VISIT US IN NEW YORK!
KAC has boots on the ground in the big apple! Bet you didn’t know that our very own, Kimberly Landa has been operating in New York for almost two years covering projects for Kinzelman Art Consulting? We thought it would be fun to catch up with her about officing in the city, navigating NY during COVID and how she’s managing to access incredible art for our clients.
Kimberly @ Perrotin Gallery Gift Shop
Q&A:
Q: You relocated to NYC prior to the pandemic, how has your experience in the city changed during this time and how do you manage to keep work going?
A: Watching the pandemic work its way through the city was a wild experience. Witnessing nightly 7pm applause, a dead empty Broadway Street, protests and riots, then boarded up windows covered in fresh street art made me appreciate the resilience of New Yorkers. Despite the circumstances, it was cool to experience the city in a different, quieter way without the buzz of my busy schedule. Now it feels like NY is getting its groove back, and as hard as some days were, I think I’ve earned some street cred by toughing out the majority of 2020 here!
The key to my tiny apartment-office lifestyle is spending as much time as possible outside, even if it’s for 10 minutes to drink my coffee or between calls. Also, infusing life into my space with my tiny art collection makes my “home office” way more bearable. Lastly, I make a conscious effort to move around my apartment frequently to change it up. Big things happen for KAC when I move from my kitchen table to the couch!
Bloomingdales windows mid-pandemic
Q: Now that galleries and museums are slowly opening, accessing art exhibitions first hand must be a welcome respite. How are you feeling about seeing art in person again after being separated from the gallery scene for so long?
A: I swear I didn't feel human again until I reentered The Whitney last month! Previously, my weeks were packed with openings and gallery appointments. There was never a dull moment and my mental art inventory and iPhone camera roll were always growing at an exponential rate. When the world screeched to a halt in March it was definitely a transition.
I recently attended Tribeca art night and saw a handful of shows in Chelsea. Now I’m far less concerned with my schedule, and spend more time engaging in conversation and really being present with the work. I used to try to pack it all in, and now I am okay with seeing less in a day but having a more meaningful experience. It's hard to top the convenience of speed dating with artwork via online viewing rooms in my slippers, but I really missed the human element, and the irreplaceable experience of stepping into a bright airy gallery and having an instinctual first reaction to a show.
Kimberly at Alex Dodge exhibition at Klaus Gallery, LES
Q: How has living in NY shaped the way you service our projects?
A: I like to say I used to have a long distance relationship with the NY art scene, and now I do with our Texas-based clients. Aside from the obvious answer that I live in the center of endless art opportunities for our projects, moving here pre-pandemic definitely gave me a jump start to working remotely and relying on technology and zoom to manage projects, a way of working we didn’t know would soon be universal!
Q: Can you describe a project that has directly benefitted from you being in NY?
A: Recently, a client of ours had trouble deciding between two artworks that were at a show in Chelsea. It was so convenient (and fun) to have the luxury of hopping over to the gallery in minute's notice to study them further and help our client make a final call. I sent videos in the space to our client so she could understand the scale and texture better, then we had a discussion while I was at the show to make a quick decision based on my first hand experience with both artworks. A decision that can take numerous phone calls and email exchanges was made in just a few minutes, and enriched my work day! We also have a handful of clients with global collections, which result in much easier management of the the New York collections now that I am here and ready to go when something comes up.
Film Forum in Chelsea, mid-pandemic
Q: Got any funny or peculiar stories about life in NY?
A: There are so many I could truly write a book. I tend to be a magnet for peculiar stories, which is only amplified living in the ultimate city of unpredictability. Most recently, I had to hire a “couch surgeon” in order to fit my beloved pink couch into my new apartment because the entrance to my building was too narrow. I drove his car around so he could avoid parking expenses while he deconstructed my poor couch on the sidewalk to it’s bare bones, and completely rebuilt it inside of my living room within an hour. I've since learned that couch surgeons are not uncommon here.
The real kicker was the close proximity of my building entrance to the neighboring, very nice restaurant. I’m sure it really glorified the NYC outdoor dining experience to enjoy a lovely sushi meal alongside an invasive couch surgery!
