Tin-Tin

Autry Macias gets into the holiday season with new decorative tin pieces

When last we checked in with local artist and tinsmith Autry Macias, she was kicking off her first-ever solo show of tin works through Good Folk Gallery. Now, with Christmas barreling down upon us like so much tinsel and gingerbread, Macias is back, this time with a new body that delves into the darker side of Germanic/European solstice and Yuletide traditions while remaining colorful, whimsical and, in some cases, badass.

“These came out of...last year, a friend commissioned a small Krampus ornament for her tree, and it really got me going on the theme of pre-Christian holiday tradition,” Macias tells SFR.

Krampus, of course, being that delightful German Christmas monster who kidnaps bad children and, like, murders them for not being cool.

“It seems most modern Christmas and wintertime holiday traditions have Pagan origins, and what I really got into was all the Germanic stuff,” Macias continues. “There was so much research, so much information and so many cool connections between different cultures—but I was trying to narrow it down to Yuletide, even if there’s a lot of dark folklore about punishing naughty children around this time of year.”

Macias became a parent herself just a few years back, which certainly adds a level of excitement to the holidays. Still, she says, she’s always been a sucker for this time of year, and marrying her love of the season with her ever-evolving tinsmith work just fits, particularly in a more magical setting than plain old Santa.

“Christmas spirit is a real thing,” she says. “Why am I so into that? Oh, right, because it’s a whole thing.”

Most exciting, however, might be the level to which Macias has grown as an artist working with tin. She’s adopted jeweler’s techniques for soldering more intricate elements into her newer work, and with a pearlescent enamel paint bringing out the more metallic sheen of the tin through brightly colored accents, sections of each piece shine brightly and add a touch of flair. Also, there’s skulls all up in there, and that’s just plain cool. At Macias’ upcoming Good Folk show, find both tree ornaments and pieces suitable for hanging—y’know, good gifting stuff. (Alex De Vore)

Autry Macias: Solstics Spells and Yule Monsters: 4:30-7 pm Friday, Dec. 2. Free. Good Folk Gallery, 142 Lincoln Ave., (617) 777-5804

Lute Farming

Has SFR ever written about a lutenist before? Your guess is as good as ours, but a cursory glance at our archives tells us that no, we have not. Enter Thomas Dunford, a French lute superstar who has been called the Eric Clapton of the lute (which we can only assume means he shreds, not that he’s kind of a racist). Dunford’s been plucking the ancient instrument since before his age hit double digits, and his singular talent has taken him across the globe. Throw in the cooler climes of winter and the holiday spirit we keep hearing so much about, and a little medieval stringed music just kind of works. If nothing else, you should be at least a little curious about how it all works. Lord knows we are, which is why we listened to some recordings. The verdict? Dunford is indeed a lute champ—how many people can say that? (ADV)

Performance Santa Fe Presents: Thomas Dunford: 7:30 pm Thursday, Dec. 1. $45-$95. St. Francis Auditorium, New Mexico Museum of Art, 107 W Palace Ave., (505) 476-5072

The Big Spoon, The Little Spoon and All the Spoons, Really

We love a good bit of surrealism as much as the next alt.weekly, which is why we’ve been obsessing over work from Santa Fe artist Alison Hixon. Hixon has already been showing at the Susan Eddings Perez Gallery, but this week unveils new works at her a spoon to dark matter exhibition. In her statement, Hixon posits that our subconscious drives our character in ways that we can’t always appreciate, but that matter. Patterns emerge from the chaos, and someplace within all that, she derives a body of work. Within that body, find colorful and confusing processes that read almost like fractals gone awry. Figurative elements melt away into nothingness, the unexpected, what Hixon calls “vulnerable and heartfelt.” Yup. We feel it, too. (ADV)

Alison Hixon: a spoon to dark matter: 5-8 pm Friday, Dec. 2. Free. Susan Eddings Perez Gallery, 717 Canyon Road, (505) 477-4278

Warm-Ups

The SFR Picks lineup is usually dedicated to getting out and engaging in active things, but—show of hands—how many of us are just cold enough, just tired enough, just close to the end of the year enough to feel like constantly doing stuff sucks so bad? Oh, word. It’s lots of us. Fret not, dear readers, and instead set adrift with El Rey Court’s Toasty Tuesdays. At these weekly gatherings, find warm signature cocktails, discounted s’mores kits, more than one fireplace a-burning and plenty of comfy places to sit. The hotel’s La Reina bar cuts a cozy if minimalist figure, a sanctuary space where it’s not so loud you can’t talk to buds and where you can get the kind of hot toddy that’ll make you cancel your other plans last minute. Putting the coat back on and trudging to whatever event right now? Perish the thought. (ADV)

Toasty Tuesdays @El Rey Court: 5-11 pm Tuesday, Dec. 6. Free. El Rey Court, 1862 Cerrillos Road, (505) 982-1931