if DuLaney's exhibit went up in August while students were packing heat on the sidewalks, the UH Office of General Counsel has, interestingly, said that DuLaney's gun art still likely wouldn't have been allowed. (Yeah, we're still waiting on the office's further explanation for that.)

Now, the ART banner is the only item behind the glass, but DuLaney said the gun's absence may say more than its presence: “It proved my point about how controversial this object was,” he said.

DuLaney had planned to make a statement about the power of guns by juxtaposing the revolver with the "bang" comic-book-like graphic that says "ART." That cartoonish element reminded DuLaney of how guns are so omnipresent in Texas culture that, even for kids in this state, toy guns are part of growing up. He was wondering: If he transformed the gun to look this way, would it still have as much power? After UH's decision, the answer was, well, apparently yes.

“There's an obvious implication of power that this thing has, that this inanimate object has when combined with ammunition and intent to create damage,” DuLaney said. “So I wanted to create a piece that said all of that, but that was diffused by being cloaked in a statement of art."

The UH Office of General Counsel posted a two-paragraph explanation directly beneath DuLaney's display case for why the school banned the gun from the show, citing the Texas law that bans guns on campus (until August). Never mind the fact that someone else created an entire exhibit of prison shanks and nunchucks that are evenly laid out in a seven-foot-long display box — that's apparently fair game.

Which is pretty funny to DuLaney, given that, even if people were carrying deadly weapons on their way to class, his gun art (but not prison shanks) would still be off-limits...behind a glass case.

At the time he thought up the display, conversations were swirling around campus carry, some with heated intensity.DuLaney says his display is intended to be neutral, but that he was hoping it would still “fan the flames of dialogue” amid controversial debate. At UH, it was apparent just how touchy the subject had become among faculty after one professor even directed faculty in a presentation to “Be careful discussing sensitive topics,” to “Drop certain topics from your curriculum” and to “Not 'go there' if you sense anger.” “There's a weariness or fragility to having that conversation,” DuLaney said, hoping his artsy gun would eliminate some of that.

But guess we won't find out.

Read the article in The Houston Press

The exhibit is open until May 14, 2016, at 4173 Elgin Street, Houston, Texas.

A Loaded Subject - Glasstire

No Guns At UH, Even If It’s Art. Until August.

02 May 2016

/

Glasstire

Last week, the University of Houston’s Art Department opened their annual show of works by first and second-year graduate students as well as UH undergrads. Prior to the exhibition’s opening, MFA student Alton DuLaney met with resistance from UH’s Police and Legal departments about a work he wanted to include in the show. The piece, ART Gun, is made from a pistol and was intended to comment on the recent campus carry law passed in Texas—as a public university, UH will be required to allow concealed weapons on campus starting August 1st of this year.

The UH Police sent the artist this statement: “I have consulted with Legal and the gun is not to be allowed on campus. From both our positions, the matter is closed”

The artist on their reason for creating ART Gun:
“I wanted to create a piece of ART that took a neutral stance on the subject while at the same time commenting on the omnipresence of guns in the American culture and society, and opening up the dialog to this conversation.”

DuLaney says the work is inspired by Chris Burden, Marina Abramovic, Andy Warhol, Marcel Duchamp, Roy Lichtenstein, and Mel Chin (who recently had a show at the Blaffer Art Museum on campus).

Ultimately, the artist chose to exhibit the work without the gun, asking, “Did the authorities give even more power to the object by forbidding its exhibition and thereby validate the power of the ART by censoring it?”

Read the Article on Glasstire 

ART too dangerous to display in the Houston Chronicle

The gun was part of my art. UH said no.

Is some art too dangerous to display?

By Alton DuLaney, for the Houston Chronicle

May 2, 2016

The original version of "ARTGun," by artist Alton DuLaney. The University of Houston denied him permission to display the work as intended. Through May 14, a gun-less version is on view at Blaffer Art Museum.

I am an artist. I make art. In my work I examine the concepts of pride, power, and patriotism, especially as it relates to art.

Having recently moved back to my native Texas to obtain an MFA through the University of Houston, I have been fascinated with the discourse about guns — especially the loaded (pun intended) topics of concealed handgun licenses, licenses to carry, and campus carry.

I wanted to create a piece of art that took a neutral stance on the controversial subject, while at the same time commenting of the omnipresence of guns in the American culture. I quickly learned that getting a gun in Texas is much easier than getting an MFA.