Kimbelry at Donald Judd show, MoMa
Earlier this month, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston shared exciting redevelopment plans with the community, including a brand new modern and contemporary art building and impressive additions to the institution’s permanent collection. In the upcoming years, the museum’s 14-acre campus will become home to seven major site-specific commissions by internationally recognized artists El Anatsui, Byung Hoon Choi, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Olafur Eliasson, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Cristina Iglesias and Ai Weiwei. Kinzelman Art is honored to have collaborated with two of these distinguished, globally recognized artists, and are thrilled to know that the Houston community will soon be enriched further through their works that will be featured at the MFAH.
KAC x EL ANATSUI
El Anatsui's site-specific commission in the Energy Corridor, Houston, TX
In 2007, Julie Kinzelman worked with Nigerian artist El Anatsui to complete his very first site-specific commission in the United States. Stretching 27 feet high, the impressively scaled sculpture is constructed of thousands of folded and crumpled bottle tops bound together. The piece was specifically designed for our client, a multinational energy corporation headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Anatsui alongside his artwork during a visit to Houston.
Anatsui is now internationally recognized for his alluring assemblages of found, recycled materials that ultimately transform the environment for which they hang. His work is a direct representation of his African roots, while also referencing the environment, mass consumption and waste.
KAC x OLAFUR ELIASSON
In 2016, Kinzelman Art kicked off a three year project working closely with Berlin-based artist Olafur Eliasson. In tandem with his esteemed studio of engineers and architects, Eliasson created a two-part, site-specific sculpture for Texas A&M’s new Zachry Engineering Education Complex. Eliasson’s concept for the commission was to invite viewers to consider mathematically how a cube can transform into a sphere.
Olafur Eliasson's site-specific sculpture at Texas A&M University
Eliasson’s sculpture, “How to Build a Sphere out of Cubes,” includes two brushed and polished stainless steel sculptures situated at the outer ends of the elliptical lawn engaging in formal dialogue with one another. The iconic artwork attracts students and visitors and serves as a desired meeting point on campus. You can learn more about this artwork, and KAC's project with Texas A&M here.
"The Breathing Moon" installed in the lobby space at Park District, Dallas.
KAC also prominently featured Eliasson’s sculpture, “The Breathing Moon”, in the newly completed sophisticated lobby of Park District, Dallas. This sculpture is comprised of 24 crystal spheres to infer phases of the moon. Similar to Eliasson's sculpture at TAMU, and much of his work, the mirrored surfaces encourage interaction with an ever changing appearance dependent on the viewer's movements and the surrounding space.
"The Breathing Moon" Detail Image.
With an exciting fall season ahead, we are eager to announce the newest addition to the team at Kinzelman Art Consulting, Haley Berkman Karren. As Junior Associate at KAC, Haley will provide collection development and administrative support for private and corporate clients.
Bringing an extensive curatorial background to KAC, Haley joins us after nearly 5 years as the Curatorial Assistant at The Menil Collection, and has worked with numerous institutions such as The Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Dallas Museum of Art; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, as well as the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and the Pentagram Stiftung in Venice. Haley graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in Art History and Archaeology, and went on to receive her Masters at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. She remains an active member within the Houston arts community, regularly participating as a reviewer at FotoFest and engaging with various organizations.
Please help us welcome Haley to Kinzelman Art!
We are pleased to announce the promotion of Kimberly Landa to Associate at Kinzelman Art Consulting! Since joining the company in 2016, Kimberly has played a large role in collection development with various clients, and has assisted with facilitating numerous site specific commissions. Kimberly also spearheads the curating and organizing of KAC’s rotating exhibitions and heads digital marketing. Prior to joining KAC, Kimberly graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Art and earned a certificate from UT’s Bridging Disciplines Program with a focus on Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship.
As the newest Associate at Kinzelman Art Consulting, Kimberly will continue to manage the design of client presentations and marketing materials as well as provide expertise on research and collections care administration. Kimberly will also play a more integral role in client relations and project management. We are so thrilled to have Kimberly at Kinzelman Art and now serving our clientele in her new role as Associate!
Title Image: Alyse Rosner detail
Happy New Year from Kinzelman Art Consulting! With 2019 ahead we have important news to share with the community. After nearly fifteen years with KAC, it is with a heavy heart that we announce Adrienne Johnson’s departure from the company on Friday, January 18th. Since joining the company in 2005 our clientele and community have come to know and value Adrienne immensely. As a member of the Kinzelman team her contributions have been essential to our success and we are forever grateful for her dedication, professionalism and commitment to the company throughout these years.
