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Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order.
Over the span of four months at the beginning of 2014, the Dallas Biennial hosted 12 exhibitions, showing 50 artists. The art of DB14 was all over the city’s map, and artists were both local and international. In just two years since its founding, this event grew from a mostly online event into one of the more ambitious and interesting visual art projects in Dallas. But DB14’s success should come as no surprise if you’re familiar with the event’s co-founders and curators, who happen to be two of the more intriguing artists turned curators around.
The work of both Jesse Morgan Barnett and Michael Mazurek tends to be rich in concept and abstraction. They’re both incredibly smart artists who give the viewers avenues for thought and conversation. Which is what DB14 did as well. We chatted with them about their work as artists and curators, and whether or not we can expect a DB16.
Let’s talk DB. Can you give us a brief version of the genesis story?
JMB: Upon finishing our graduate studies at UT Arlington, we moved into a warehouse with C.J. Davis near downtown Dallas. We wanted an elaborate and progressing project to occupy our current and forthcoming activities. The grandiose scope of the title was a starting point, especially in contrast to the modest operators. Sometimes the limitations of a situation provide interesting adjustments.
MM: Jesse approached me with the idea and I was immediately intrigued, but asked why call it a biennial? We debated for some time about the correct format and ultimately agreed the title made sense. For the most part it doesn’t matter, as we’ll ultimately do with it what we want. Our first biennial lasted for two years online. This set the precedent, denoting that our take on art exhibition and display is just that, our point of view. Despite the name, we’re not tied to the convention.
Why did you think Dallas would be the right place for something like this?
JMB: Availability and practicality initially. It’s difficult to stand in your own vacant lot and decide to build the first home in another. We have, however, considered having DB in other cities in the future. Imagining the Dallas Biennial elsewhere, such as Seoul, Dijon, or even Marfa, continues to intrigue.
MM: I really didn’t think much of a right place. I’m here in Dallas and it’s built into my practice to just make the thing. My students would ask me often about their ideas, my response would be the same, make it and then we’ll talk.
How do you mark the success of a citywide, non-institutional event like that?
JMB: I don’t have much of a relationship with success. This is a difficult question, Lauren. It happened and its embedded within a cultural archive. That pleases me. If our capability to program what we want advances from iteration to iteration, that will be a significant marker. If we eventually earn the access to any artist we want to work with, that would be remarkable.
MM: Initially, the idea of starting a contemporary art biennial while having no formal experience or money or staff sounded pretty crazy, so I felt successful with each step in the process: building the website, trademarking the name, securing the first artist, then a space, so on and so forth. A big moment for me with DB12 was finding the email address for Artur Barrio, an artist who represented Brazil at the Venice Biennale. I was lucky enough to see his work in person; I wasn’t familiar with him, so it was a discovery. I thought he would never consider working with two unknown guys in Texas. But he replied to my email and was kind and genuinely appreciative of our interest. As we couldn’t pay to bring him to Dallas, Artur trusted that we would present his work as he would. We collaborated across two languages via email and building this trust with an artist you truly respect meant a great deal. DB has allowed us to expand upon the community within and outside our own and that feels pretty successful.
Both of you work in conceptual art, is there something about your individual practices that has been widely misunderstood by the critics or the public?
JMB : Gaston Bachelard once said that “the characteristics of scientific progress is our knowing that we did not know.” There is a correlation. I’m not interested in presenting ideas that require clarity in being socialized. Clarity can be over-rated and underwhelming. If there are misunderstandings, they might stem from perceptions attempting to articulate an absolute. At best, I think art stimulates a ongoing relationship with half knowledge, negative capability and agnosticism.
MM: Jesse’s quote touches on this, viewers of art tend to believe that they need to understand or that there is something to be understood. This is not always the case and that’s okay. Experience is essential.
Michael, you recently became a curator at the Goss-Michael Foundation, what’s different about curating for an institution than working on independent projects like Dallas Biennial?
