Emerging Texan artists present a different view

November 3, 9:50 PMHouston Art ExaminerAlexandra Gaisbauer

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Courtesy of the artist, Zeque Peña

How do you look at an object with fresh eyes?  Is it even possible to momentarily let go of all preconceived notions associated with a particular object?  And if you did manage to set aside such ingrained concepts, would you then behold a typically mundane object in such admiration it were as if laying eyes on it for the first time?  Have you ever had such an eye-opening experience?

In some ways, photography may elicit such an awakening.  Photographic images have the power to invade our minds in the most profound ways. They can haunt or enlighten. Make you cry or laugh. But more importantly, the world of photography revives the dullness of everyday things, transforming a banal entity or an overused concept into something extraordinary. What I would give to look at a spoon with the kind of fascination a child displays…

Admiring a wall of photographs or paintings requires observing such works of art with the same innocence and freshness a child conveys. The audience is encouraged to open their mind, forget about connotations and biases, forget about what should or should not be.  If there is one thing photography can teach us, it is to let go of ourselves from time to time and to experience, even if for a mere moment, another’s view.

Non-profit organizations FotoFest and Houston Center for Photography have joined hands to present an exhibition of 15 emerging artists from 11 Texas cities, entitled Viewfinder: Images by Texas artists. Opening receptions will be held at both venues, Thursday November 6 and Friday November 7, respectively. Two artist talks have been scheduled along with a walk and talk of the exhibition by co-curators Risa Puleo and Arturo Palacios.

Non-profits are the new hang out.  Come enjoy a glass of wine or apple juice with your visual arts!