Wednesday Night Photo Post: Men in Aprons... Powerful, Evil Aprons!

Sam Houston, originally uploaded by Flagman00.

Anson Jones, originally uploaded by Flagman00.

Wednesday Night Photo Post: BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, outside Houston

BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, Houston, originally uploaded by Trotskii.

Art After Disaster - Paul Villinski and Banksy In New Orleans

Paul Villinski - "Emergency Response Studio" at Rice University Art Gallery - Houston, TX, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

The Rice University Art Gallery opened its exhibition of Paul Villinski's "Emergency Response Studio" last week. Villinksi's idea was this; artists should be embedded with other post-disaster emergency responders and this retrofitted trailer a prototype to aid in that process. Friday, I attended the artist lecture and free lunch that accompanies every exhibition the galley has. For an artist working on "A Big Idea" he was free of the pretensions that might make a person skeptical of the merits and/or success of the concept. His interview on KUHF does a nice job of putting the project in context.

That being said, another artist immediately came to mind who provided timely and worthy art to the people of New Orleans after Katrina hit. The work British street artist Banksy created in New Orleans required a little more than plane ticket and some cans of spray paint. It wasn't created in a studio nor limited to the confines of a gallery. He (assuming the unknown artist is a he) put his critique of post-Katrina government action front-and-center of the people who were living through its failure. But the best reason to love his work is that it is really great art; concise, witty and completely relevant to its surroundings. And that is why I am always pleased when more work of his is made public.

From what I can gather most, if not all, of the Banksy's New Orleans public art has since been erased by the Gray Ghost.

Banksy Art in New Orleans, originally uploaded by howieluvzus.

Banksy in New Orleans, originally uploaded by Miz Bubbles.

banksy, originally uploaded by anthonyturducken.

Wednesday Night Photo Post: Other Houston Photographers - Giant Shrimp Cowboy with Guns Drawn!

Gaidos on South Main, originally uploaded by terr-bo.

Wednesday Night Photo Post: Other Houston Photographers - "Erection"

Houston has few if any zoning regulations.  See below for proof.  I *heart* Houston.

Erection, originally uploaded by jtuason.

Wednesday Night Photo Post: Other Houston Photographers - Day -> Night

Jan1 072_77_70_73_81_71, originally uploaded by againtothefuture.

Jan3 011_2_3, originally uploaded by againtothefuture.

street sign, originally uploaded by nobodysnothing13.

Photopost: National Museum of Funeral History & Museum of the Weird Yard Sale

National Museum of Funeral History - Houston, TX, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Model of National Tomb lowering mechanism - National Museum of Funeral History - Houston, TX, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Popemobile! - “Celebrating the Lives and Deaths of the Popes” - National Museum of Funeral History - Houston, TX, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

“Celebrating the Lives and Deaths of the Popes” - National Museum of Funeral History - Houston, TX, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Museum of The Weird Sign 1, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Museum of The Weird Sign 2, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Wednesday Night Photo Post: Other Houston Photographers

From Allen's Landing, originally uploaded by Pixeltopia.

Wednesday Night Photo Post: Other Houston Photographers - The Land of Adickes

houston, originally uploaded by fhjsdks.

No Such Thing As Too Much Giant Robot: Video of Michael Salter at RUAG

michael a. salter @ rice gallery | houston from michael a. salter on Vimeo.


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Another install video, this time from the San Jose Museum of Art


giant styrobot from michael a. salter on Vimeo.

Michael Salter @ Rice U. Art Gallery

Giant robots.  IRL.  Nice.

Michael Salter  - "Too Much" @ Rice University Art Gallery - Houston TX, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Michael Salter  - "Too Much" @ Rice University Art Gallery - Houston, TX, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Michael Salter  - "Too Much" @ Rice University Art Gallery - Houston, TX, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

The rest of my "Too Much" pictures here.

Houston's Junklandia

Texas Junk Company - Houston, TX, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

The Texas Junk Company has been on my list of places to visit since I moved here over a year ago. During the summer we went only to find the owner Bob was on vacations, searching for cowboy boots in small towns and going to Burning Man.

But now I've made the visit three times, and with camera in hand on the last visit. Two photos into that most recent trip and the camera's batteries gave up the ghost. *Sigh*

Someday the stars will align, the camera will be juiced up and once again I will be on the 200 block of Welch between Thursday-Saturday. And there will be many more pictures and maybe a purchase or two. But only if I have cash or check on hand.

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More pictures of the Texas Junk Company on Flickr.