I’ve had an extraordinary and most unexpected experience in the concert hall. In a time where symphony orchestras appear to be losing audiences, Houston Symphony is gathering a new one. Last night at Jones Hall, a nearly sold-out house enjoyed a screening of the Wachowski Brothers’ The Matrix with Don Davis, a formidable composer in various genres, conducting his original … [Read more...] about Houston Symphony in the Desert of the Real
Two Alike: The Cogent and Irrational Dance of Jack Ferver
I had never seen Jack Ferver dance, but I remembered him as Jimmy Tickles in Strangers With Candy, still my favorite program ever aired on Comedy Central, when he appeared last week in Texas. Well-known in New York, his works with titles such as Death is Certain, Rumble Ghost, and When We Were Young and Filled with Fear have caused a considerable buzz in contemporary dance … [Read more...] about Two Alike: The Cogent and Irrational Dance of Jack Ferver
What Remains on the Canvas
Houston artist Wayne Gilbert makes paintings out of cremated human remains. Most people who have observed his work wonder first where he obtained the material, which he mixes into nearly-colorless resin before applying with a  palette knife to stretched canvas. The recent summer day we spoke in his vast home and studio, Gilbert told me that he had just come from the … [Read more...] about What Remains on the Canvas
Grim Eye for the New Guy
Infinite Movement Ever Evolving’s recent premiere of Maurice Causey’s Grim Eye made me feel like I was in 1990s Berlin. In particular, I thought of a Depeche Mode record party I attended one December night in a smoke-filled warehouse in Kreuzberg. This is not to suggest that either iMEE or Causey are in any way old-fashioned. On the contrary, when young people in Houston … [Read more...] about Grim Eye for the New Guy
George Gittoes Writes from Norway
Since June 16, when I reviewed The Station Museum of Contemporary Art's  WITNESS TO WAR: GEORGE GITTOES, I've been corresponding with the artist.  Earlier today, Gittoes wrote, "I am presently editing the films in Stavanger which is on the North sea side of Norway. I return to Afghanistan on 5th of September." The show at The Station continues until September … [Read more...] about George Gittoes Writes from Norway