art

Peep These Mesmerizing Commissions by One of Houston’s Favorite Artists

A detail of 'Cycle' (Photos courtesy Barbara Davis Gallery)

NEWS OF RECENT commissions by Houston artist Paul Fleming led us to several photos of his eye-catching, large-scale wall installations, many of which are installed in the sunlit interiors of some of the city’s most beautiful homes and apartment communities, including the resident lounge of The Southmore, located just a few blocks from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

While Fleming’s Houston representative Barbara Davis Gallery describes his work as “process driven,” the results are far more engaging and attractive than most art described in such terms. It’s easy to see why such superstar interior designers like Houston’s own Lucinda Loya are so enamored with his work.

A Fleming installation is a carefully composed collection of dozens of small circles, rectangles, and other simple shapes, each cast in hydrocal and translucent layers of pigmented resin varying in size, depth, and opacity. These small — sometimes very small — crystalline-like stones may be arranged formally, in concentric circles or grid-like lines, but more often are positioned to resemble the rhythmic pattern of a flock of birds seen at a distance or the temporal nature of Houston’s everchanging dramatic cloudscapes. The installations seem to ripple and swell, activating the space within the room while playing with the viewer’s ocular perception.

Paul Fleming lives and works in Houston, Texas, and is featured among 62 artists in Catherine Anspon’s 2010 limited-edition book Texas Artists Today. His solo exhibitions include shows at Barbara Davis Gallery and Lawndale Art Center. Fleming’s group exhibitions include Sergio Tossi Arte Contemporanea, Florence, Italy; AR Contemporary, Milan, Italy; The Art League Houston, Texas; University of Houston, Houston, Texas and the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design.