With a rough itinerary in mind as well as family and friends to meet along the way, Adrienne will be taking time to organically travel the world, beginning her adventure at the end of January. It is with sadness that we announce this shift in KAC, but we are incredibly thankful for the many years of hard work and friendship we have received from Adrienne during her time with the company.
Julie Kinzelman and Adrienne Johnson of KAC at The 2018 Glasstire Party
“It has been a tremendous privilege to work alongside Julie Kinzelman and amazing colleagues like Kimberly Landa through the years on countless projects that I feel honored to have been part of. I have grown so much in my time at KAC and now I’ve come to understand that it’s time for me to cultivate life in a completely new way. My relationship with Julie expands well beyond the professional where she has truly become an integral part of my heart. I am eternally grateful to her for the amazing opportunity to work at KAC and know that we will remain steadfast friends forever."
— Adrienne Johnson
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to anyone on the team at KAC, or Adrienne until the time of her departure. We look forward to seeing what new adventures 2019 has in store for both Adrienne and Kinzelman Art Consulting!
PARK DISTRICT DALLAS
At the heart of the Dallas Arts District, a new mixed-use development recently unveiled their art collection at a public event last month. In collaboration with Trammell Crow Company, Kinzelman Art Consulting acquired 4 works of art for the lobby of their 900,000+ square foot office tower. Among these pieces are a wall-based sculpture by Olafur Eliasson, two site-specific commissions by Billy Childish and a 16 foot painting by Jennifer Bartlett.
Olafur Eliasson wall-based sculpture at Park District, Dallas.
The lobby's sleek open space is punctuated with a pristine Eliasson sculpture titled "The Breathing Moon." Eliasson's work examines consciousness and cultural conditions, and how they define human interaction and perception of the world around us. Nearby is Jennifer Bartlett's dynamic sky painting, consisting of a dense crosshatching that creates texture amid vibrant colors that illuminate the clouds in the composition.
Jennifer Bartlett painting at Park District, Dallas.
Two paintings commissioned by British artist Billy Childish are also included in the collection. In his emotive oil and charcoal paintings, Childish skillfully illustrates his signature fluid and gestural painting technique.
Billy Childish painting at Park District, Dallas.
ORRICK, HOUSTON
KAC recently completed a collection for LA-based law firm, Orrick's new Downtown, Houston office space. The space houses a diverse list of artists, both national and internationally represented, and includes works on paper, paintings and wall-based sculptural works.
Graham Caldwell installation and detail images at Orrick.
Among Orrick's collection are works by Matt Kleberg, Alex Katz, Katy Stone, Evan Robarts, Linda Martinello and others.
Evan Robarts and Matt Kleberg pieces at Orrick.
Ruello's commissions installed at 500 w 2nd.
Kinzelman Art Consulting partnered with Trammell Crow Company and CBRE on their new skyscraper located in Downtown, Austin. In close proximity to Austin's beloved Lady Bird Lake, the striking 500 West 2nd Street space, designed by Gensler, holds an impressive collection of tenants. The project goal was to activate the lobby with boldly infused color, and reflect Austin’s iconic flare.
Esparza's wall-based sculpture in the lobby space.
"Art brings a new set of rules and compositions that juxtapose with architecture in ways that are unexpected and can be serendipitous. This building and lobby were conceived as hierarchic, one leading to the other and vice versa where momentary interruptions in the order allow for the individual to contemplate and enjoy being transported by the art."
- Tom Marsden, Associate, Gensler
Esparza detail image.
El Paso-based artist Adrian Esparza, represented in Dallas by Cris Worley Fine Art, was selected to address the largest wall with his signature sarape artwork. This impressively sized piece, scaled specifically for the vertical wall, offers a visual push-pull effect with bold contrasting colors. The unique material usage in Esparza's work forms a natural dialogue across the lobby, where Erin Curtis’s equally active cut and layered painting is installed. Although indicative of Curtis's body of work, this piece in particular is intended to mimic the rapid growth and vibrant spirit of Austin, TX, where Curtis also resides.
Curtis's cut and layered painting in the lobby space.
The collection continues around the corner with two large-scale paintings by Houston-based artist Robert Ruello, represented by Inman Gallery. These are Ruello’s largest works to date, functioning as murals to tenants entering the building through the garage elevators. Ruello digitally renders his compositions, then carefully transfers them onto canvas using tracing paper and various densities of paint and flashe. This technique informs a unique visual language transitioning between moments of bold expression and negative space. The building's collection upstairs includes works on paper by Nicola Lopez and Ross Bleckner, and a site-specific installation by Paul Fleming.
