issue magazine

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INSIDE: NEW WEB SITE,TANNER AT MFAH,‘STRANGE EGGS,’ AND MORE

PPAAGGEE 55

SHOP-O-RAMARETURNS TO TASI

SEE MEMBERSHIP FORM ON PAGE 3.

Life Drawing Wednesdays.6-8 p.m. $5.

Open to everyone.Join the facebook Figure Drawing group

Become a member of the studio — it’s worth it.

ISSUE Vol. 19, No. 4

Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Art Studio, Inc.

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andy CoughlanCopy Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tracy DannaContributing Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . Elena Ivanova,

. . . . . Thomas Lee Harris Jr., Rachel Binagia,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Dixon

The Art Studio, Inc. Board of Directors

President Ex-Officio . . . . . . . . . . . . Greg BuscemeVice-President. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Angela BuscemeChair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John RobertsTreasurer/Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beth GallaspyMembers at large: . . . . . . . . . . . . Sheila Busceme,

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elizabeth French, . . . . . . . . . . Andy Ledesma, Stephan Malick, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heather Butler

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The ISSUE is a monthly publication of The ArtStudio, Inc. Its mission is to publicize The Art Studio andits tenants, and to promote the growth of the arts inSoutheast Texas. ISSUE is also charged with informingTASI members of projects, progress, achievements andsetbacks in TASI’s well-being. Further, ISSUE strives topromote and distribute the writings of local authors in its“Thoughtcrime” feature.

ISSUE is provided free of charge to members of TASIand is also available, free of charge, at more than 30 loca-tions in Southeast Texas.

Regular features include local artists of note and rep-utation who are not currently exhibiting at TASI; artistscurrently or soon to be exhibiting at TASI; Instructionalarticles for artists; news stories regarding the state ofTASI’s organization; and arts news features dealing withgeneral philosophical issues of interest to artists.

Contents

TASI’s New Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4Holiday Shop-O-Rama Extravaganza . . . . . . Page 5!Storm Generation! Photo Story. . . . . . . . . . Page 6Geek’s Gift Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8Tanner’s “Annunciation”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10“Strange Eggs” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 11Around & About. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12Thoughtcrime. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 13Book Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14

Cover photo of 2011 Shop-O-Rama

by Andy Coughlan

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS AT THE ART STUDIODDEECCEEMMBBEERRHoliday Shop-O-Rama Extravaganza

Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 1

FFEEBBRRUUAARRYYJoe Winston

Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 2

BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ART STUDIOMembership in The ArtStudio, Inc., provides invita-tions to all exhibitions andone year of ISSUE, themonthly arts magazine ofThe Art Studio. It also givesfree eligibility for membersto enter the annual mem-bership art exhibition(TASIMJAE) and partici-pate in various exhibitionsthroughout the year.

Name(s)

Address

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The Art Studio, Inc. 720 Franklin, Beaumont 77701

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THE END OF THE year will mark significantchanges in The Studio operations, appear-ance and accessibility, and a continued com-mitment to the goals and purposes that havebeen the soul and backbone of The ArtStudio.

There are many good people, artists,teachers and lovers of art who assist thisorganization in its effort to advance the artsin the community, and to assist in the prolif-eration of arts in our educational institutions.Their commitment is a testament to the ideathat the arts are a significant and necessarypart of curriculum and assist the students inbroad-based critical thinking, creative con-cepts (outside-the-box thinking) and complexproblem solving.

Arts can be used as an addendum to anycore class. We use ceramics to illustratechemistry, engineering, geology, anthropolo-gy, mathematics, history, civics, etc. It is ourcontention that removing art from schools islike removing chalkboards and computersfrom the classroom: an excellent tool is leftout of the mix.

The arts’ impact on the individuals inour community, especially our young people,brings a new facet of community life. Notbased in commercial profit, The Art Studiooffers opportunities for cultural fulfillment inthe visual and performing arts at no or mini-mal costs. Local concerts of regional originat-ing musicians, visual arts exhibitions, classes

in clay and drawing and performances oflocal theatre productions (Studio 33, forexample) are offered on a monthly or near-monthly basis and are open to all to partici-pate.

Our new-look Web site is up and func-tioning, thanks to Stacey Haynes, ourWebmaster. We now have video capabilitiesand online membership renewal, easieraccessibility, and more pages of informationabout our Studio activities and artists. Wealso hope we can develop some instructionalvideos on ceramics for teachers and studentsto answer the basic questions they may have.We see a long-term benefit in communicationand energy savings, and a reduction in print-ing costs.

The fence will be going up on Nov. 30,directed by jack-of-all-trades, Joey Raab, whowill guide us in securing our perimeter. Anystalwart volunteers would be greatly appreci-ated. We recently got our parking lotrestriped by Brandon Cates, Eagle Scout can-didate, as well as some much needed land-scaping.

Our wall and door to the office area iscompletely ridden with termites and willsoon be in danger, much like our front doorwas, of collapsing. As we rebuild our entryway, we will also upgrade our ADA accessi-

A View From The TopGreg Busceme, TASI Director

See VIEW on page 15

THE ART STUDIO, INC. has a newWeb presence at www.artstudio.org.Visitors to the Web site recent-

ly will have noticed a new — anddrastically improved — site.Volunteer Stacey Haynes has

revamped the site in order to offergreater content and easier accessto The Studio’s wide range ofactivities.