For the annual exhibition of student art at UH's Blaffer Art Museum, I created a piece called "ARTGun": A real .22 revolver, not loaded, in a glass frame, with a cartoon-like "Bang" flag protruding from its barrel.

People familiar with art history will see that I was drawing on a long list of artists who've gone before me. I used the same caliber of gun that artist Chris Burden used "Shoot," the famous 1971 performance in which he had an assistant shoot him in the arm. I referenced Marina Abramovic, who in a 1974 performance laid out a table with 72 items, including a loaded gun, and invited artists to do as they saw fit. Then there's Andy Warhol (with his famous portrait of a gun­slinging Elvis), Marcel Duchamp (and his exploration in the beauty of the ready­made), Roy Lichtenstein (with his comic book approach to Pop Art), and even Mel Chin (who has exhibited works of art relating to both firearms and ammunitions at the Blaffer Art Museum).

The gun-less version of "ARTGun" — along with the artist's statement and a statement by Blaffer Art Museum — is part of the Blaffer's annual student art exhibiton.

When I proposed this piece for the show, I was advised by the UH police and legal departments that "the gun is not to be allowed on campus...(and) the matter is closed." Despite my efforts, and those of the museum, the piece was forbidden from being exhibited in its original form.

I have chosen to include the piece in the show anyway — only without the gun that was central to its original conception.

The situation brings up interesting questions:

­When a thing (a revolver) is designated an artifact (an art object object) is it still regarded as contraband (a weapon)?

­How is an unloaded piece of industrial design securely framed and under glass hanging on the wall as art, in a museum with security and cameras, still considered inherently and prohibitively dangerous?

­Does art have the power to transform things, appearances, beliefs, opinions?

­Is this object so powerful and taboo that it can't even be allowed into the building?

­Can we as a society see guns on TV and in movies, and even out on the street, but not in the museum?

­Is a museum a sacred space?

­By not allowing the gun into the the exhibition, was even more power given to the object, and thereby validate the power of the ART by censoring it?

When: 10-5, Tuesdays-Saturdays, through May 14. Where: Blaffer Art Museum, University of Houston, 4173 Elgin. How much: Free.

Read the article in The Houston Chronicle

Alton DuLaney is an artist and MFA student at the University of Houston. Check out more Gray Matters. Is this object so powerful and taboo that it can't even be allowed into the building?

Gunslinging! ART Gun Censored - The Daily Cougar by Emily Burleson

Student art ‘censored’ at Blaffer Museum

By Emily Burleson April 29, 2016

Many of DuLaney’s pieces explore and question themes of power, pride and patriotism. He calls his works “self-referential,” as each piece contains the word “ART.” | Pablo Milanese / The Cougar

The tagline for the School of Art’s Annual Student Exhibition, which will run Friday through May 14, asserts the student creations will leave the studio and be displayed for the public. One piece of art, however, will not get to the museum in full form.

Even though first year M.F.A student Alton DuLaney finished his piece, which features a revolver, months ago, it will be exhibited without the gun in the Blaffer Art Museum after the UH Office of the General Counsel prohibited it.

“Ideally, the museum should be the one making that decision, not the police department,” DuLaney said. “My goal is just to bring attention to this whole situation, both the censorship and the fact that (handguns) will be allowed on campus in classrooms soon but not in the museum.”

DuLaney, who studies interdisciplinary practice and emerging forms, intended for his piece to be shown as he originally designed it: a revolver enclosed in a glass frame with a silk flag reading “ART” emerging from the barrel. DuLaney said he hoped his piece would be an innocuous statement and ignite conversations regarding campus carry.

After DuLaney created the piece, he contacted UHPD directly. His query was forwarded to the Office of the General Counsel, which said DuLaney would not be allowed to have the gun on campus. The piece will now hang in the exhibition without the revolver.

DuLaney’s piece will be displayed without the revolver in the Blaffer Art Museum from April 29 through May 14. | Courtesy of Alton DuLaney

“Under current Texas state law, firearms are forbidden on campus. The fact that they may be exhibited as part of an arts exhibition doesn’t change the analysis,” according to a statement from the Office of the General Counsel, which does not consider the prohibition as censorship.

“No guns are currently allowed on campus. We do not censor art,” said UH Chief of Police Ceaser Moore Jr. in an email.

DuLaney and IPEF Director John Reed, who approved DuLaney’s piece for the exhibition, disagree.
“In an art gallery context, this is my first example of censorship,” Reed said. “If somebody can’t express themselves, then it is censorship. Sometimes, we as a society feel that’s justified, and sometimes we feel that it’s not.”