KAC admiring Ruello's painting.
" KAC was wonderful to work with and made the entire process of selecting, commissioning and installing each piece at 500 W 2nd Street stress free for the ownership team. The art has completed our lobby and activated the borders of the space while staying true with the original design intent. Our tenants enjoy the pop of color and the energy it brings to their daily life. "
-Kristi English, Development Manager, Trammell Crow Company
When the Australian mining company, BHP announced their plans to construct a 600,000 square foot sky scraper designed by Pickard Chilton of New Haven, Connecticut along the bustling Post Oak Boulevard in Houston, Kinzelman Art was honored to be selected to place a prominent work of art within the refined lobby. On behalf of BHP and in partnership with Gensler, KAC led the process of selecting New York based artist, Sharon Louden, represented by Morgan Lehman Gallery to create a site-specific sculpture suspended from the 30 foot high lobby ceiling.
Louden's site-specific installation
Louden's ongoing exploration of compelling materials such as large swaths of mirror-polished aluminum set the stage for a dynamic, yet refined installation. The cascading sculpture creates a fluid composition that one could relate to the mining industry and natural geological formations. Among the multi-faceted aspects of the overall work of art is its ability to physically reflect the surrounding environment and changing light as well as the movement of pedestrians below.
installation image
CLICK HERE to watch Glasstire's artist interview.
Ground view of Louden's installation
This project was completed in collaboration with representatives of BHP, Pickard Chilton, Gensler, Harvey Builders, Cushman & Wakefield, Morgan Lehman Gallery, and TYart Museum Quality Services.
BHP building in Post Oak, Houston
In KAC’s latest Interview, Houston-based painter and professor Bradley Kerl shares an inside look into what originally focused his creative journey towards painting, where his body of work is headed and exciting news about his growing family.
Kerl's work at Texas Contemporary Art Fair, 2016.
Kerl's site-specific still life set at Gensler, Houston.
KAC announces a solo exhibition with Houston artist Hillevi Baar on view at Gensler Houston. The inspired creator of intricate installation-based works, Baar views herself as not only an artist but also as a facilitator who assists her medium of Mylar to reside in it's intended and natural state. Her active interplay with medium explores variations in form, often derived from interactions observed between wind, water, plant life and shadow play.
"Float" by Baar in Gensler's reception
Baar’s experimentation with Mylar is particularly evident in "Float," a site-specific installation created for Gensler’s reception. This elegant suspended sculpture investigates the balance between meticulous strategizing and spontaneous on-site manipulation in response to the environment. Baar began creating this piece by carefully scoring the Mylar to intentionally mimic the linear forms throughout Gensler’s space.
"Wild Flowers" by Baar in Gensler's Conference Corridor
References to nature are also seen in "Wild Flowers," a wave-like form installed along Gensler's Conference Corridor comprised of Mylar and steel pins resembling delicate branches. These complex elements seem to grow from the wall, fusing into one fluid shape that gently sways with the flow of foot traffic. These slight movements expose individualized drawings hidden between the intricate layers.
Detail of "Wild Flowers"
This interactive component allows the viewer to experience the piece in its entirety, while also inviting the study of each self-contained drawing. Conversely, "Unraveled" in the Coffee Corridor beckons the viewer to quietly approach the finely cut and tapering suspended Mylar sheet to fully experience the highly detailed graphite drawings within.
"Unraveled" by Baar in Gensler's Coffee Corridor
Detail of "Unraveled"
Baar is continuously experimenting with the dimensionality and boundaries of medium to transform the environments of numerous corporate and private spaces. This exhibition was curated by Kinzelman Art Consulting on behalf of Gensler.
Mokha Laget, "Southern Wing"
Kinzelman Art Consulting is celebrating the completion of a two-story geometrical wall mural, Color Field, commissioned by artist Mokha Laget, represented locally with Gallery Sonja Roesch. Although Laget was undoubtedly influenced by her time as Gene Davis’s studio assistant, her work is deeply rooted in her own distinct exploration of color composition and shape precision. KAC took advantage of Laget’s four day Houston visit to discuss her artistic process, cultural influences and life balance.
KAC: The painting commissioned for Johnson Law Group is part of a larger body of work. What was the catalyst for this series of forms and have they always been a part of your visual dialogue?
