A R T   L E T T E R

The Timely Magazine of Art

Cy Twombly at the Menil Collection                                         ends 3/19

The early abstract expressionist works (in the hallway) are surprisingly
impressive. Best works are in the first and second rooms: the transition
from writing to drawing to painting is seamless and unforced. The
chalkboard paintings (in room 3) have their fans, too. The new Twombly
Gallery was a dim cavern on the dark, overcast day that I went, and looks
like the featureless telephone switching station at Heights Blvd. and 8th st.
The cloth ceiling was interesting. Beware the infamous "green room".-B.D.



George Condo at the CAM                                                                 4/23

After all of the art historical points are made, are these good paintings?
The  cubo-surrealist style works hold up, perhaps because these more
intellectual styles coincide with Condo's own analytical leanings, but a bad
copy of a DeKooning is still bad when butted together with some other
stuff.-B.D.



Elvis and Marilyn: 2X Immortal at the CAM	3/26

A grab bag of Elvis and Marilyn imagery, mostly superficial and campy (as
expected). Andy Warhol's 1967 Four Marilyns still seems the clearest
evocation of how personality can be a commodity. The only piece which
enlarged my understanding of the Elvis phenomenon was Rena La Caria's
sincere, pornographic Elvis the King.-B.D.



Elvis and Marilyn: 2X Immortal at the CAM	3/26

Sharon Kopriva's piece in Elvis and Marilyn is both unimaginative and
reprehensibly bad. I must give her credit for coming up with the most
amateurish piece in a dull and uninventive exhibit. Her attempt at
crucifying Elvis has no more depth than a religious gift store trinket with a
gnarly muppet charm. A muppet dipped in shellac.-J.P.S.



Barnabas Strickland at the Art League	3/31

Four carved(?) marble panels with images of cars. I looked twice to see if
he actually carved them by hand, and I think he did.  An interesting, funny
idea unnecessarily encumbered with gadgetry. Don't read the artist's
statement about what these panels are supposed to be doing.-B.D.



Look for Artletter #2 on April 1



Address correspondence to:

            Bill Davenport, 801 Tulane St., Houston, TX 77007