In writing "The Madonna as Muse: the Paintings of Rene Alvarado", Curator Jim Edwards reflects on Alvarado's cultural roots and references his artistic style within the historical traditions of Mexican art. "It was tempting to declare [Alvarado's] work surrealist, by virtue of the odd juxtaposition of figures, still life objects and landscapes depicted. However, I have come to think of Alvarado as an imagist," says Edwards.

Edwards adopts the distinction between surrealism and imagism identified by art historian Walter Hopps. "Older than the term 'surrealism', imagism has its roots in the world of poetry by way of T.S, Eliot, Ezra Pound, and H.D. (Hilda Doolittle)," notes Hopps. "Like surrealism, imagist art employs recognizable images in fantastic or unreal juxtapositions. Imagist art depicts recognizable locations, people, and objects, but these figurative elements are not put together in a a sensible way; instead, they often appear disjunctively. Imagist painting is constructed in the same way as the poetry, using the images a visual metaphors."

"The metaphors that Alvarado explores in his art are only partially invented." Edwards observes. "To a large extent, he uses the objects he collects not only as sources of inspiration, but as models for the images depicted in his paintings. His studio ... is filled with objects as diverse as taxidermy animals, clay and wooden figurines, ceramics, fine lace work, bird cages, Mexican masks, votive objects and old furniture." All make their way to canvas in Alvarado's complex imagery.

The Madonna as Muse: the Paintings of Rene Alvarado curated by Jim Edwards opens September 11, 2008, at San Angelo Museum of Fine Art. A full color catalogue with text by Mr. Edwards accompanies the exhibition.

PAPER, a refreshing, late summer exhibition brings together five nationally recognized artists who employ paper in their creative process. Curated by Ms. Sandra Fernandez, Assistant Professor, UT Department of Art and Art History, and Gallery Shoal Creek owner/director Judith Taylor, features original work by Melissa Jay Craig, Sandra Fernandez, Stephanie Hunder, Karen Kunc, and Jill Lear.

While paper unites the five artists, each approaches the centuries old material to suit her personal creative direction. Craig and Fernandez see paper in three-dimensional terms, a medium waiting to be shaped and manipulated. Hunder, Kunc, and Lear, on the other hand, view paper in simpler terms. The organic material's pressed form and its textural qualities provide a base on which to apply ink, paint, or charcoal.

SCULPTURAL INSTALLATIONS
Melissa Jay Craig / Chicago IL
Craig's current work - organic sculptural book-objects, ranging in size from handheld pieces to free standing, stylized sculpture - is difficult to categorize. For some, they are book art; to others they are sculpture. One curator even described them as "fetishistic objects." But, to the artist, they are just her ART. "I am not exclusively a sculptor, a bookbinder, a papermaker, a printmaker, an installation or assemblage artist, yet I do all those things without a set hierarchy."

BOOK ART NARRATIVES
Sandra Fernandez / Austin TX
For book artists like Fernandez, the object tells the story. The artist takes the notion of what a book is and stretches that notion to the outermost limits using what he or she has access to and knowledge of. "My books", says Fernandez, "are containers, depositories of personal stories. They have evolved from two-dimensional surfaces to solid, yet fragile structures that invite the viewer to take the time to investigate and unravel their meaning."

SERIGRAPH & INTAGLIO PRINTS
Stephanie Hunder / St. Paul MN
Stephanie Hunder speaks in metaphorical terms transforming botanical or figural imagery into expressive models of human relationships and emotions. Combining photographic and digital techniques with traditional printmaking processes, Hunder creates what she calls echoes - lingering reminders of natural elements and the repetition of their patterns in everyday life. Simple, objective, documentary-style photographs of plants and animals become engaging imagery that is subjective, personally expressive and philosophical.

ORIGINAL WOODCUTS
Karen Kunc / Lincoln NE
Karen Kunc is best known for her large scale, elaborately colored, abstract woodcut prints, Her imagery incorporates vital, richly hued shapes with timeless textural language, leading to a sense of intimacy and detail, with the tactile resonance of wood, paper and impression. It is their lush exuberance, says Curator David Acton, that distinguishes her prints from other contemporary work.

PAINTINGS & DRAWINGS
Jill Lear / New York City NY
The constant in Jill Lear's selected works on paper is her singular subject - renderings of gnarled and twisted trees - that illustrates an endless set of possibilities. The large scale drawings are in essence organic blueprints rooted in the structure and spatial relationships the artist observes in century old yews, oaks, and exotic species. "From a purely formal perspective," says the New York Lear, "the trees are an ideal vehicle for documenting balance and proportion and space."