ML: The image for this commission originated from several drawings based on mosaics. The idea was to scale up the tessellation to a monumental scale for the architectural space. Last year I took a trip to Morocco and stopped in the historical ruins of an old Roman town. 2000 years later the mosaics were virtually intact, and the geometry is still universal. I made a series of works based on those patterns but exploded the rigid predictability so that the motifs began floating in space. I then integrated the idea of perceptual ambiguity so that depending on where you stand, the elements of the piece appear at once to come forward or recede to invisible vanishing points. Much of my work plays on perceptual ambiguity.
Mapping out "Southern Wing", credit: Mokha Laget
KAC: This painting is much more complex than meets the eye and the completed work will be the result of multiple steps and extreme attention to detail. Will you please describe the process that goes into a wall painting like this?
ML: As with all of my paintings, the preparation sketch is a small pencil drawing on graph paper. From these I select a specific configuration to further develop. Color, however, is never planned in advance. In the case of a mural, I create a more detailed sketch and envision several color schemes that can change at the last minute. For this project, I wrote software code to create a computer representation and refine the color selection. I work with an engineer who takes my program and generates what looks like pages of numbers but is actually a series of mathematical equations to generate coordinates that allow us to modify or laser plot the image in the correct scale onsite.
Mokha Laget, "Gene's Jubilee" on 8th St. NW in Washington DC, credit: Mokha Laget
KAC: What is the largest painting you've completed to date?
ML: In 2007 I was commissioned by the Washington DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities to create a 450’ x 50’ street painting on 8th St NW. It was part of a citywide Color School revival. I called it Gene’s Jubilee as a nod to Gene Davis, a Washington Color School painter. I worked as his studio assistant for 4 years and when he died suddenly, I was asked to design the first street painting below the National Museum of American Art where his memorial exhibition was. That was in 1987 then I reprised a different color scheme for the 2007 painting. You had to be on a rooftop or in a helicopter to see the whole thing.
Work in progress of "Sourthn Wing", credit: Bill Dolson
KAC: You've stated that you gather creative material from your travels. Are you gathering ethereal data such as light, awareness and emotion or physical data like architectural shapes and design form and color? How do you document your discoveries?
ML: I have moved around my whole life. Travel is lifeblood; it connects the planet. Humans are not so different worldwide but their cultures and creations are. Every place I visit gives me ideas, whether it is an exotic land or my own back yard. I try to note them in my notebook every morning. They become a kind of library to draw from. I may be interested in the obscure historical use of red in India vs. Japan, or the plain shadows cast on a corrugated shelter in Africa. Light sources are tremendously important in my work, going back to my early years growing up near the Sahara. Ultimately what I paint is the sense of place, real or imagined.
Mokha Laget, "Southern Wing"
KAC: Will you speak to how your secondary role as a simultaneous French interpreter informs your work and provides balance in your life as an artist?
ML: I’ve been fortunate to have a skill, which allowed me to work as another kind of bridge builder around the world. As a simultaneous interpreter, I am engaged in quasi performance art. In art you often work alone but in language you are compelled to interact with the world and those in it. I greatly value my privacy as an artist, but I never wanted to spend my life in studio isolation. It’s important to live in your time, experience it, and strive to understand it.
KAC: What might we find in the corner of your studio?
ML: …Old maritime and aviation maps, Franco-Prussian war manuscripts, a yellow toy Citroen DS, a rusted civil war canon ball…
Mokha Laget is represented in Houston, Texas by Gallery Sonja Roesch and in Santa Fe, New Mexico by Peyton Wright Gallery.
Strikingly articulate and exceedingly experimental, artist Gabriel Dawe is breaking down barriers of a traditional male Mexican artist as he constructs geometric and fantastical illusions through the use of textile and thread. KAC had the pleasure to meet with Dawe in Dallas during his residency at Fairmont Hotel. Located in the bustling art district of downtown Dallas, Dawe innovatively transformed his temporary studio space into a colorful and dynamic solo exhibition.
Dawe's studio at Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, Texas
Responding to the architecture and environment, Dawe's installations become an open dialogue between art and space. While this process creates unique, site-specific works of art, there is a found unity throughout his collection. Every installation is developed from the full color spectrum, resembling light rays. Only experimented once before, the installation presented in Dallas, explores the cooler side of the spectrum, staying exclusively with blues, violets, and shades of pink. Here Dawe begins to omit part of the color spectrum, a preliminary investigation into the absence of color. This new departure is one he addresses further in his current exhibition "Plexus 37" at Conduit Gallery.
