Oh baby, you are next!

Posted by eduporfuente

This new installation work is more of a self-portrait. New ways to present the work were explored. The idea of "The less is more" was also intentionally explored here. It's a self-portait in the sense that the main goal was to show this personal transformation from being the  kid to that unknown character of the clown when becoming adult.

Edú Portillo

“Montrose Art Society’s Annual Invitational Show” – August 21st 2010 Review

Posted by eduporfuente

MAS' First Annual Invitational Show 2010 - Opening new doors for artists and bringing new work to the eyes of their public, MAS had a successful Saturday night  for their first invitational art show of the year this last August 21st. Doors opened to the  public at 6:30 and the show picked up through the night until pass 10pm. This is MAS first show using War'Hous Visual Studios as a host and the response from the Houston art community was very high with a big turn out.

MAS introduced to the audience a wide variety of new work from their 9 original members of the society, and along with them MAS  was very pleased to invite new 9 artist with new work and with extremely diverse  concepts, putting together this new Invitational show. Nontheless,  the show also focused on the work of the featured artist of the Month, Michael Abramowitz . The Featured artist of the Month is always chosen by the members of the society to be part of the focus of attention for their coming shows. In this case, August's Featured artist Michel Abramowitz presented his new series of work which is highly characterized by the use of mixed media collage in very large and small formats. He particularly uses pen and ink to capture more extreme details which can be appreciated once the viewer looks closer at the piece. Abramowitz's concepts lays on the idea of his work becoming a map of imagination, at the same time following these intense patterns colors that add an interesting effect to the work. This pieces of work come from Abramowitz's mind as graphic representations of the sounds of music. He was a dedicated musician which made an  great influence on his actual career as artist.

The art work in the show presented a wide varitey of styles that reflects the varity of artist who are part the society. MAS is composed of artists from National and International background( United States, Brazil,France, Pakistan, Argentina, Mexico, El Salvador) which makes their shows very different from other art shows in Houston. The subjects in the art allowes the viewer  to see MAS Latin American, European, Asian and North American roots and the way all these come together.

The show was in so many ways much more dynamic than those from the past and set up a new step forward for MAS in the Houston Art Community. MAS presence in Houston is starting to rise and as it looks like their next shows may just offer more variey of work to target the taste of art that is always present in the city. MAS's First Annual Invitational Show was a success for the Society. The audience has increased and along with this,  MAS was pleased to have the presence of the well known Texas artist HJ- Bott and his wife Margaret Bott who are big images of the Houston Art Community.

MAS was pleased to have a wide variety of guest artists who added an important touch to the show. Also, the Society thanks the public who took their time to come to the show and added the final touch that we needed to make this a succeful exhibition.

MAS hopes this will be just one of many shows to come and is looking forward to have Houstonians as their special guest for their future show. MAS' upcoming show is this next November 12 and 13 at War'Hous Visual Studios.

Thank you.

Montrose Art Society

“Characters, Narratives and the City”

Posted by eduporfuente

Living in Houston and being an Artist in Houston has  always made me feel in need to paint and make the city the place for my narratives. While driving everyday to school or work, we can see how most of the time our lives can become a routine. We go from place to place, drive across streets  and highways and we can hardly see those little stories or places that make Houston much more interesting than what we think. I have used my photography to get the idea of those places we normally do not notice as important and I have tried to make that big part of my idea on these series of paintings. Incorporating characters that made the place much more interesting has been a challenge to make these paintings something else. One thing leads to another. On these three paintings we can do references to known places in Houston, like the Majestic Metro, the first skyscraper in Houston, the usual house model you could find during the 60's, the graphics and astetics  that we see on highways and the language that this one carries within.  There is always more than what the eye can see and so  we leave space for imagination with these paintings, because there is always something else...

"Bienvenidos al Majestic Metro"Acrylic on canvas

by Edu Portillo

"Jack while crossing the rail road at 4th street"  Acrylic on canvas

By Edu Portillo

"Main Street 1836" Acrylic on canvas

by Edu Portillo

“Baggy, an abstraction that became real” by Edu Portillo

Posted by eduporfuente

The purpose and the idea behind the creation of this work is interaction. The puppet itself because of its size is capable to interrupt the environment around it. This sculpture was placed in the art building at the University of Houston for a about a year. Baggy would go from floor to floor making its way around. People's reaction was interesting. For some, the sculpture was something playful, for others it was rather mysterious and for some they just could not understand what was the purpose of something so big to be around and even exist. It was impossible to be missed while walking in the building. Interaction was present. Baggy as many others puppets to come is only one more step in Portillo's process towards developing a body of work that can over pass the limitations of what we think "art" is and what it should be.

Baggy at drawing class at the University of Houston

Baggy at the Foundry Houston

Baggy by Edu Portillo