Installation View - John Pomara at
Barry Whistler Gallery
ModernDallas.net repost
This time of year, you are bound to read list upon list of top 10’s, best of 2012, and other types of
yearlong reflections that attempt to distill some highlights the writer observed over the year. Well,
I would like to say I am different, but this is my first full year writing for moderndallas.net and we all
have a lot to reflect upon. Like the show that just came down at Tully and Dunn Gallery, David Bates
captivates me still with his deceptively complex paintings. My two year old loved the owl sculptures,
and who wouldn’t. These Picasso like structures were informal, playful objects that played the role
of something creepy and foreboding.
500X maybe an old art collective, but with their constant rotation of active member artists keep
the place fresh with happenings. I admire their handling of the curated and juried shows. 500X
seems to be Dallas’ laboratory for artists to experiment and take risks. I might have mentioned
Benjamin Terry once or twice this year. Well, he has his MFA show upstairs, and in my opinion
it is a great place to have your thesis show. Back in 2010 my work looked great up there too.
Artists like Bernardo Cantu, Timothy Harding, Nate Glaspie, and Laura Doughtie; among others,
make the place a joy to visit on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
Cris Worley’s new space must be a dream come true for her, and with so much more space,
comes bigger shows for her artists. Don’t get me wrong, the old space was nice an intimate,
but Worley and her artists were bound to outgrow it. I enjoyed the works by William Cannings,
but I am truly looking forward to her 2013 shows. Barry Whistler Gallery’s expansion a while
back, allowed for an epic show of John Pomara’s digital disintegration artworks.
The MAC has a great deal of variety in their exhibitions, but I was quite taken by the home-less-
bound group show, lead by the works of Robert Mateo Diago. The show was strong on social
commentary, without being preachy or arbitrarily confrontational. But you have to travel to
Fort Worth to see Brand 10 Art Space, for consistently blockbuster type shows. The mix of artists
in each show I have seen is inspired. A real dialog occurs between the artworks that not all
curators can accomplish. The Tim, Titus, Tom, and Cameron show was one where you would
kick yourself if you missed it.
Traveling around to the colleges and community colleges to see shows has been a worthwhile
experience. The Gallery at UTA had a great show on painting, titled “The Medium is the Message.”
Richland College has stretched their exhibition space outside the gallery, complementing their
shows in the traditional space.
Looking at art for ModernDallas.net this year has been a great opportunity. I have traveled to
places and seen more work in 2012 than I thought one person could possibly manage, but with
careful planning and a few suggestions from the community; it has been a really positive
experience. One I hope to repeat next year.
ModernDallas.net for more images