Dawe in front of his site-specific installation
Detail of Dawe's installation
Living and working in Dallas, locals have come to familiarize themselves with Dawe's brightly colored thread installations. Therefore he decidedly turned a 180 in his recent endeavor by masterfully abandoning color through the use of gray, silver, and black threads. The viewer is forced to see beyond the spectrum, cerebrating this omission to be not an act of defiance against that traditionally associated with color, but perhaps as a "silver lining" on what is next for the renowned artist and his forthcoming work.
Spools of silver thread in front of a work in progress
Gabriel Dawe is represented in Dallas, Texas by Conduit Gallery. Dawe is on view now with Conduit Gallery through May 13, 2017.
Repurposed thread installation
Portland based artist Elizabeth Atterbury talks art, inspiration, and the transition of being a new mother with KAC in our latest Interview Interview.
Elizabeth Atterbury, "Happy Sunny Jade" 2016, installation view
Elizabeth Atterbury, "Relief (Studio Taupe)," 2015, MDF, paint
Myke Venable's work investigates the infinite potential and purity in shape indicating a visual representation of his own paired-down universe. From detailed sketches in an open notebook on the worktable to mathematical drawings tacked to the wall, Venable's studio is a perfect diagram of his working and theoretical process. During our visit, KAC viewed Venable's newest body of work and saw how his paintings have evolved into what they are today.
Door to Myke Venable's studio space
While teaching at The Art League in Houston, Venable rediscovered his love of drawing. He has since dedicated one of the largest walls in his small studio to colorful geometric explorations, mapping out on paper his ongoing study of the complex relationship between shape and color. While he views his drawings as independent works, they also serve as inspiration for shaping his large canvas and panel paintings.
Venable with his geometric studies on paper
The drawings come to life on wood panels covered with pristine layers of acrylic paint squeezed straight from the tube. Mixing colors, he explains, would complicate his process of instinctually matching color and shape. Venable then focuses on creating thought provoking relationships through the particular arrangement of each element on the wall.
Cluster of Venable's paintings in his studio
Venable’s newest paintings cleverly juxtapose not quite symmetrical shapes with slightly irregular placements and parings. Tension builds within the negative space between the paintings as they barely touch, leaving the viewer to question whether the forms are merging together, floating apart or statically coexisting. Every combination creates a new dynamic that alters the energy of the cluster itself, therefore impacting the space in which it resides.
Detail of Venable's clusters
Looking ahead, Myke seeks to push boundaries of depth, scale and color. Myke Venable is represented in Houston by Gallery Sonja Roesch where his next exhibition opens on January 21, 2017.
Trammell Crow's Energy Center 5
Kinzelman Art is proud to announce the completion of two site-specific commissions created for Trammell Crow's Energy Center 5 building lobby located in the Houston Energy Corridor. In May 2016 we installed these unique works of art by artists, Val Britton and Ara Peterson enhancing the elegance of the interiors and infusing energy into the lobby.
"Many of my colleagues are not familiar with the dynamics and environments of the art world, therefore it can certainly be intimidating to approach, but working with Julie and her team, we found that the process was very inviting and approachable. The two artists that were selected were highly vetted, and we all feel we selected two representative pieces that are spot on for the opportunity." - Cody Armbrister, Senior Managing Director, CBRE
Ara Peterson, "Travertine Wavepack" and Val Britton, "Continental Collision"
Click here to view the video: Val Britton and Ara Peterson Site- Specific Installations.
Vitol
With more than 40 offices worldwide, international energy trading company, Vitol, has one of its largest operations in the Upper Kirby neighborhood of Houston, Texas. Kinzelman Art organized the relocation and exhibition of Vitol's art collection, (as managed by Kinzelman Art since 2010), to Vitol's new award winning offices designed by interior architecture firm, PDR Corporation. Successfully working in tandem with one another, the modern art collection and the sophisticated interior architecture expands one's experience of the typical corporate environment by creating a progressive, museum-like work place environment.
"We have an appreciation and understanding of the unique role that art can have in the workplace. Over the years, Julie and her team have been instrumental in the selection of new pieces to add to our collection. Our new work space was designed to intentionally highlight certain works, so proper selection and placement was critical. Kinzelman Art made that process very simple and the end result is better than what we had initially envisioned." -Scott Adams, HR and Administration, Vitol
Christian Eckart, "Hexagonal Perturbation"
Terry Winters, "Picture Cell", Rusty Scruby, "Family" and "Blue Bucket", and Hana Hillerova, "Houston Can You Hear Me?"