“I think they were looking for something thatwas very content heavy,” Haynes said. “I feel likethey love the fact that the Web site they had beforehad a pretty picture on the front, but there just was-n’t enough content. When a visitor logged on, youkind of had to dig deep into it.

“We wanted to make it so that when a visitorcomes to the site, they can immediately see things.”

Haynes said it is important that people can easi-ly search the site, and for people who want tobecome members to be able to pay for their mem-berships online.

“For me, it was just a question of asking if theywanted it to be really pretty, or do they want it to becontent heavy?” she said. “And they wanted content.That made it easy for me, because then I could justpick a layout and go for it.

“It’s really about helping The Studio get whatthey wanted, which was more information.”

While Haynes said that the focus is on contentover looks, the content on the site is visually appeal-ing.

“The content makes it pretty, the work of theartists makes it pretty — everything that is going onat The Studio and the pictures we present on theWeb site can definitely make it pretty,” she said.“Having lots of good content and nice pictures,artists making work, people taking pictures at events— you don’t need a whole lot of extra fluff when youhave artists doing beautiful work.”

One of the new features of the site is to be ableto archive the ISSUE, with the stories easily search-able on the Web.

“I am so impressed that they have been doing itfor so many years,” Haynes said. “It is such a beauti-ful magazine packed full of information, lovely pic-tures, and great reviews and stories. I am excitedthat it gets to be featured on the Web site and reallybuild the site around that.”

Instead of just viewing a static pdf of the page,visitors wanting to see the page layouts will get to“turn” the pages.

Haynes said the new-look site is still in its infan-cy.

“Things will be ever changing,” she said. “If peo-ple want to leave comments and suggestions, wewelcome them. To me, the user of a site knows whatthey want and what they like.”

Haynes and her husband Richie, an exhibitingartist, are long-time Studio members and she saidworking on the Web site is a labor of love.

“If I know how to do something and people are

in need, I like to help,” she said. “The Art Studio hasbeen in my life for as long as I can remember. SinceI was a young adult I have been going to The Studio.So many of my friends are artists. That organizationand what they do for local artists means somethingto both of us.

“Working all my life for non-profit organizations,I know how much they need people who care and

can commit and give time, their talents and theirenergy. So I’ve always wanted to find a way to helpthem but didn’t really know how. So when the Website opportunity came along, it was something Icould do at home in the evenings — it was some-thing I could commit to and I have the skills to do it.

“So it was a pleasure for me to help — finally Ihave something I can help The Studio with.”

4 • ISSUE December 2012 Volume 19, No. 4

TASI ONLINE PRESENCE GETS FACELIFT TO EMPHASIZE CONTENT, SERVICES

TTUURRNNIINNGG TTHHEE ((WWEEBB)) PPAAGGEEStory by

AndyCoughlan

THE ECONOMY IS STILL a talking pointeven though the election is over.Social media is chock-a-block withupdates about jobs being lost tounder-paid, overseas workers, andcorporations under-insuring theirworkers while making huge profits.

You know who never makes hugeprofits? Artists.

But you can change that. The “shop local” movement comes

to The Art Studio in December, withthe Annual Shop-O-RamaExtravaganza, a sale of hand-made,Southeast Texas-produced, reasonably-priced gifts (Phew, that was a lot ofhyphens, but you get the point).

The grand sale begins 10 a.m.-5p.m., Dec. 1, with a free receptionfrom 7-10 p.m., with many of theartists in attendance.

Shoppers can also buy items dur-ing regular Studio hours, 2-5 p.m.,Tuesday-Saturday, through Dec. 19.

The Shop-O-Rama traditionallyoffers smaller versions of the great artproduced by tenants and members ofThe Art Studio year round.

“This event is always a greatopportunity to spread the word aboutthe great work produced at TheStudio,” tenant Andy Coughlan said.“And it is also one of our major fund-raisers. It’s important that we encour-age people to come out and buy a lot

of stuff.”An eclectic group of artists will

ply their wares during the show,including ceramics, paintings, draw-ings and prints, decorative boxes, pho-tographs, woodcarvings, dolls, jewel-ry, crafts and other knick-knacks.Many of the items will be available foras little as $10-$20, but there will be aselection of higher priced items aswell.

“Most of the artists create workspecifically for gift ideas,” Coughlansaid. “I realize that not everyone canafford large-scale paintings, but peo-ple enjoy the chance to buy smallerpieces that are created with affordabil-ity in mind.

“It’s not just for buying gifts. It isalso a great way for people to starttheir art collections.”

Participation in the sale is open toTASI members in good standing.Anyone wishing to take part in theevent can become a member of TheArt Studio when they bring their workin. Memberships begin at $35. TASItakes a commission of 25 percent onall items sold. The display will acceptentries through Nov. 28. All artworkmust be brought by in person. Artistsare responsible for their own displays.Work may be added at any time dur-ing the run of the Holiday Shop-O-Rama Extravaganza.

“The commission is particularlylow in relation to other arts organiza-tions,” Coughlan said. “It is not unusu-al for galleries to charge as much as50 or 60 percent commission. We havealways tried to keep the percentagelow to encourage the less experiencedartist to become involved in exhibitingand selling their work.”

The artists are doing their part byproducing local work — now it is upto the consumers to “buy local.”

