A R T   L E T T E R

The Timely Magazine of Art

Evidence at Inman Gallery	5/20

The ghost vase at the bottom of Sydney Yeager's Reach is the giveaway,
making it into a romantic still life about crusty plaster walls, the same
effect used on the facade of Baci, the new Italian restaurant on University
Blvd.  Michael Miller's stripes and stencils create a layered space without
interacting much, like a dropcloth used to spray-paint a series of
interesting objects, without being interesting itself.  David McGee's Hero
with Vices: Nobility Within the Negro Opera presents cliche symbols of the
"artist's life" which seem autobiographical. The streaky backgound is
overwrought:  it is , like the floating objects, a trite symbol standing in for
genuine feeling, complete with a splash of metaphoric blood in the upper
left. Perry House's The Mirror tries to express some real ideas, but fails to
get these ideas across clearly, leaving only an inarticulate sadness. The
shield shape becomes a faceless face framed by clunkyily painted curly
hair, but is unable to articulate the creepy surrealist space all by
itself.-B.D.



Abstraction from Two Coasts, Part II at Lawing Gallery	5/20

Roger Herman's untitled streamer painting is a fiesta of paint application
and its large scale gives it a physical presence which takes it beyond
decoration. John Millei's abstraction has an endearing, fuzzy, teddy bear
quality. The interplay between the painted lines and real gaps in
Jackqueline Humphries grid piece is interesting for 10 seconds. David
Reed's supercharged giant brushstrokes are just slick.-B.D.



Structures at Lawndale	6/3

Nice wood. Nice smell. What a shame to cut up a perfectly good canoe. 
Sensitive use of materials, ambitious scale and technical facility mask
coceptual poverty. The drawings in the small room are wretched, showing
only the thoughts behind the works without the materials to cover them up.
Troy Woods  Line is best, its simplicity lets the boards speak for
themselves. Too much work for too little payoff.-B.D.



O: A House Installation at 707 Lester St.    Sat.and Sun. May 6&7only!

The pinhole camera effect which projects the outside trees onto the
interior walls is truly impressive.  The space feels like a fun house, a
planetarium, and a stage set for witches--I hope it isn't meant to be
"ritualistic".  Admirably restrained. -Delfina



Address letters to: Bill Davenport, 801 Tulane St., Houston TX 77007

Subscriptions $25/year. Look for Artletter 5 on May 15