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on the hunt for good art

artist crush: ana serrano

November 8th, 2011 · 5 Comments

Ana Serrano’s amazing, mind-blowing, kaleidoscopic work in Salon of Beauty at Rice Gallery.

Ana Serrano is a first generation Mexican American born in Los Angeles, California in 1983. Her work bears reference to those in low socioeconomic positions, with particular interest in the customs and beliefs, as well as the architecture, fashion, and informal economies present within this segment of society.

Serrano saw the title, Salon of Beauty, hand-painted on the side of a small beauty salon. She was struck by the phrase’s slightly awkward, yet poetic quality. Later she realized it was a literal translation of the Spanish phrase, Salón De Belleza, which normally would be translated into English as “Beauty Salon.”  Rice Gallery 

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Artist Crush: Houston

April 20th, 2011 · 3 Comments

Sculpture and installation work by an artist who goes by “Houston” whose website is cleverly called we have a problem (via of paper and things). A nice bit of humor there, but no info whatsoever on the artist himself and the generic name makes finding out more rather tricky. Putting aside the artist’s identity, the art is really cool and full of strong imagery set in unusual contexts. The white American flag is definitely a highlight.

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Wouldn’t this piece be great in an office somewhere?

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Artist Crush: Lisa Marie Godfrey

January 25th, 2010 · No Comments

What a lovely surprise to have come across Lisa Marie Godfrey‘s beautiful and quirky work! Godfrey, a Houston native, loves to hunt for antiques and old things that offer a glimpse into the lives of their previous owners. She incorporates some of these objects, such as old books and photographs, into her paintings and site-specific installations.

There is something immediately appealing about Lisa’s work; it is evocative of a quaint, uncomplicated view of the natural world. Lisa’s paintings are filled with quintessential nature imagery, and her style is cartoony and purposefully amateurish. It’s difficult to look at Godfrey’s work and not remember how we experienced nature as children. The simple pleasure in Godfrey’s work is remembering the delight in discovering the world around us.

Godfrey recently showed her work at Domy Books and still has a number of pieces available, most for $50 – $200.