The Art Studio, Inc. is located at720 Franklin in downtown Beaumont.Regular hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m.,Tuesday-Saturday.

For more information, call 409-838-5393 or visit www.artstudio.org.

Volume 19, No. 4 December 2012 ISSUE • 5

SHOP-O-RAMA TO BEGIN DEC. 1

Paintings and ceramics were among the many items on sale at The Art Studio’s 2011 Holiday Shop-O-Rama Extravaganza


THE CHAINSAW ROARED AS thegirl with the brain for a headdragged a suited mannequinaround the yard. Megaphonescrackled and discordant guitarsounds mixed with the pop of afire in the cool evening air.A sizeable crowd watched

as the girl with the deer on herhead wielded a branding iron.

Everywhere one looked, there was choreo-graphed mayhem — well, it may not have beenchoreographed, who knows.

Whatever it was, it was interesting. TheEstonian Non Grata performance groupreturned with to The Studio with their brand ofanarchic theater, Nov. 9, as the three-day “Riteof Print” event wound down.

Printmakers Toomas Kuusing and PeeterAllik were on hand to sell their work, as well asstudent artists from various schools.

Organizer Xenia Fedorchenko, LamarUniversity professor of print, met the artists andinvited them to Beaumont, to show SoutheastTexans another view.

Non Grata had been here before — thistime there was no styrofoam — and they alwayschallenge the way art can be conceived.

“!Storm Generation!” is just the latest incar-nation of their process. With any luck, they willbe back again some day. Maybe there’s time tolearn Estonian.

PERFORMANCE ARTISTS, PRINTMAKERS INVADE STUDIO!!SSTTOORRMM GGEENNEERRAATTIIOONN!!

Photos byAndy

Coughlan

Toomas Kuusing


Peeter Allik


ONCE AGAIN THAT COLD north wind is blowing and every-where you look, trees and wreaths are all over yards, streetsigns, doors, malls, city parks, free clinics, underpasses,abandoned mines — well, you get the idea. It’s Christmasand that means some of you have no idea what to get yourfriends besides iTunes gift cards and Starbucks coffee. Haveno fear, dear ones.

JAWS — This one should be a no brainer, but maybe youalready own “Jaws” on DVD. Maybe you own two copies ofit, in case “something happens.” Maybe you have some sortof weird obsession with “Jaws” because it’s a perfect workof cinema. Regardless, if you like “Jaws” enough to own it(and by the way, if you don’t, what is wrong with you?), thenyou need this Blu Ray. It’s astounding how good the film

looks. I can’t really adequately describehow crisp and clear the movielooks. You have to see it foryourself. Honestly, if you takeanything away from thisarticle it should be thatthe “Jaws” Blu Ray issome sort of magicdone by a wizard in afar-off land.

DICK TRACY— Let’sbe honest, this is not agreat movie, but it isgorgeous to look at andBlu Ray is the only way Iwould recommend own-ing this film. There areno muted colors in“Dick Tracy.” Things areblack, white, yellow, red,and blue — and whatgorgeous blues they are.The script is run-of-the-mill and lacks the gritti-ness of the old Tracycomics, but the perform-ances more than makeup for this softer side ofthe greatest detective to ever wear a radio watch.

HEAVYWEIGHTS— This is theBlu Ray for that friend of yoursobsessed with “Zoolander” and“Dodgeball.” This little cult classicwas written by Judd Apatow, beforehe was anybody, and stars BenStiller, also before he was anybody.The fun thing about this movie is youcan almost view it as a prequel to“Dodgeball” with Stiller using thesame cocky swagger and voice forhis character in both films. Therearen’t many things funnier than

Stiller making fat kids at camp miserable. “Lunch has beencanceled today…due to lack of hustle.”

TOXIC AVENGER: JAPANESE CUT— Available for thefirst time in the UnitedStates, the full director’s cutof “The Toxic Avenger.”Trust me, for the geek whohas everything, this is a per-fect gift. If they’re anythinglike me, they will be shockedand amazed that you had theforesight to purchase this lit-tle ball of weirdness. Afterthey open it tell them youwanted to get them the origi-nal in preparation for theremake. They’ll be amazedat your insider knowledge.Or not. It could go eitherway, really.

HE’S BAAACK. NO, NOT THE

GGiiffttss ffoorr tthhoossee

Commentary byJeff Dixon

(Jeff Dixon loves moviesand comic books in a waythat often terrifies him. Youcan follow his insane ram-

blings on Twitter@RoiVampire if he let’s

you.)

TARANTINO BLU RAYCOLLECTION— Here’s thebig one. All of Tarantino’smovies in high definition in asuper snazzy box set.“Reservoir Dogs,” “TrueRomance,” “Pulp Fiction,”“Jackie Brown,” “Kill Bill Vol.1,” “Kill Bill Vol. 2,” “DeathProof” and “InglouriousBasterds,” plus two discs ofnever-before-seen extras. Boom.Sold. You can say what you wantabout Tarantino but the manknows how to get great per-formances out of his actors andhis movies feel like movies.They feel like the creation of awriter/director and a group ofactors, not like some ham-fistedcash grab set up by studio exec-utives. There’s real passion in these films and itcomes through in every gorgeous frame. Plus, PamGrier, Bridget Fonda and Uma Thurman in high defi-nition. Who could pass that up?

