Installation of MaryAnn Lucas’ work

Mary Ann Lucas is the next artist I’m bringing into Total Plaza Gallery. Here is an installation shot.

Installation shot of MaryAnn Lucas' mixed media work.

I am the last of 9 children born into a poor, immigrant family. My earliest recollection of artwork was drawings of crosses at age 5 after my father died. Dealing with such tragedies and trauma early in life taught me to surround myself in the protective environment of my artwork. I can safely peel back the layers of my life like an onion to reveal myself, my life; the happy, the sad that I experience day to day, year to year. I have no fear of judgment or ridicule; the canvas and paper patiently and silently await my touch – my dialog. Most of my work starts with a recycled piece of my artwork or just playing with paint on paper, a throw away to many, given a chance at a new life. Layering paint, and paper, along with line drawings, allows bits and pieces to peek through which reminds me of the way I, as a shy child, would peak around a wall of protection – looking to see if it’s safe to come out. I feel my artwork expresses my mood and state of mind directly through texture, shape, line and color or lack thereof.

– MaryAnn Lucas

MaryAnn Lucas’ mixed media work has a voice. It speaks to the viewer with tones that are soft and layered. The viewer is allowed to hear short, whispered statements reflective of life, love, joy, loss, etc. overlaid in no particular order but the chorus is a rich one. Her choice of materials and skills in their application are evident and indicate the level of care and thought she puts into their appearance. Displaying an artist’s soul is hard to do well, however, MaryAnn successfully expresses herself, her soul, in the works presented here.

 –  Matt Adams, curator

Finalist in Bioethics Art Competition

I received news that my image, and Dom’s accompanying text, was accepted as a finalist in the “UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights Art Competition”. There were 225 submissions from 23 countries. You can see all the finalists here. This is the entry:

"Responsible"

On a photo shoot in an abandoned apartment building, I happened across this scene. Overwhelmed with the intensity, I wandered about in a daze, numbed; camera clenched in my hand, temporarily forgotten.

Chair, rope, knife, drug paraphernalia, blood-stained carpet: what had happened in this place? I could almost hear the screams. I noticed other items; items that would not be out of place in any number of homes: chocolate powder, peanut butter, children’s books and stuffed animals, mere inches away.

Did a child crawl through the blood to reach its teddy bear? Would a cry of hunger be noticed through a drug-induced stupor or heard amidst the wails of the tortured? I needed to process it all, make some sense of it. I started taking photos. I noticed, almost absentmindedly, tears on my face.

Who is responsible for this? What forces created this nightmare before me? If I were that child, would I want to live like this? I would reflect on that day for many weeks and struggle to make sense of what I experienced.

“When does the right to create life, supersede the rights of that life-to-be?” The right to bring a child into the world seemed so straightforward to me, until that room.

We value life, but not what becomes of it, once it is born. We use science to help create life, engender life, extend life: all because we can. But it seems to me, we don’t stop to ask ourselves if we should! 

ArtHouston 2011

I am in two galleries for ArtHouston 2011. One is Archway Gallery for their 3rd Annual Juried Exhibition. Burt Long, Jr. was the juror and awarded this image (which is 40″ x 40″) an Honorable Mention.

Talya Arbisser’s Exhibit

Talya Arbisser asked me to to curate her exhibit titled “In The Footsteps Of My Grandparents“. It was at the Houston Jewish Community Center. The images were printed to allow 4” of selvage under the image and they were framed without glass. Then, an acid-free pen was hung next to each of the 23 images and viewers were encouraged to write their response as they saw fit. It went very well, I think!

Press article on Talya’s exhibit

Here is an article on Talya’s exhibit. From the article:

“With pens attached to every frame, the viewer is encouraged to share his/her thoughts and feelings regarding the photographs, and as the exhibit travels, it will accrue more and more written impressions. “I sought to provide the viewer with a directed, visual journey that reflected the personal journey Talya was experiencing,” Adams explains.”