California based artist Klea McKenna walks KAC through the evolution of her first beginner photography class to her ongoing experimentation with photograms. Read our interview below to learn how McKenna continuously pushes the boundaries of traditional photography practices, producing an innovative body of work.
Klea McKenna, "Archipelago," 2012-2013, photogram
Klea McKenna, "Rainstorm & Rain Studies," 2013-2016, gelatin silver photogram
McKenna is represented in Los Angeles, California by Von Lintel Gallery.
KAC is pleased to share our exclusive VIP pass to Houston's leading art fair, Texas Contemporary, opening Thursday September 29th, 2016 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. CLICK HERE to obtain your pass, which grants free access to the Thursday night opening preview, and admission to all public days of the fair. We also encourage you to consider upgrading to a Patron Pass, which raises funds to benefit the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston. We can't wait to see you there!
KAC at Texas Contemporary Art Fair, 2015
Hidden at the end of a beautiful lot densely populated by lush Houston greenery, Libbie Masterson's studio feels like her own personal oasis. The high ceilings and large windows yield a flood of soft natural light ideal for viewing her vast array of work including photographs, paintings, watercolors, glass mosaics and even stage set maquettes.
Outside of Masterson's studio
Masterson's lively persona is a striking counterpart to her tranquil, contemplative work. Our studio visit began with a look at her new glass mosaics, an extended exploration of her large-scale installation at the Houston Hobby Airport. These works are heavily influenced not only by Masterson's affinity for nature, but also music. Masterson shared her life-long fantasy of composing a symphony, and explained to KAC how she incorporates this hidden passion into her work by listening to songs on repeat and allowing the music to dictate the emotional direction of each mosaic.
KAC in Masterson's studio
Close up of Masterson's glass mosaics
The imaginative glass compositions provide a splash of color to Masterson's otherwise monochromatic studio, filled with icy landscape photographs of deep grays, blues, and whites. These mesmerizing and meditative photos are back-lit and displayed as illuminated light boxes. Masterson walked us through the rewarding process of working with the light boxes, and calculating the perfect hue and strength of light to properly enhance the imagery without overpowering it.
Masterson's light box photographs
Masterson’s dream project: set design for an entire opera! Her infinite sources of inspiration and matching talent pose a promising future of endless possibilities and exploration. Be sure to attend her upcoming exhibition, opening September 10th 2016 at Catherine Couturier Gallery, who represents Masterson in Houston.
Masterson's glass mosaic work station
Former Director of Affiliates for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, Alison Weaver, walks KAC through the exciting transition into her current position as Executive Director at Rice University's Moody Center for the Arts. Check out our interview below to get the details on Weaver's return to the Houston art community!
Don't miss Rice University's new Moody Center for the Arts, opening to the public in February of 2017.
Rendering of the new Moody Center for the Arts
On our latest studio visit, KAC got an inside look at Sharon Engelstein's eclectic studio, settled in the core of Houston's Museum District. Engelstein's studio is a breath of creative fresh air, fully equipped with a professional-grade kiln, her collection of colorful children's toys and all other essential elements to her creative process.
Sharon Engelstein's kiln
Engelstein's "Dillidiidae" at Hermann Park
Engelstein is commonly known for her sculpture “Dillidiidae” that is currently on view in Hermann Park. This exuberant piece has served the community as a public art landmark for the past two years. Her imaginative and anthropomorphic forms range in scale, material, and purpose, and KAC was eager to see what's currently cooking in her studio.
Ceramic sculptures, "Feel Fine I" and "Feel Fine II"
Upon expressing our curiosity, Engelstein proudly revealed her growing collection of small organic clay sculptures. While staying true to her barnacle-like forms, she has temporarily stepped away from her meticulous planning process that traditionally plays a significant role in her work. This shift encourages Engelstein to work more intimately within her studio, allowing her sculptures to evolve into their own individual identities.
Adrienne taking a closer look at one of Engelstein's 3-D printed works
We can expect to see great things from Engelstein, who says her best work has yet to come. Sharon is represented in Houston by Devin Borden Gallery and will have her next exhibition in 2017.
Engelstein's work in progress clay sculpture