WARRIOR BY KE$HA— I’m not going to lie to youfolks, I love Ke$ha. I’m not going to apologize for iteither. I am one of her Animals and damn proud of it.With “Warrior,” Ke$ha has been drawing influencefrom psychedelic rock as well as her time as a globalambassador for the Humane Society. Yeah, you readthat right. A full grown woman with a dollar sign inher name is the first global ambassador for theHumane Society. Take that, high school guidancecounselor.

INTO THE FUTURE BY

BAD BRAINS— Got afriend who loves punk rockand always gives you a hardtime about the “music” youlisten to on the “radio?” Thisis the gift for them. BadBrains set the tone for EastCoast punk in the 80s andthe group is still goingstrong. After sticking to liveshows in their hometown ofWashington D.C., the bandis finally back with a full-length studio album. If yourfriend likes punk and doesn’tlike Bad Brains, then theyare a figment of your imagi-nation and you should proba-bly stop reading this and getsome kind of help.

SPIDER-MEN BY

BRIAN MICHAELBENDIS AND SARAPICHELLI— InMarvel’s UltimateUniverse, which is nowmore than a decade old,Peter Parker died ahero’s death protectinghis neighborhood ofForest Hills in Queensfrom the wrath ofNorman Osborn. Sincehis very public death, ayoung boy named MilesMorales has taken on

the mantle of Spider-Man. Here’s where it gets weird.Peter Parker from the main Marvel Universe hasaccidentally been transported to the UltimateUniverse, meeting Miles and pretty much freakingout about the whole situation. It might sound a littlecomplicated but trust me, this is the best mini-seriesI read all year. It’s a coming of age tale about some-one who knows how hard life can be preparing ayoung man for the harshness of the world. PeterParker is dead. Long live Peter Parker.

MAN-THING OMNIBUS— Ever been reading ahorror comic and thought, “Man this is great but Idoubt I could actually murder someone with thisbook?” Have I got a gift for you. Created in 1974 byStan Lee, Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway, Man-

Thing is our guide through the weirder sections ofthe Marvel Universe. A mass of plant matter withsupernatural, fear-based powers, the Man-Thing is atruly odd creation from the House of Ideas. Thisomnibus collects more than 40 issues in a gorgeoushardcover that you could easily use to kill someonewith. But whatever you do, don’t lose your cool, man.Just remember; “Whoever knows fear burns at thetouch of the Man-Thing.”

And on that cheerful note I must bid you adieu. Iam off to pour something in my hot chocolate tomake the day pass a little faster. Bundle up out thereyou poor souls and pray for me if that’s your bag. I’llbe muttering to myself during Rockets games mostnights. Have a safe winter. I’ll see you all again in thesummer to talk about which remakes and reboots I’mdreading/secretly loving.

Mahalo!


SHARK, THE GEEK. OH, YEAH, THE SHARK, TOOppaallee aass ssnnooww

pale as snow10 • ISSUE December 2012 Volume 19, No. 4

“My effort has been to notonly put the Biblical inci-dent in the original setting,but at the same time givethe human touch ‘whichmakes the whole worldkin’1 and which everremains the same.”

— Henry Ossawa Tanner

FOR VISITORS OF THE Salon exhibition in Paris in1898, the painting titled “The Annunciation,” byAmerican artist Henry Ossawa Tanner, must havelooked unusual, revelatory or even disturbing andblasphemous. Nothing in this work reminded themof the popular biblical subject, at least not in theway it had been portrayed since the Renaissance:no golden-winged angel, no ethereally beautifulMadonna, no haloes, no luscious display of tex-tures and rich garments. In fact, if it were not forthe title, one may not have guessed that the sceneportrayed the Virgin Mary at the moment she isvisited by archangel Gabriel.

Tanner’s work looks like an ordinary domesticscene. A young woman is sitting up in bed amongcrumpled sheets as if awakened by a suddennoise. A few details in the interior point to the pos-sible middle-eastern location of the scene — a lowvaulted ceiling, a patterned mat on the paved floor,a striped carpet pinned to the wall, and ceramicjugs on a shelf. The only extraordinary thing inthis otherwise unremarkable place is a beam ofblinding light, which has no obvious source andwhich seems to have hypnotized the occupant ofthe humble dwelling.

Today, having seen lots of movies in which bib-lical characters look and act like ordinary people,we may find it hard to understand what was so rad-ical about this idea a hundred years ago. However,even in our more open-minded society, not every-one accepts such movies as Pasolini’s “The GospelAccording to St. Matthew,” or Scorsese’s “The LastTemptation of Christ,” in which Jesus appears tobe too much like a vulnerable human being. In asimilar way, Tanner’s emphasis on the ordinarywhile portraying a sacred event could be interpret-ed as subversive by devout Christians of his time.

What do we know about Henry OssawaTanner? Born and raised in Philadelphia in thefamily of a prominent African Methodist Episcopalbishop, Tanner was the first African Americanartist to achieve international fame. He studiedwith Thomas Eakins at the Pennsylvania Academyof Fine Arts and later at the Académie Julian inParis. Having settled in France, where society wasmore open to the idea of racial diversity than inAmerica, he became an influential figure amongexpatriate American artists. The French govern-ment bestowed upon him the highest accolades:he was elected Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur

and his paintings were acquired by the state.Tanner chose to follow the path of religious

painting early in his career. He felt a strong kin-ship with painters of religious subjects from thepast, particularly with Rembrandt. His desire wasto find a modern artistic language which wouldenable him to express what he considered themost important about religious experience — “aunity in human aspirations and revealed faith.”