In this case, Reed said the UHPD and General Counsel’s decision had no justification.
“The gun in the piece is really not available as a gun,” Reed said. “It’s mounted in a frame. It has a flag down its barrel. It’s unloaded, and it’s in an environment where security is watching it the entire time the gallery is open. Humorously, it would be far easier to walk in with your own gun than to come in, steal that gun, load it and then use it for something. It’s really not a safety issue.”

Reed called DuLaney a “wise student and mature thinker” who raises questions before stepping back and allowing the viewers to come up with their own answers.

DuLaney said he hoped his piece would encourage people to ask questions like, “By not allowing the gun into the the exhibition, was even more power given to the object, and thereby validated the power of the ART by censoring it?” and “Is a museum a sacred space?” 

“I think that’s an artist’s job: put the question out there so that we have to deal with it, and that’s what he’s tried to do,” Reed said. “With or without the gun, the discussion has to happen. Whether (Blaffer Art Museum’s director and chief curator) Claudia Schmuckli’s version of the show or Ceaser Moore’s version of the show is what we see, Alton’s piece, luckily, will bring up the same discussion either way.”

news@thedailycougar.com


Read the article in The Daily Cougar 

Tags: Alton DuLaney, Blaffer Art Museum, interdisciplinary practice and emerging forms, School of Art Annual Student Exhibition

ART Gun

ART Gun

Artist Alton DuLaney in his Houston Texas Studio April 2016 photo by Paolo Milanese

My name is Alton DuLaney. I am an Artist. I make ART. In my work I examine the concepts of Pride, Power, and Patriotism, especially as it relates to ART and the identity politics of being an American Artist.

Having recently moved back to my native Texas to obtain an MFA through the University of Houston, I have been fascinated with the discourse about guns, the incredibly loaded (pun intended) topic of Concealed Handgun License, License To Carry, and especially Campus Carry. I wanted to create a piece of ART that took a neutral stance on the controversial subject, while at the same time commenting on the omnipresence of guns in the American culture, and opening up the dialog to these conversations. Thus the piece ART Gun was conceived. I soon learned that getting a gun in Texas is much easier than getting an MFA!

Artist Alton DuLaney sketch ART Gun Texas 2016

Exploring the gun as an object of power, the piece I have created for this exhibition is called ART Gun, and is inspired by Chris Burden (using the same caliber of gun he used in his famous shooting piece), Marina Abramovic (who used a pistol in one of her early performances), Andy Warhol (with his famous portrait of a gun-slinging Elvis), Marcel Duchamp (and his exploration in the beauty of the ready-made), and Roy Lichtenstein (with his comic book approach to Pop Art), and even Mel Chin (who has exhibited works of art relating to both firearms and ammunition at the Blaffer Art Museum).

Roy Lichtenstein inspiration for ART Gun by Alton DuLaney

Combining my varied experience and interests of art history, window design, circus arts, custom framing, and media training,  I created what I intended to be a neutral yet provocative statement on the implicit power of the firearm, as well as ART’s power to transform objects, appearances, and hopefully opinions. After all, in Texas, a gun is a common toy for children, so surely it could also be ART. With the debate being so au courant, I did my research into art precedence and local law.

Inspiration for ART Gun by Alton DuLaney 2016

I educated myself on gun safety. I wanted to make sure that no one was harmed in the production and exhibition of this piece, including myself. I took numerous gun safety classes, completing the workshop and exams to be certified for a LTC license. However getting the piece into the Blaffer Museum, proved harder than hitting the bull’s eye.

When I proposed this piece for the show, I was advised by the UH Police and Legal departments that …”the gun is not to be allowed on campus…(and) the matter is closed”. Despite my efforts, and those from the museum, the piece was forbidden from being exhibited in its original form.

ART Gun by Artist Alton DuLaney Texas 2016

I have chosen to include the piece in the show, presented here without the gun, because the situation brings up several interesting questions:

- When a thing (revolver) is designated an artifact (ART object) is it still regarded as contraband (weapon)?

- How is an unloaded piece of industrial design securely framed and under glass hanging on the wall as ART in a museum with security and cameras still considered inherently and prohibitively dangerous?

- Does ART have the power to transform things, appearances, beliefs, opinions?

- Is this particular object so powerful and taboo that it can’t even be allowed into the building?

