THE HOUSE OF CHIN
I'm visiting Perry Web,MarkFlood and Jon Peters here in Houston.It was kind of an after thought to swing in here but I'm glad I did. My art career mirrors these three guys. I met them years ago in the EV when we were all working with thrift store paintings and rock bands. I've never been to Houston so the bunch of us pile in the pick up truck and hit the streets. It's nondescript little taco stands and gas stations for blocks.Perry is driving.As we come up on a plain concrete garage he asks if I want to see a Mel Chin show. For those of you that don't know Mel's work go google him now. I'll wait.
As you can see TX native Master Chin is not your run of the mill cowboy scene painter. I've been on the road for two weeks and over 2000miles and this is the first time I've reentered the sacred space of the "ARTWORLD". The show kicks ass. There's a delicate turtle shell made from French lace undies, a saddle of barbed wire, an ebony table with one cow hoof....and that just scratches the surface. I know Mel from NYC but must confess I didn't know his work that well. The most amazing little piece is an erased dollar bill with nothing but George Washington's eye left intact, staring out at the viewer.
To find this show on a back street of Houston makes the whole experience that much sweeter. I usually avoid galleries and museums like the plague. But this gives me fath that I can drop into that world from time to time and see and listen to a language so beautiful and concise it can only be spoken in this context. It's rarefied, but in Mel's case also speaks to the masses.My three hosts are asleep in the other room. Mexico is looming to the south and I've started reading Don Quioxte,lent to me by Greg. I cinch my helmet, scrape the rust from my armor, gird my loins and grab my lance. That looks like a windmill up ahead.
As you can see TX native Master Chin is not your run of the mill cowboy scene painter. I've been on the road for two weeks and over 2000miles and this is the first time I've reentered the sacred space of the "ARTWORLD". The show kicks ass. There's a delicate turtle shell made from French lace undies, a saddle of barbed wire, an ebony table with one cow hoof....and that just scratches the surface. I know Mel from NYC but must confess I didn't know his work that well. The most amazing little piece is an erased dollar bill with nothing but George Washington's eye left intact, staring out at the viewer.
To find this show on a back street of Houston makes the whole experience that much sweeter. I usually avoid galleries and museums like the plague. But this gives me fath that I can drop into that world from time to time and see and listen to a language so beautiful and concise it can only be spoken in this context. It's rarefied, but in Mel's case also speaks to the masses.My three hosts are asleep in the other room. Mexico is looming to the south and I've started reading Don Quioxte,lent to me by Greg. I cinch my helmet, scrape the rust from my armor, gird my loins and grab my lance. That looks like a windmill up ahead.
posted by mike osterhout at 10:23 AM
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