Like the majority of religious genre artists ofhis time, Tanner believed that it was important tobe historically and ethnographically accurate whenpainting biblical scenes. He traveled to Palestinewhere he tirelessly recorded the landscape, thepeople and the material culture of the land of theBible. At the same time, he was not nostalgicabout the past. He was a modern man who wasexcited about new developments in science andtechnology. In art, he embraced innovation withoutbreaking away from the great realistic tradition ofWest-European art.

At the dawn of the 20th century, the world wasrapidly changing, with discoveries in physics,chemistry, biology and psychology replacing oldassumptions about man and nature based on reli-

gious beliefs. Tanner, however, never doubted thatfaith would continue to play an important role inthe new century. The question that he ponderedwas how to express the divine in his art in a waythat would be consistent with the contemporane-ous world.

In “The Annunciation,” Tanner offers anastounding example of marriage between religiousexperience and science. The beam of light whichsignifies the presence of the divine evokes NikolaTesla’s experiments with electricity. In the late1880s-early 1890s, Tesla traveled extensively pre-senting lectures in Europe and America demon-strating the capabilities of electric current. WhenTanner exhibited his work at the Chicago World’sFair in 1893 he could not have missed the largestdemonstration of all: the whole fair was illuminatedthrough the first use of the alternating currentdevice.

Parisians looking at “The Annunciation” in1898 were likely to make a connection with Tesla’selectricity demonstrations and, consequently, to

Story byElena

Ivanova

See TANNER on page 11

A Contemplation on Henry Ossawa Tanner’s Painting ‘The Annunciation’

VIRGIN MARY AND ELECTRICITY

Henry Ossawa Tanner, “The Annunciation,” 1898, oil on canvasPhiladelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, purchased with the W.P. Wilstach Fund, 1899, W1899-1-1.


relate Tanner’s work to the ongoing debate about thenatural and the supernatural. They probably had anoth-er association — with performances of “la fée élec-trique,” by the American dancer Loïe Fuller. Fullerdesigned a special “underlighting” device which dramat-ically illuminated her body from beneath as she dancedon the dark stage. Tanner could have seen Fuller’s per-formance either in Paris or at the Chicago World’s Fair.He recorded his impressions in the painting titled“Salome,” which evokes the title of one of Fuller’sdances.

Given the public’s fascination with electricity and hisown preoccupation with conveying the idea of thedivine, it may seem odd that Tanner did not give a moreprominent place to the beam of light in his composition,but chose to push it to the edge of the painting, almostoff the canvas. However, upon further consideration,one understands his reason for giving the central place

to Mary, her face ablaze with the reflected light fromthe mysterious source. Tanner probably observed suchintense, unblinking gaze on the faces of spectatorswatching Tesla’s demonstration or Fuller’s dance. Trueto his artistic credo to “give the human touch ‘whichmakes the whole world kin’ and which ever remains thesame,” Tanner invites us to share Mary’s emotions andmaybe, through this experience, to come closer tounderstanding the spiritual message of his painting.

The exhibition “Henry Ossawa Tanner: ModernSpirit” is on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston,through Jan. 13. The exhibition is a survey of more than100 works, including 12 paintings that have never beenshown in a Tanner retrospective, as well as the only twoknown sculptures that Tanner completed.

For more information, visit www.mfah.org.

1 The quotation comes from Shakespeare’s tragedy “Troilusand Cressida.” In general usage this expression meansthat the show of a fundamental human emotion often hasthe ef fect of bringing people closer together.

TANNER from page 10

Henry Ossawa Tanner

CLAES OLDENBURG IS AN odd birdand has laid some “Strange Eggs”over his career.

The Sweden-born Americanartist has gained fame though hisplayful interpretations of everydayobjects, which he manipulatesinto large-scale, colorful publicinstallations.

Now, the Menil Collection inHouston has hatched “Strange Eggs,” an exhibit ofthe artist’s early collages, in its surrealist galleries.

The 18 small pieces were constructed over a two-year period following his move from Chicago to NewYork in 1956.

It is fitting that the works hang in the Menil’simpressive Surrealist section. Oldenburg draws heav-ily on the playful collages of the earlier artists, withMax Ernst seeming to be the most influential.

While Ernst’s collages were recognizable juxta-positions of images, Oldenburg twists the images astep further, giving us pictures that suggest some-thing without ever taking us all the way.

The source material is often unrecognizable, justtextures culled from magazine photographs. Sure, weget a glimpse — a toe here, a feather there, andthere’s a head that seems to be emerging from acake, isn’t there? The orange, ah yes, there is defi-nitely an orange.

But the source image is really irrelevant, as isthe created amalgam.

Oldenburg invites us to make of the image whatwe will. And we will try. The nature of human curiosi-ty, when faced with any sort of abstraction, is to tryto make sense of what we see. It must “be” some-thing, we think, and it is our job to find out what.

The images are clearly representational. It is afrog on a log, yet it isn’t. It is a mermaid seated on arock, but it’s not. The people are people, yet not peo-ple, really. But we are confident they are meant torepresent people — or maybe not.