- Can we as a society see guns on TV and in Movies and even out on the street but not in the museum?

- Is a museum a sacred space?

- By not allowing the gun into the the exhibition, was even more power given to the object, and thereby validate the power of the ART by censoring it?

- When can a gun be justified on campus or in a museum?

- What is the difference between displaying and brandishing?

- Is it freedom of expression or is it public safety?

Ultimately, this piece of ART was not created to be Pro- or Anti-Gun, but Pro-ART!
The piece is on exhibit at the Blaffer Art Museum until 14 May 2016.

For more info from The Blaffer Art Museum

Alton DuLaney
29 April 2016

The Menil Neighborhood

The Menil Neighborhood

March 2016

Alton DuLaney and dog AureLeo in "Do-Ville" in Houston Texas March 2016

Nearly every major city has at least one. An Eiffel Tower or a Disney Concert Hall. A Golden Gate Bride or a Guggenheim Museum. A building or structure or landmark that stands independently of it’s given city limits, that comes to represent the place where it is geographically land-locked as an iconic symbol of that place, the image of which says NYC just as loudly, by only showing the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, or the Freedom Tower. (It could be argued that all of Manhattan has been art directed, considering that the island was leveled and mapped and planned. Even Central Park  is essentially an enormous installation art piece, or stage set, orchestrated by Frederick Law Olmsted, with every tree, trail, rock, hill and pond carefully placed to create an overall look and feel. Perhaps then Christo and Jean Claude’s installation of orange gates in the park was a redundancy - art on art.)

Menil yard art in Houston Texas photo by Alton DuLaney March 2016

Yes, every major city has at least one signature locale that speaks of the greater city at large, and more often than not these icons of urbanism are works of art (public art), tributes to the arts (museums), of exemplary architecture that elevates construction to an artistic level of respect and appreciation. One such example of this can be seen right here in our own back yard, in the Menil Collection - the Park, Museum, and surrounding galleries and buildings, what we shall refer to here as the Menil Neighborhood.

Menil Musuem in Houston Texas photo by Alton DuLaney March 2016

Nestled in the heart of Montrose, the 30 acre “campus” of the Menil Foundation, (not including their home in River Oaks designed by Philip Johnson, with interiors by Charles James), is a testament to John and Dominique de Menil’s vision of art preservation and presentation.

The Menil Foundation in Houston photo by Alton DuLaney March 2016

At the heart of the compound is the Menil Collection or Museum, designed by Renzo Piano and opened in 1987, it houses one of the largest privately held collections in the world.

The Menil Museum by Renzo Piano photo by Alton DuLaney March 2016

Additionally there is: The Cy Twombly Gallery, also by Piano, features a retrospective of the American artist’s work dating from 1951 through his death in 2011;

Cy Twombly Gallery at Menil in Houston photo by Alton DuLaney March 2016

The Dan Flavin Installation at Richmond Hall, located in a former grocery store, was Dominique de Menil’s last commission;

Richmond Hall in Houston photo by Alton DuLaney March 2016

The Byzantine Chapel, which originally housed 13th century frescos on a 15-year loan from Cyprus, and now the home of a rotating exhibition of sight-specific installations including currently “The Time Machine” installation;

Menil Byzantine Chapel in Houston photo by Alton DuLaney March 2016

the Philip Johnson designed Rothko Chapel displaying an impressive commission by Mark Rothko, and,

Rothko Chapel in Houston photo by Alton DuLaney March 2016

 out front, a gravity defying sculpture by Barnett Newman, the “Broken Obelisk”, which is currently, "broken"( away for restorations);

The Broken Obelisk is broken! Photo by Alton DuLaney March 2016

and the newest addition, the Bistro Menil,

Bistro Menil in Houston photo by Alton DuLaney March 2016

a quaint little bistro with outdoor seating and an enjoyable happy hour.

Public Art at Bistro Menil in Houston photo by Alton DuLaney March 2016

But what really defines the neighborhood is the collection of surrounding bungalows that the Menil Foundation began quietly buying in the 1960s in an epic effort to protect the atmosphere and character of the neighborhood. 

"Do-Ville" at the Menil Collection in Houston photo by Alton DuLaney March 2016

To unify the disparate architecture, the dozens of modest homes have all been painted the same shade of gray, now know as “Menil Gray”, thus giving a commonality and cohesiveness to the streets surrounding the park and the museum. 

