May7–June 12, 2010
Opening Reception Friday, May 7, 2010 from 6:30–8:30 PM
Artist Talks at 6 PM
Lawndale Artist Studio Program Exhibition | Dawn Black, Nick Meriwether & David Waddell
John M. O’Quinn Gallery
The Lawndale Artist Studio Program is part of Lawndale’s ongoing commitment to support the creation of contemporary art by Gulf Coast area artists. With an emphasis on emerging practices, the program provides three artists with studio space on the third floor of the Lawndale Art Center at 4912 Main Street in the heart of Houston’s Museum District. This exhibition features residents for the fourth year of the Lawndale Artist Studio Program, Dawn Black, Nick Meriwether and David Waddell.
Dawn Black’s drawings question the nuances of identity politics by depicting scenes of meticulously drawn (in gouache, watercolor, and ink) figures that have been culled from the Internet and various periodicals. The practice of masquerade, especially its role in relation to identity and sociology inform how Black groups her figures. The intrinsic narratives created by the figure’s groupings are intended to be layered and ambiguous, thus allowing the viewer to seriously consider the relationships depicted. While a resident at Lawndale, Black has been working on a series of works that examine atrocities of war and how society views these heinous acts.
Nick Meriwether presents a collection of work created while in residency at Lawndale. This new work spans a variety of themes and mediums. While in residence, Meriwether focused heavily on experimentation. Circuits and motors were valued as equal to the paintbrush. The result is a cloud of ideas expressed through sculptural forms such as unaccommodating robotics, shotgun blasts, spray paint and truck hitch testicles among other surprises.
David Waddell presents his expanding world of creatures through new iPod pieces, wall drawings and collaged specimen studies. Waddell extracts components from printed material in our popular culture. Images are regenerated and brought to life through digital means. These cultural creatures camouflage into our modern landscape and mechanically perform human actions and natural deeds.