Many of the images seem to explore the inter-

play of the binary; two shapes working together — orare they just randomly juxtaposed.

One of the “Strange Eggs” reminds me of myfavorite joke:

Q. How many Surrealists does it take to change a light bulb?

A. Fish.

Maybe that’s Oldenburg’s point. Life is just amixed up joke and it is up to us to make sense of itall — or not.

The Menil Collection is located at 1515 Sul Rossin Houston.

For more, visit www.menil.org.

Review byAndy

Coughlan

Oldenburg lays ‘Strange Eggs’ at Menil

Strange Eggs X, 1957-58, Collage, mounted on cardboard, 10-15/16 x 14-3/16"Collection of Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen

The BEAUMONT ART LEAGUE will host the51ST ANNUAL NATIONAL JURIEDEXHIBITION, May 1 through 31, 2013.

The deadline to submit digital entries is Feb. 14. The artists whose pieces are selected by a panel

of jurists will be notified by letter after March 1. The show’s prospectus is available for download

on the League’s Web site at www.beaumontartleague.org.

______________

The Beaumont Art League will present twoexhibitions in January. A solo show by JOEYBLAZEK will be on display in the Brown Gallery,and a group show will be presented in the ScurlockGallery, featuring ABBY MCLAURIN, SARAHVONKAIN AND KAILEE VIATOR.

Both shows open Jan. 12 with a free receptionfrom 7-10 p.m.

BAL is located on Gulf Street in Beaumont.For more, call 409-833-4179.

______________

The ART MUSEUM OF SOUTHEASTTEXAS is hosting ANTELOPE LIGHT:PHOTOGRAPHS BY LISA F. RICHARDSON,on view through Jan. 20 in AMSET’s Café Arts.

This show features a collection of photographsthat were taken at the Lower Antelope Canyon inNorthern Arizona in April.

“Photographing the American Southwest hasbeen an awakening and a justification of spirit,”Richardson states in a release. “I am alwaysromanced by the high desert light and how elo-quently it defines shape and color. My approach tophotography is often about portraying the reality ortruth of a subject, but I also enjoy finding abstractqualities and letting them be my muse.”

Much like the abstract expressionists, who tooksubjects out of context, she used shapes and theirrelationship with light to communicate her vision,”Monique Sennet, AMSET representative, states in arelease. “By suspending reality, she hopes to invitethe viewer to consider, not only what these picturesare, but also their emotional response to them.Ultimately, each person’s response may be differ-ent. This is the true beauty of ‘Antelope Light.’”

Richardson grew up in Beaumont and is a grad-uate of Lamar University. After a career in graphicdesign, she became involved in photography in2006. Her photography often shows a deep connec-tion to the American Southwest and its unique quali-ties.

The exhibition is open for viewing during regu-lar museum hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.

Two Magnolia’s serves lunch in Café Arts from11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For more information, contact AMSET at 409-832-3432 or visit www.amset.org.

______________

The MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON,is hosting an exhibition exploring the experience of

war through the eyes of photographers. WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY: IMAGES OF

ARMED CONFLICT AND ITS AFTERMATH fea-tures nearly 500 objects, including photographs,books, magazines, albums and photographic equip-ment. The photographs were made by more than280 photographers, from 28 nations, who have cov-ered conflict on six continents over 165 years, fromthe Mexican-American War of 1846 through pres-ent-day conflicts.

The exhibition takes a critical look at the rela-tionship between war and photography, exploringwhat types of photographs are, and are not, made,and by whom and for whom. Rather than a chrono-logical survey of wartime photographs or a surveyof “greatest hits,” the exhibition presents types ofphotographs repeatedly made during the manyphases of war — regardless of the size or cause ofthe conflict, the photographers’ or subjects’ cultureor the era in which the pictures were recorded. Theimages in the exhibition are organized according tothe progression of war: from the acts that instigatearmed conflict, to “the fight,” to victory and defeat,and images that memorialize a war, its combatantsand its victims. Both iconic images and previouslyunknown images are on view, taken by military pho-tographers, commercial photographers (portraitand photojournalist), amateurs and artists.

Curators Anne Wilkes Tucker, Natalie Zelt andWill Michels spent a decade preparing the showwhich explores the complex and profound relation-ship between war and photography.

“Photographs serve the public as a collectivememory of the experience of war, yet most presen-tations that deal with the material are organizedchronologically,” Tucker said in a release. “We‘War/Photography’ is unique in its scope, exploringconflict and its consequences across the globe andover time, analyzing this complex and unrelenting

phenomenon.”The earliest work in the exhibition is from 1847,

taken from the first photographed conflict: theMexican-American War. Other early examplesinclude photographs from the Crimean War, such asRoger Fenton’s iconic The Valley of the Shadow ofDeath (1855) and Felice Beato’s photograph of thedevastated interior of Fort Taku in China during theSecond Opium War (1860). Among the most recentimages is a 2008 photograph of the Battle Companyof the 173rd Airborne Brigade in the remoteKorengal Valley of Eastern Afghanistan by TimHetherington, who was killed in April 2011 whilecovering the civil war in Libya.

The museum is located at 1001 Bissonnet inHouston.

For more information, visit www.mfah.org, orcall 713-639-7300.


