Cam Schoepp’s love of materials and his investigations into their potential combined with precise craftsmanship and inventive techniques are evident in all his work. He is also a keen observer—recognizing that past experiences combined with deconstructing systems are a rich source of inspiration for his creations. Schoepp’s works range from minimal, contemplative objects to more complex installations that incorporate non-traditional material within carefully considered spaces.

In his Cell Series Installation broken/time, he considers the implications of dealing with time by installing a grid of sound domes in the isolation cell that contain miniature metronomes—each counting their own time. In the larger cell (gallery) a group of plaster “starburst” objects, of various sizes, appear to have crashed onto the floor. From these he anticipates “…some disappointment on the part of the audience; I want that kind of emotion of failure. The failure is a reaction to its potential before its broken and the loss in its current form, but I really think the broken forms are quite beautiful. But played back into the context of the room, it's just like these disruptions. The disruptions in people's lives.”

The 2018 Cell Series is generously supported by the McGinnis Family Fund of Communities Foundation of Texas with additional funding from Susie & Joe Clack, Gene & Marsha Gray, Amy & Patrick Kelly, and Sally & Robert Porter.

Curated by Patrick Kelly.

Sam Gummelt’s reputation as one of Texas’ leading non-objective abstract artists began in the early 1970s. By that time, the current of Postmodernism—a reaction to the dogmas of Modernism—became the dominant trend in art. Since that period, he has continued to stay the course and commit himself to “modernist” visual pursuits. 

Childhood experiences related to sewing with his grandmother and exposure to the German folk art tradition of painting on the reverse side of glass were early influences on his creative processes and continue to be so. Boarded storefronts, doorways, windows, and other geometric structures that Gummelt discovers, photographs, and analyzes are often the visual sources and inspiration for many of his creations incorporating a multitude of materials. 

As seen in many series of works, Gummelt literally “builds” his paintings by assembling and adhering wood panels resulting in modular constructions. Often he manipulates flat surfaces by cutting shallow horizontal and vertical grooves into the panels. These grooves serve as linear elements and also produce a multi-panel effect. The grooves and surfaces then receive a multitude of non-traditional materials such as caulk, asphalt, and polyurethane among others. 

Most recently, Gummelt appropriates and utilizes common cardboard boxes as the structure for his paintings. The works transform from utilitarian objects to art objects, and the pre-existing life and function of the boxes read as formal elements. Whichever substrate he selects, Gummelt employs an inventive process of applying a variety of media layer upon layer. The process, though controlled by the artist, welcomes chance effects as a result of the many stages and materials involved. The application of pigments and finishes results in thick, rich, and deep patinas that welcome surprising alchemical reactions. 

Texas Moderns: SAM GUMMELT is generously supported by the McGinnis Family Fund of Communities Foundation of Texas and Carolyn & Karl Rathjen with additional funding from Debra & Dr. Kenneth Hamlett and Darrell & Susan Shortes.

Curated by Patrick Kelly. 

Contemporary Mexican-American artist René Treviño will create an installation comprised of his own works alongside his personal selections from the OJAC's Pre-Columbian collection. Utilizing extensive research of Mayan and other cultures' carvings, Treviño develops contemporary images and combines them with popular culture references. The OJAC installation will incorporate Treviño's large scale works on paper along with smaller works on leather skins and short looped digital animations. Placing his own sculptural object into the vitrines with objects from the museum's collection will further challenge visitors to see and seek relationships between the ancient and contemporary. 

Images courtesy of the artist and Erin Cluley Gallery. 

René Treviño: A New Codex is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Arts with additional support from Anonymous, Erin Cluley, Pam and Bob Tidwell and Travis Vandergriff.