Junkyard Bugs - Carrizozo, New Mexico

Southern New Mexico is becoming a haven for working artists who don't mind living the simple life (and occasionally being viewed as satanists). The town of Carrizozo boasts a few galleries, studios, and some un-controversial public art. This was my favorite of the bunch. Click on the photo to see the detail better.

20 to Watch - Austin Museum of Art

I went to see a group exhibition of new art at the Austin Museum of Art in Texas. The show represented the work of twenty local (or semi-local?) artists, and this is a brief glance at my three favorites.
Sarah Sudhoff 's "Repository" series of photographs documents her diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer.

Yoon Cho 's 3 minute performance video "Hair" shows the artist and her husband getting the same haircut, exploring the process of assimilation.


Jules Buck Jones 's deliciously surfaced alligator drawings, positively prehistoric in scale, play with classical drawing, and semi-abstract pattern making.

An excellent show, and I'm always happy to see art I might not get to otherwise.

20 to Watch at the Austin Museum of Art (until May 11, 2008)

The Beer Can House - Houston, Texas

I've seen many photos of this famous beer can house in Houston, Texas but nothing really prepared me both the ordinariness of the neighborhood (suburb-ish) and also the sound. Those streamers hanging from the eaves are actually the bottoms of beer cans strung together, and they rattle and jingle in the breeze. Everything is made of beer cans, including the roof but with the exception of the driveway which is concrete with embedded marbles. Houston wasn't exactly my type of place but seeing this house was worth the drive through. Click on the photo to see more details - like the ladder going to heaven.

Why I like Florida

I'm often asked if I like living in Florida. So, here's one reason I like Florida: this is where we keep our trash.

My favorite houses

There are many ostentatious displays of wealth to gawk at in Florida but my favorite houses are the ones that show impeccable attention to detail. These are a few I like so much that I ride past them on my bike just to visit them.



This one makes me think of France... outre-mer...I love the vines on the risers of the front steps.


These photos aren't much good, but this is probably the one I would probably like to live in (and conveniently it's for sale!). Unfortunately I missed the flowering of the wisteria over the garage door - if you can see there is only one cluster of blossoms left, hanging down right in the middle.




However, just because it's gigantic, and right on the beach doesn't mean I won't like it. For example:

Small town street art

Having lived for the past year or so in a very small and conservative "city" I've been on the lookout for both art and subversion. To my surprise I found both behind one of my favorite lunch places, on the dumpster. Thank you, PRUDE!

A selection of Kupka from the Centre Pompidou

La gamme jaune, 1907

Plans par couleurs, 1910-1911
Ordonnance sur verticales en jaune 1913

I love to see artists change over time, especially when the trajectory is visibly traceable as in the case of these three paintings by Frantisek Kupka that I recently discovered at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The transition from figurative to abstract, from flowing to geometric forms, and the increasing sophistication of the color scheme all show hard work and serious examination. (plus I have a thing for yellow too)

The Centre Pompidou has an online database which is quite handy. The images are not the highest quality (for obvious reasons I guess) but it's a great resource nonetheless.