Dynamic Group Show at Blaffer Demonstrates Anxiety, Desire, Resilience — and Diversity

Dynamic Group Show at Blaffer Demonstrates Anxiety, Desire, Resilience — and Diversity

Michael Ray Charles

AFTER NEARLY A year without gallery openings and with museum programs gone virtual, it feels encouraging to be back in close proximity to the local arts community, relatively speaking. Fifteen Houston-based artists — many of whom share the same social circle in "normal" times — are brought together again in Carriers: The Body as a Site of Danger and Desire at Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston, on view through March 14. The featured works demonstrate how each artist examines the role of the body and its connectivity to the circumstances of a global pandemic, longing for contact during isolation, as well as the resurfacing of racial tension across the US.


The exhibited artists work in a variety of mediums, from painting to film. There are beautifully rendered paintings on plaster by Lovie Olivia, figurative mixed-media works by Preetika Rajgariah, provocative photography by j.bilhan and large-scale video installations by both Francis Almendárez and Ryan Hawk.

'Forever Free #6' by Michael Ray Charles

There is also a glitter-glue fantasy courtesy of Jasmine Zelaya, whose solo presentation at Project Row Houses will resume upon its imminent reopening. And a particularly compelling work by Viollete Bule, "This is Not Gold," is composed of bars of Hispano soap stacked like gold bricks, speaking to the obsession with cleanliness brought on by the pandemic. The sculpture emits a fragrance visitors can smell from a distance, even with a mask on, and will likely evoke nostalgia for many Spanish-speaking viewers.

Most notably, the exhibition, organized by Tyler Blackwell and Steven Matijcio, includes multiple works by the pioneering painter Michael Ray Charles, who questions the racial stereotypes cultivated throughout the course of American history in his art. Charles graduated with an MFA from UH in 1993, returning in 2014 to become the Hugh Roy and Lillie Franz Cullen Distinguished Professor of Painting. In 1997, Blaffer organized the first major survey of his work, an exhibition that traveled to The Austin Contemporary and Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati.

'Hunting' by Gerardo Rosales

It's no surprise that many of the black and brown artists featured in Carriers are not often seen in Houston's woefully under-representative commercial gallery world. It is uncanny that the immense diversity of this metropolis is not always reflected in this microcosm. But with Blaffer providing artists of color increased visibility while driving empathy for many marginalized groups of artists and viewers alike, Carriers should lead to a reexamination of gallery-exhibition possibilities. Even our rarified art world could use some democratizing.

Art + Entertainment
Pelican Builders Welcome Residents To First New Upper Kirby Condo Offering In Years;
Boutique Midrise Adds To Pedestrian Appeal Of Sought-After, Inner Loop Neighborhood

WITH ITS INAUGURAL set of residents newly moved in, Pelican Builders’ mid-rise condominium Westmore at 2323 W Main Street in Upper Kirby is already seeing the blossoming of a tight-knit community. Designed by Houston-based Mirador Group the Westmore is the first new condominium product to be introduced to the in-demand, inner loop neighborhood in more than three years. And with remaining two-bedroom homes starting at $895,000, it’s a remarkable value for this increasingly pricey area, where condos can easily climb to several million dollars and more.

Keep Reading Show less
Home + Real Estate

Julie Kent, Lauren Anderson, Stanton Welch

AN ELEGANT DINNER on the Wortham stage for dance patrons followed the opening night performance of the Houston Ballet over the weekend, a glittering first foray into what’s shaping up to be a typically busy fall social season.

Keep Reading Show less

HEAR YE, HEAR ye! The Texas Renaissance Festival has announced its plans for its 50th anniversary season, which opens on Oct. 12 and is preceded by a series of exciting events of magic and merriment.

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment