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There’s a treasure-trove of art falling apart in attics, tucked away in antique shops or moldering away in a field—maybe in north Texas—covered by 50-plus years of detritus. Texas artist Randall Reid scoops up these lost pieces of ephemera and resurrects them by turning them into art pieces. It’s like if Dr. Frankenstein were more fascinated by the themes of form and nostalgia and less about bringing life to dead flesh. Old signs and other bric-a-brac are rejuvenated under Reid’s hands with hammer and chisel, grinder and welding torch, to produce something entirely new yet reflecting the old. You can catch this love letter to the past at his Fields of Color solo show inside Nüart Gallery this Friday. “What it’s really about is reconnecting with the past,” Reid says. “I’m evoking the mineral, or inner spirit that the piece has. It’s almost like it’s there waiting for me to discover.”
He's been collecting this stuff for years, but it all started when Reid was 14 years old in Amarillo, when he found an old surveyor's tape and started playing with it. "I gave it to my dad when I left for school, and that's the last I thought of it. But then 25 years or so later, I called him up and said, 'I finally know what to do with that.' It's a linear element that I now use in my work."
The notion behind the word "nostalgia" is a sweet pain that's mixed with a happy longing for the old days. Every piece of Reid's art has an almost wistful quality. Whether it's a juxtaposition of old-school jets, or a faded lid to an early '60s chemistry set, there's palpable connection to a bygone boyhood. "When I'm working in my studio, I think of my past quite a bit. I think about what I did in school or things that happened to me or different friends. It seems that I can remember those times more clearly than other times in my life. It was just a happy time." (Ben Kendall)
Fields of Color:
Opening Reception: 5-7 pm Friday, April 8. Free.
Nüart Gallery,
670 Canyon Road,
988-3888
The Painted Desert
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If the only words you use to describe the desert are “hot” and “boring,” you clearly haven’t seen Rachel Houseman’s visionary paintings. Her
ColorScapes
, opening this Friday at Eye on the Mountain Gallery, are vividly bright, glowing with color and life yet calm in the still of the desert. For Houseman, her paintings reflect spiritual experiences inseparable from her surroundings. “In my best moments while painting, I’ve disappeared into the landscapes,” she says. Houseman insists that everyone is capable of these powerful experiences, with the right mindset. So don’t be surprised if you find yourself with a new vision after seeing these paintings. (Cole Rehbein)
ColorScapes:
5-9 pm Friday, April 8.
Eye on the Mountain Gallery,
614 Agua Fría St.,
(928) 308-0319.
Through May 27.
Yes Yes, Y’all
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Sacramento-based hip-hopper Mr. P Chill would like to remind all y'all to keep it positive. "I'm all about the unity of people, because there are so many things we're separated by," he says. "I want for people to come together, and I want positivity in my life, so I try to put that positive energy out into the universe so it comes back to me." A political rap veteran of more than two decades, homeboy knows what it is to bring a dash of R&B into his old-school production and lyrical style. This means you're going to have fun, but also maybe use your brain. Word. (Alex DeVore)
Mr. P Chill:
8 pm Friday, April 8. Free.
Mine Shaft Tavern,
2486 Hwy. 14, Madrid,
473-0743
Heartwork
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All right, Santa Fe, you all love DJs and electronic music more than anything, and we’ve come to accept that. But why should you heart tech as much as the folks behind We <3 Tech? Well, according to Mayrant, the DJ who promotes/plays the event, “My guest DJ P.F.F.P is a fantastic reason for people to come to the show, and patrons can count on a night of evolving playlists that play to the crowd and create a collective experience through cutting-edge music.” Yeah, that’s a pretty good one. Or maybe you just already loved tech-house jams. Either way, if you’re a fan of DJ music, this one’s for you. (ADV)
We <3 Tech:
9 pm Saturday, April 9. $7.
Skylight,
139 W San Francisco St.,
982-0775
Santa Fe Reporter