Houston Chronicle article on Talya's exhibt

Here is the article from the Deposit confirmed, see the receipt below Your deposit has failed, please try again Test U vann precis 88,53 kr pa Gold Rush! Grattis! Test U vann precis 88,53 kr pa Gold Rush! Grattis! Test U vann precis 88,53 kr pa Gold Rush! Grattis! Test U vann precis 88,53 kr pa Gold Rush! Grattis! Test U vann precis 88,53 kr pa Gold Rush! Grattis!{{{description}}}{{{player}}} just won {{{amount}}} on {{{game}}}! Congratulations!Open an account today and you will get a 100% Welcome Bonus up to €25 for use in s4gambling.com/fi/ or Sports. Houston Chronicle on Talya”s exhibit. This one actually mentions how we met at FotoFest and Houston Center for Photography.

Art installed at Total Plaza Gallery

I’ve installed the work. The reception will be May 17.

HCP 28th Juried Membership Exhibition

I responded to this call for entries and am happy to say I was accepted. The Juror was Hannah Frieser, Director, Light Work (Syracuse, NY). The following is from HCP.

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Houston Center for Photography is proud to present this year´s Annual Juried Membership Exhibition.

HCP´s most diverse exhibition of the year, the Annual Juried Membership Exhibition highlights the photographs of its national and international members. HCP´s members have been an integral part of its mission since 1981.

Juror Hannah Frieser states, “Houston Center of Photography is fortunate to have an abundance of excellent photographers among its members, who are currently making their mark on the medium and who understand what it means to shape an image. Therefore a group exhibition of their work sparkles with talent from Texas and beyond. The styles and formats run the full gamut, but the quality of the work never waivers.”

The link to HCP’s webpage for the event is here.

Upstairs Room With A View Gallery, FotoFest Participating Space

Next Wall Gallery, FotoFest Participating Space

Block 7 Wine Company

My friends at Spacetaker offered me this space.

Art Car Museum, “Planes, Trains, Cars and Bikes” exhibit

This was the 5th open call exhibit. Information here.

Elder Street Gallery, 2nd Annual “One” exhibit

Visual Arts Alliance, 26th Juried Exhibition,

Galleria Lazara, group exhibition

Visual Arts Alliance at Bank Of America building

FotoFest Participating Space, TALA

Texas Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts provided their space to me for an exhibit during FotoFest 2008. The series, Hurt To My Core was exhibited.

Art Car Museum, “War!” exhibit

Steel frame made by David Wilhelm.

ArtsHouston appearance with Ann Tucker

I love this photo of Ann Tucker and I talking in front of my work at the HCP reception.

Gallery 19, “The Matt Adams (Un)Solo Exhibit”

I have great fun in sharing opportunities with others. So, when I had the chance to take over the whole gallery with my work, I decided to work with other artists on collaborative pieces. Collaborators were:

• Xsemaj Patterson, mixed media
• Kristy Peet, photography
• Dominick D’Aunno, visual literacy
• The Manichean, live music
• David Wilhelm, steel sculptor

HCP’s 25th Membership Juried Exhibition

This is when I met Ann Tucker. We had a long talk about my work.

The webpage from HCP for the event is here.

Article in OutSmart magazine

OutSmart magazine gave me two pages to announce my inclusion in HCP’s 25th Juried Membership exhibition.

Elder Street Gallery, “Alternate Eye” exhibition

Sergio Santos and I brought in other photographers for this exhibition. I invited Kristy Peet.

This is the card I designed for the exhibition:

Visual Arts Alliance Juried Exhibit at One Allen Center Gallery

Elder Street Gallery

This is what Xsemaj wrote about this collaboration of ours:

Gallery 19

Touchstone Gallery, Washington, DC

Gallery M2, “Go Figure” exhibition

Patrick Palmer was this exhibition’s juror. He selected “What It’s Like” from my “Our Willful Battles” project.

The Blitz

Continuing to explore “alternative spaces”, I worked with the owner of this gym, The Biltz,  for a 1-night event. Thanks to Mike McCorkle for making the connection.

This is the promo card I made for the event:

Image in Edgar Literary Magazine

This magazine used one of my photos of Main Street, Houston.