"In Plain Sight was born out of curiosity and necessity. While there has been no shortage of opportunities to see paintings created by Houston artists, the opportunity to consider a large group of such work in a single exhibition has been missing." - Aaron Parazette
In Plain Sight, organized by Houston-based and McClain Gallery artist Aaron Parazette, features selected works by 40 exceptional painters currently working in Houston. While no group show can be considered an exhaustive survey, this thoughtful presentation speaks to work that confirms the status of painting as alive and well, versus the oft-cited proclamation "painting is dead."
Highlighting an array of styles, genres, and media ranging from well-established artists to up-and-coming painters, Parazette aims to encourage a much-needed discourse between the diverse painting practices occurring in Houston. Mark Flood's tattered lace paintings, Francesca Fuchs quietly compelling canvases, Christian Eckart's provocative meditations on art itself, and Susie Rosmarin's graphically powerful optical illusions will be featured in the exhibition. Brian Portman's expressive, painterly works, Seth Alverson's haunting transformations and Marcelyn McNeil's large-scale bold, geometric works, among others will lend themselves to the potent dialogue that Parazette intends to stimulate with such a curatorial project. A catalogue will be available, featuring an introduction by Aaron Parazette and an essay written by Frances Colpitt.
An artists' reception, open to the public, will take place on September 8, 5 - 8 PM. Small bites will be provided by H-town StrEATs. The exhibition will be on view September 8 - October 20, 2012 and also marks the inaugural installation in McClain's West Gallery space (formerly Sicardi Gallery).
McClain Gallery would like to extend special thanks to the participating artists and galleries: Anya Tish Gallery, Art Palace, Darke Gallery, d.m. allison art, Gallery Sonja Roesch, Inman Gallery, McMurtrey Gallery, Meredith Long & Company, Moody Gallery, Texas Gallery, and Zach Feuer Gallery.
About Aaron Parazette:
Born in 1960, Aaron Parazette grew up in Southern California, where he developed his lifelong passion for surfing. After graduating from Claremont Graduate School of Painting, Claremont, CA, in 1990, he accepted a residency at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston CORE Fellowship program and has been an active member of Houston's art scene since. Parazette has exhibited at the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and more recently, the Dallas Contemporary mounted a solo exhibition of his work in 2011. He is the recipient of a 2004 Artadia Fund for Art and Design, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in 1994, and was recently announced as the 2012 Texas Artist of the Year by Art League Houston. Parazette is an Associate Professor at University of Houston and is represented by McClain Gallery, Houston; Talley Dunn Gallery, Dallas; and Gregory Lind Gallery, San Francisco.
About Frances Colpitt:
Frances Colpitt is a curator, critic and art historian based in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. She is widely published and is a corresponding editor for Art in America. Her major publications include Minimal Art: The Critical Perspective (University of Washington Press, 1993), Abstract Art in the Late Twentieth Century (Cambridge University Press, 2002), and Vernon Fisher (University of Texas Press, 2010). Colpitt has organized numerous contemporary art exhibitions at Fort Worth Contemporary Arts, Texas Christian University (TCU); ArtPace, San Antonio; Phoenix Art Museum; and the University of Texas at San Antonio Art Gallery; among others. She earned both a B.F.A. and M.A. from the University of Tulsa and her Ph.D. in Art History from the University of Southern California. Colpitt is the Deedie Potter Rose Chair of Art History at the TCU School of Art in Fort Worth, Texas.