If you come across any interesting exhibitions, museums or other places on your travels, share them with us. Call 409-838-5393, or contact us throughour web site at www.artstudio.org. Be sure to include the location and dates of the subject, as well as any costs.

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sing a call based upon a recollection of how I remember you in spite of maturity, a closeted fisted baron intentionyes this here, as it was in her nature lonesome was a part from her replied with fucking fervor my lord without a tone of dissonanceshe never obliged

because he reminded a dream once youngdeliberate of a coming that became undone, yes some an indifference to none elated within majesty a placated bewilderment begging to forget,yes some

delegated from this desperate plea forsakenyes some, some untethered unfiltered insatiable need has overcome

a fix in the morning i'll fix it in the morning

stop calling, I don't have,anything, left.

reconciled

for nothing

logically who would make desirethen to appear in front of her

so she tried to make it more descriptivepausing and rhyming with time, the mood lighted by something still a vacant 3-dimensional structure that appearsokay yes some dark news about how much loss is at stake there is no promise for anything new

reconciledfor nothing (smh) yes some

Solo


SSuubbmmiissssiioonn GGuuiiddeelliinneess aanndd DDiissccllaaiimmeerrISSUE solicits and publishes the work of local

authors. Poetry, short fiction, scholarly works and opin-ion pieces may be submitted for review. All works mustbe typed or submitted on a disk (using approved wordprocessing software), or may be sent to TASI by e-mail.All works are subject for review by our editor, and maybe rejected or edited on the basis of grammar, spellingor content.

The opinions expressed in “Thoughtcrime” do notnecessarily reflect the opinions of TASI, its Board ofDirectors, ISSUE’s editorial staff, or donors to TASI.

Send typed works to: IISSSSUUEE

772200 FFrraannkklliinn,, BBeeaauummoonntt,, TTXX 7777770011oorr ee--mmaaiill::

aarrttssttuuddiioo@@aarrttssttuuddiioo..oorrgg

Authors must submit a daytime telephone numberalong with all submissions. Pen names are acceptable,but authors must supply real names for verification. Allsubmitted works become property of TASI, and whetherrejected or accepted, are not returned to the author.ISSUE does not notify of rejection by mail or telephone.

ThoughtcrimeThe Garden Growing Slow

Yesterday, I planted

old seed in an old field.

I did so tenderly,

because they were old.

Not much will come

of the sowing –

if anything at all –

the tilling only toil.

Harvest will be small

and like as not

left in the dirt

than washed for any meal.

But what is done is done,

and yesterday is done.

Today, I wake

before the sun, again,

and in the dark

reach out for her.

There, beneath

the tangled bedclothes,

I find my garden

growing slow,

still wet with dew.

Jesse Doiron

Moon Magic

I see the moon in

my cup this morning.

All is quiet when

the moment begins.

The ocean waves when

the moment begins.

What can I do to

save the magic world?

Nat Doiron

Paper Haiku

When paper piles so

high it dwarfs hope, I curse trees

who cannot escape.

Andy Coughlan

easy womanShe’s an easy womanEasy to be aroundbewitchingentrancingmusky

an easy intrusion of presence,With the power of Shethe lingering presence whostays because she likes it here,and she stays and she playsand she weaves herself

into the fabric of us.

She’s an easy womanenchantingbeguilingsensuous

A place I’m afraid to go, Sherekindles my passions with her

Knowing, innocent, gray eyes, andgracious ease

But she’s an easy womanthe fears easily disappear

So you wake up one day notremembering and

She’s moved inaneverlastingeasypartofthewhole

Cathy Atkinson


Mission StatementFounded in 1983, The Art Studio, Inc. is

devoted to: providing opportunities for interac-tion between the public and the Southeast Texascommunity of artists; furnishing affordable stu-dio space to originating artists of every medium;promoting cultural growth and diversity of all artforms in Southeast Texas; and providing art edu-cational opportunities to everyone, of every age,regardless of income level, race, national origin,sex or religion.

PURPOSE

The purpose of The Art Studio, Inc. is to (1)provide educational opportunities between thegeneral public and the community of artists and(2) to offer sustained support for the artist byoperating a non-profit cooperative to providestudio space and exhibition space to workingartists and crafts people, and to provide an areafor group work sessions for those artists andcrafts people to jointly offer their labor, ideas,and enthusiasm to each other.

GOALS

1. To present public exhibitions2. To provide educational opportunities3. To provide accessible equipment

for artists4. To provide peer feedback through associa-

tion with other artists and crafts people

OBJECTIVES

1. To present 10 art exhibitions per year2. To maintain equipment for artists in a

safe working environment3. To provide better access to artists for the

public4. To offer regularly scheduled adult and

children’s classes5. To develop and maintain public activities

with all sectors of the community6. To develop and maintain equipment to aid

artists in their work7. To provide a display retail outlet for artists8. To expand programming and activities with

increased facility space

“CHANGE BY DESIGN” OFFERS a broad visionfor the future of design thinking. TimBrown defines “design thinking” as a com-pelling way to think creatively and to solveproblems. It is a fundamental process toinnovation, not only to be used by design-ers but by a wide range of professionals toacquire new alternatives for bettering theirbusiness or society as a whole.

Brown mentions that the MFA is the new MBA, thatdesign thinking is the way to create products that work, andhe gives a perception of how to successfully build the mar-keting of the product.