"Menil" or "Howard" Gray at the Menil Collection in Houston photo by Alton DuLaney

The particular shade of gray is also referred to as “Howard Gray” as it was actually conceived by Howard Barnstone, who took over the Rothko Chapel project from Johnson. 

Live Oak tree in the Menil Neighborhood of Houston photo by Alton DuLaney

Dominique de Menil had requested a hue that would play well with the lush green lawns and majestic Live Oak trees of the park, as well as something that would not detract from the museum centerpiece she would eventually build in the park. 

Menil Live Oak in Houston photo by Alton DuLaney March 2016

Of note is that the Museum came later, and was painted to match the bungalows and not the other way around.

Menil Neighborhood in Houston photo by Alton DuLaney March 2016

The neighborhood became known locally as “Doville” (Dominique’s-Village), and has for decades been both enclave and refuge to artists, writers, designers, and other creatives, that have called the bungalows home. Residents in these rent-controlled units have access to world-class art and institutions, and also contribute to the authenticity of the neighborhood, while maintaining the character and charm that first attracted Dominique to the area in the late 1950’s, when the Menil’s were instrumental in forming the University of St Thomas.

A half-century later, Dominique’s vision is alive and thriving in Houston, attracting tens-of-thousands of visitors each year, and fulfilling the philosophies of accessibility (the museum and all exhibits are free to the public), 

Menil Collection in Houston hours of operation

the combination of spirituality and art (through the two chapels and tranquil, meditative park setting), 

Menil Park in Houston photo by Alton DuLaney March 2016

and intimacy (housing artists and creatives in the neighborhood’s iconic gray bungalows).  

Texas Artist Alton DuLaney with dog AureLeo at the Menil Collection in Houston

(For information on another great Texas artist who has work in the Menil Collection, check out this great book on Robert Rauschenberg published by the Menil.)

 

As one strolls through the park, surrounded by the cool gray-toned homes, and the understated yet impressive museum and surrounding galleries, it is easy to feel a sense of pride for the instantly recognizable art neighborhood. And though Dominique is long gone, her presence survives, as the compound continues to draw crowds and acclaim. And the vision continues to expand, with a master plan in the works for even more green spaces and the now-under-construction Menil Drawing Institute, which boasts to be the only free-standing building dedicated to works on paper in the USA. (The height of the new MDI, by the way, will be no more than 16ft, so as not to detract from or tower over the bungalows.) 

Construction on the Menil Drawing Institute in Houston photo by Alton DuLaney

Definitely a neighborhood worth visiting on any tour of Houston. For more information on hours or exhibitions at the Menil Collection, visit their website.

https://www.menil.org/

Tom House

TOM HOUSE book from Rizzoli

TOM HOUSE book from Rizzoli available Spring 2016

The book project which I had the pleasure of working on this past spring in LA with the great guys from the Tom Of Finland Foundation, and Rizzoli. Available now for pre-order.

RELEASE DATE: 8th March 2016
PRE-ORDER NOW: http://amzn.to/1T1OkGS
An immersive glimpse into the private, domestic world of one of the twentieth century’s most revolutionary artists. Nestled in a leafy, residential section of Los Angeles is the house where Tom of Finland (Touko Laaksonen, Finnish, 1920–1991) lived and worked during the last decade of his life. It is an extraordinary place—part shrine, part haven, part art-historical archive, and part utopian collective. For additional insight, the revelatory photographs are paired with rarely seen preparatory drawings.
Hardcover, 256 pages, Published by Rizzoli New York
By Michael Reynolds (Author), Martyn Thompson (Photographer) and Mayer Rus (Contributor).

James Surls Studio in Splendora by Alton DuLaney

James Surls Studio in Splendora by Alton DuLaney

Portrait of James Surls (Artist Unknown) photo taken by Alton DuLaney October 2015 in Splendora

The Contemporary Art Museum in Houston recently hosted a reading by Pete Gershon from his upcoming book titled "Pow Wow: Contemporary Artists in Houston 1972-1985." Gershon discusses at length the burgeoning contemporary art scene in Houston during the 1970's and 1980's and the artist that contributed to that movement.

Pete Gershon speaking at the CAM Houston, photo taken by Alton DuLaney October 2015

It was fascinating to hear the tales of a bygone era in the Houston art-world, and especially to hear Gershon repeatedly mention the importance of famed Texas artist James Surls, who as Gershon describes, "the chainsaw-wielding Surls established the Lawndale Annex as a largely unsupervised outpost of the University of Houston’s Art Department. Inside this dirty, cavernous warehouse, a new generation of Houston artists found itself and flourished." Fascinating for me, because for all those years Surls was based in the sleepy little town of Splendora, some 30 miles north of the Houston Art's District (which was not even called that yet!). 

