LOCAL Houston | The City Guide January 2018 | Page 21

THIS MONTH’S
TOP EXHIBITS
Presented by
1. The Glamour and Romance of Oscar de la Renta
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston | Through January 28
Glamour! Romance! And lots and lots of beadwork. Here‘s the deal: Oscar de la Renta will never be
numbered among the most avant garde of fashion designers. When you‘re known for dressing First
Ladies, there's a reason for that. But who cares? We didn't come to this party for Rei Kawakubo or
John Galliano. We came to wallow in unspeakable luxury, and this show delivers that in spades. Up
close, the exquisite craftsmanship of haute couture is mouthwatering. Aside from the dresses, the MFAH
did a nice job of pairing OdlR looks with furniture from its design holdings, for a little Orientalism here,
a touch of Louis-the-Who there. Nothing not to love.
www.mfah.org
Glasstire is the source for visual art in Texas. Our weekly Top 5 video
rounds up the best art events in the state. Find us on Facebook or
the web for events, news, reviews and more! www.glasstire.com
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2. For Hire: Contemporary Sign Painting in America
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft | Through January 7
If you're looking for a sweet old-fangled sign about fresh peaches for sale, skip this show and go
straight to Hobby Lobby for something made in China. These are hand-lettered signs made by people
who are passionate about their craft -- a craft that looked like it was on life support a decade ago, but
which has undergone a renaissance in recent years. The return of hand-lettered signs is a fight against
what HCCC calls the "creeping sameness" of the computer-generated graphic design that surrounds
us. Highlights of this show include works by Mystic Blue Signs out of New Orleans and Black Rabbit
Studio, from Syracuse, NY. Really, not to be missed.
www.crafthouston.org
3. A Faux-Food Affaire: Ceramics by Henri Gadbois
William Reaves | Sarah Foltz Fine Art | Through January 13
If you‘re sick and tired of being pressured into consuming the sweets that accompany the holiday
season, you just might be in luck — Texas artist Henri Gadbois‘ exhibition at William Reaves | Sarah
Foltz Fine Art features all the holiday treats and none of the calories! The hyperrealistic pieces, which
are made of painted ceramics, depict all of your holiday favorites: fruitcake, chocolates and cookies.
They‘ll never spoil and look good enough to eat. What‘s not to like?
www.rea vesart.com
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4. Routinely
BOX 13 ArtSpace | Through January 13
Featuring works by three emerging artists who attended UT Austin, Routinely includes installations,
prints and works on paper that address the household objects we surround ourselves with. Sarah
Ott‘s drawings reinterpret all-too-familiar vignettes: in one piece, a sweater is haphazardly scattered
across a wooden floor and a mattress corner protrudes from the piece‘s edge. Though Erin Miller‘s
screenprints also offer familiar scenes, her pieces are filtered through benday dots in a way recalling
Roy Lichtenstein's still lifes. Kendall Bradley's works are more abstract, exploring her memories and
how she fits into the world both as a visitor and resident. The three artists‘ first show in Houston is a
promising one; we'll keep an eye out to see what they will do next.
www.box13artspace.com
5. Jeremy DePrez: Mindfold
Texas Gallery | Through January 13, 2018
From smashed forms mimicking crumpled up aluminum foil to op art-inspired and eye pleasing paint-
ings, Jeremy DePrez‘s exhibition at Texas Gallery is a continuation of the artist's highlighting of microcos-
mic moments from daily life. It‘s easy to get lost in the large-scale paintings as pattern or color studies,
but the longer you look, the more cues you pick up: black and white lines mimic that of a pinstriped
shirt, the rippling antithetical colors of a horizontal piece reveal themselves as folds in a blanket, and a
self-portrait brings the artist himself permanently into the gallery. Don‘t be intimidated by the size of the
paintings in the exhibition — step right up and let them envelop you.
www.texgal.com
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1 . 2018 | L O C A L
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