He begins by explaining the design thinking processand its major themes. As creative engines, we need to firststart by playing with ideas, brainstorming. We loosen ourcreative consciousness to start with a gestural idea. Forinstance, in drawing we are taught to start very loosely witha gestural drawing that takes only seconds or a few briefminutes. Then, once the general layout is found and decidedwithin the composition, we begin to hone in on those deci-sions. We decide what qualities and characters of the origi-nal are correct, and work and which of those do not. Then aswe are making these decisions our drawing develops thor-oughly. Brown’s strategy of organized playfulness allows thecreator to loosen up and use more of an organic thoughtprocess before thinking scientifically or mathematicallyabout a problem.

Storytelling helps us to come together as a group, andbuild on a scenario or situation to determine how productswill work and what the outcome may be.

Prototyping helpsdesigners manufacture asimple object that may repre-sent the product to exploreits capabilities and ease com-munication between design-er, user, and even consumer.They are able to communi-cate how the product mightwork, its applications, andwhat is the idea’s strengthsand weaknesses, by usingoffi ce supplies to communi-cate as quickly as possible.The faster these ideas arecommunicated — which arewrong and what needsimprovement — the faster designers can move onto a betterproduct. This all comes together and ends in workshopswhich helps implement these tools.

Brown connects design thinking to graphic design byshowing generic relationships and examples from the graph-ic design world. This book is reassuring for young designersto keep their academic and experimental thinking processes,and to build upon them in their career.

“Change By Design” explains that the innovations hap-pening today are more from creative engines who studyimmediate, everyday challenges, and from those who usethe creative process of design thinking to formulate newideas and improve those ideas rigorously — not only bydesigners but those of the non-design world as well.

ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS, A CAREER as adesigner, the memories made throughoutlife and, most importantly, the sense ofwonder that humans are able to experi-ence — these are the inspirations behind“I Wonder,” by Marian Bantjes. The book was first conceived as a com-

pilation of essays. The end result still con-tains a variety of essays, but it is more like

a journey through Bantjes’ mind. The way she uses artworkand typography expresses her ideas and her feelings ofwonder, to create a work that bridges the line between fineart and design.

The book starts out by introducing the reason shewrote the book, and then highlights the different ways won-der has influenced humans. She pushes readers to thinkoutside of the box and realize that, when we ask questions,we find meaning in life, even if we do not find answers tothe question.

The chapters explore different topics, including the dif-ferent types of stars beyond the simple five-point star. Shealso questions heraldry, and asks what the world would belike if we applied the same process used to create a coat ofarms to designing corporate logos.

She dis-sects each topicand looks atthem from dif-ferent perspec-tives. She allowsthe reader tosee how hermind works,and how newideas are creat-ed. The visualsare created specifically go with the text and are inseparablefrom the text. They provide further insight into how hermind works.

The book is a personal memoir, or a journey throughBantjes’ mind. The artistic images merge with the personalthoughts to create a book that breaks the boundaries of nor-mal graphic design.

The book is a good read for both the designer and non-designer. Although it covers topics specific to the area ofgraphic design, Bantjes’ style invites the non-designer. Herfeelings of wonder can be implemented into any topic andlead to new ideas.

Review byThomas

Lee Harris Jr.

Review byRachel

Binagia

‘Change By Design’ offers broad vision

‘I Wonder’ part textbook, part autobiography


WE WANT YOU FOR BAND NITE

Hear original music by local musicians at

$5 admission All ages welcome • 21 and up BYOB and have your ID.

For upcoming gigs, visit the studio’s facebook page

VOLUNTEERS NEEDEDThe Art Studio is looking for energetic people

who have a few hours a month to help us in the following areas:

OFFICE SUPPORTBUILDINGS & GROUNDS

SPECIAL EVENTS • MAILOUTSIf you are interested in one or more of these opportunities or if you

know of anyone who might be, give us a call at 409-838-5393

bility. Our ramp, located in back of the building has beenblocked by our neighbors’ fence across Trinity Street forsome time. To resolve this problem we propose a lift thatcan handle either a wheel chair or an ambulatory individ-ual at the front entrance.

We still need storage space for our supplies and mate-rial (we have more than you think). Shipping containerswould be the perfect solution and the cheapest, especiallyif someone can get a couple of them for us. An extendedback porch is planned for rough storage and metal works,fabrication and clay mixing. Few of these projects havefinancial backing yet, but they are imperative if we are toadvance our capabilities as an organization and continue togrow our facility, rather than live without certain disci-plines because of natural disasters.

Look for more news about what’s happening at TheStudio, more people are coming in, spaces are full and art-work is selling. We are seeing the first big resurgence ofinterest in classes since before Hurricane Rita.

The Great Recession is seemingly receding, and thatis good news for the arts.

We are thrilled to see so many new faces at our events.We hope you enjoy them and we hope you return for otheractivities. The Art Studio is the only self-supporting inde-pendent arts organization in the region that is assisted byits members and its own resources, and receives grantsonly to enhance an already successful program.

Your gifts and donations are greatly appreciated.

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VVoolluunntteeeerrssThese people are the life blood of our organization.WE COULDN’T DO ITWITHOUT YOU!To volunteer, drop byThe Art Studio, Inc., or call 409-838-5393.

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