Dennis Hollingsworth

Aaron Parazette: IN PLAIN SIGHT

In the same week that my dear old friend Aaron Parazette was celebrated as the Artist of the Year in Houston, he had mounted a group show of Houston painters in his gallery there, McClain Gallery. Titled In Plain Sight, Aaron wrote about his intentions in his forward to the catalog, a snip:

The exhibition is non-thematic and multi-generational by design, with the work selected to represent a full range of painting being made in Houston. The show is also intentionally focused on conventional painting -- wall mounted supports upon which the primary actions invovle paint applied with a range of tools. I chose this parameter for a number of reasons. Beyond my own personal interest in painting, the most important reason is the sheer number of artists working in this way, in both Houston and beyond. While the means of contemporary art practice are amazingly plural, conventional painting continues to be one of the most dominant modes. Painting therefore seemed an obvious and interesting choice for a small survey that could be mounted in a conventional gallery. Further, in my view, something very particular often happens when an artist interacts with paint and his/her chosen tools. It would be foolish to attempt to define this particularity, as it is ultimately unique for each artist and each painting. Nonetheless, I believe that it does indeed exist. It is born of the quality that makes the act of crating a painting so alluring and powerful. As I write this, I feel Imight be making a quasi-religious proclamation. Perhaps I am.

Frances Colpitt wrote the essay for the catalog, titled: "Life After the Death of Painting".

Posted by Dennis at November 28, 2012 6:56 PM