WEST Austin Studio Tour

Being a die hard EAST fan, and knowing how tight Big Medium runs their EAST tour -- I was psyched when they announced their first year of WEST. Psyched 'cuase I knew it meant a chance to see some new (to me) killer art in Austin. The WEST catalog was just as spectacular as the EAST. Beautifully done and loaded with images. Didn't have my usual EAST posse with me, but had the perfect friend fill in (although his navigation skills were the worst distracted skills I've ever seen -- possibly caused by all the free booze the artists plied us with). Now, on with the show ...

This was our first stop -- a group show packed with tons of great pieces. Graphic/ color/ detail/ mountains of visual stimulation. Richard Ashby

A powerful collection of Buddha statues and Thangka paintings. Amazing. We didn't stay for the guided tour explaining the pieces because my art partner couldn't handle the vibe and ran out. Needless to say, no free booze here.

Then there was Adreon Henry. One of the most creative of creatives in Austin. His shows are always done so right. No exception here. His house/studio was set up with creative explosions going in every corner. I hope you made it by because it really looked amazing and wall to wall crazy unique art. Perfect vibe. I wanted to buy every piece, literally. Groupie. Stalker.

Oh man. Seriously oh man. Hands down best discovery was Manik Nakra. I couldn't get over/past his pieces. Incredible and powerful. A methodical presentation of deep rich color and history. Currently in behind-closed-door talks about owning one of his brilliant pieces.

Yes. How about that collection? Obsessive, maybe ...

Want! Jason Archer. Best pieces. Graphically -- crazy! So on point and the perfect balance between meaning and humor.

This one's my favorite. So good. His studio was another one set up so perfectly. Loved the vibe and every single one of his pieces.

Kafka Lenton. Layers upon layers of meaning and visual discovering. You can see/feel the process in his pieces. Mixed media and painting just rich with texture and power. Was in awe of his show at EAST and equally blown away by this show. It was the last stop of the day for me. And it was perfect.

Go here *Big Medium for more info.