Splendora is also my home town. And I grew up just a few miles from Surls' fabled studio, and spent my teenage years working there as an intern. 

Splendora Gallery Award photo taken by Alton DuLaney October 2015 in Splendora

Under the tutelage of James Surls, we started the Splendora Gallery, a short lived art space that exposed the locals to art and vice versa. Above, an original award sponsored by Splendora Gallery.

After the CAM talk, James invited me out to meet him at his studio, to talk of things that went and things to come.

The James Surls Studio photo taken by Alton DuLaney October 2015 in Splendora

Nestled in the piney woods of Splendora, is Surls 13,000 square feet studio. Surls lived and worked in Splendora from 1977-1997, when he and his family relocated to Colorado. The studio, under the watchful eye of a caretaker, has sat silently amongst the trees for almost 20 years. Returning to the space recently, after all that time, was almost like visiting a time capsule.

The Surls Studio interior photo taken by Alton DuLaney October 2015 in Splendora

Once upon a time this space hosted events, performances, exhibits, and birthed some incredible art projects and ideas, including a whole volume of Surls work.

James Surls "Splendora Years" photo by Alton DuLaney

There is even a great book published of the era, called "Splendora Years" which contains images of the work he produced there in the Splendora Studio.

The Surls Studio interior photo taken by Alton DuLaney October 2015 in Splendora

Years later, the studio sits practically empty, ready for its second act. Fortunately, years later, several of Surls' seven daughters are ready to breath new life into the space. And fortunate for me, I too am back in Splendora and ready to fan the creative flames.

James Surls studio detail, photo taken by Alton DuLaney October 2015 in Splendora

Lurking in every corner, there is an ancient memory, a piece of a sculpture or a remnant of a performance, just sitting there quietly gathering dust, as the sun peers through over-sized windows. Above, one of Surls' famous flower petals.

A James Surls sculpture in the studio, photo taken by Alton DuLaney October 2015 in Splendora

While Surls' career has spanned decades, his style has remained distinguishable, with elements like home, wood, trees, eyes, axes, needles, and flowers always appearing in his work.

A James Surls sculpture in the studio, photo taken by Alton DuLaney October 2015 in Splendora

Stacked in corners and suspended from the rafters, a history of his work stands the test of time, silent sentinels watching over his kingdom.

A James Surls sculpture in the studio, photo taken by Alton DuLaney October 2015 in Splendora

Looking like alien trees, or ancient tools of torture, Surls' work seamlessly flows between the natural world and the art world, incorporating elements of both.

The Surls Studio, back porch, photo taken by Alton DuLaney October 2015 in Splendora

On the back porch, where long conference tables once entertained Texas art royalty, a modern-day American Gothic unfolds without the slightest hint of irony or pretense, now graced only by an ambitious spider or an ornery dirt-dobber.

A James Surls sculpture reclaimed by nature, photo taken by Alton DuLaney October 2015 in Splendora

Scattered amid the pine trees, one might come across the remains of a long-lost sculpture, like this one, actively being reclaimed by nature. Famously, this sculpture was once set on fire, by another artist who did not approve of Surls' rise in fame and regard.

A James Surls sculpture at the studio, photo taken by Alton DuLaney October 2015 in Splendora

The Surls compound covers hundreds of acres of thick woods. Around the studio grounds, art camouflages in with its surroundings. This metal spiral looks as if it could have grown right where it sits.

A James Surls sculpture in front of the studio, photo taken by Alton DuLaney October 2015 in Splendora

Some pieces, as part of series, are immediately recognizable, and still hold their magic, though they have suffered the ravages of time.

The James Surls original studio, photo taken by Alton DuLaney October 2015 in Splendora

Even the original studio, a mere tin building, still stands, and now houses the grounds-keeper.

Now, all these years later, the studio is ready to be reborn as a cultural gathering point and artistic incubator. Surls and his daughters, are now working to create a lasting legacy for the artist and his work and his family. In many ways it is an exciting time to live in Splendora, and as always, it is great to call such an accomplished artist, a mentor, an inspiration, and a friend!

James Surls in Splendora photographed by Alton DuLaney October 2015