MM:We’re a private philanthropic organization and a good deal of our effort goes towards fundraising for charitable causes and other institutions, so the same issues of funding, timing and logistics come into play. However, as I’ve just begun working on programming for the fall, the most notable difference is opportunity. With DB in the beginning, just finding a way to contact an artist was a pretty big effort. Most galleries didn’t care to talk to us. I don’t say this to criticize them, as with anything in the onset, you’re establishing credibility and this takes time. Coming into Goss-Michael, the many years of effort have been done for me by the foundation. My ideas haven’t changed, but the tools to make them happen have become a lot more accessible. Also, I’m honored to be working with Kenny and Joyce. They’re very dedicated to the foundation and donate their time, not only to Goss-Michael, but also to causes like UNICEF and The Staying Alive Foundation. Expanding the programming was always on their agenda, so their support in my endeavors was a given.
Who are 2-3 artists other than each other whose work you admire?
JMB: On Kawara, Giovanni Anselmo, Wolfgang Tillmans (minus the abstract photographs) and Paul Graham never cease to stimulate.
Closer to home, I think Stephan Lapthisophon, Ludwig Schwarz, Jeff Gibbons and Michelle Rawlings are notable. There are always more.
MM: I’m drawn to many artists so to name only three is difficult. A short list would have to include, in no particular order: Cady Noland, Jannis Kounellis, Joseph Beuys, Rudolf Stingel, Santiago Sierra, Teresa Margolles, Jason Rhoades, Geletin, Pierre Huyghe, Rosemarie Trockel, Forrest Bess, Thomas Hirschorn, Klara Liden, Jonathan Meese, Johan Freeman & Justin Lowe, Karen Kilimnik and Reena Spaulings.
Will we see a DB16?
JMB: Yes. I think what we have planned will be a pleasant surprise.
MM: Absolutely. The goal is for DB to become self-sustainable and continue indefinitely.
100 Creatives:
100. Theater Mastermind Matt Posey
99. Comedy Queen Amanda Austin
98. Deep Ellum Enterpriser Brandon Castillo
97. Humanitarian Artist Willie Baronet
96. Funny Man Paul Varghese
95. Painting Provocateur Art Peña
94. Magic Man Trigg Watson
93. Enigmatic Musician George Quartz
92. Artistic Luminary Joshua King
91. Inventive Director Rene Moreno
90. Color Mavens Marianne Newsom and Sunny Sliger
89. Literary Lion Thea Temple
88. Movie Maestro Eric Steele
87. Storytelling Dynamo Nicole Stewart
86. Collaborative Artist Ryder Richards
85. Party Planning Print maker Raymond Butler
84. Avant-gardist Publisher Javier Valadez
83. Movie Nerd James Wallace
82. Artistic Tastemakers Elissa & Erin Stafford
81. Pioneering Arts Advocates Mark Lowry & Michael Warner
80. Imaginative Director Jeremy Bartel
79. Behind-the-Scenes Teacher Rachel Hull
78. Kaleidoscopic Artist Taylor “Effin” Cleveland
77. Filmmaker & Environmentalist Michael Cain
76. Music Activist Salim Nourallah
75. Underground Entrepreneur Daniel Yanez
74. Original Talent Celia Eberle
73. Comic Artist Aaron Aryanpur
72. Classical Thespian Raphael Parry
71. Dance Captain Valerie Shelton Tabor
70. Underground Culture Mainstay Karen X. Minzer
69. Effervescent Gallerist Brandy Michele Adams
68. Birthday Party Enthusiast Paige Chenault
67. Community Architect Monica Diodati
66. Intrepid Publisher Will Evans
65. Writerly Wit Noa Gavin
64. Maverick Artist Roberto Munguia
63. Fresh Perspective Kelsey Leigh Ervi
62. Virtuosic Violinist Nathan Olson
61. Open Classical’s Dynamic Duo Mark Landson & Patricia Yakesch
60. Rising Talent Michelle Rawlings
59. Adventurous Filmmaker Toby Halbrooks
58. Man of Mystery Edward Ruiz
57. Inquisitive Sculptor Val Curry
56. Offbeat Intellect Thomas Riccio
55. Doers and Makers Shannon Driscoll & Kayli House Cusick
54. Performance Pioneer Katherine Owens
53. Experimental Filmmaker and Video Artist Mike Morris
52. Flowering Fashioner Lucy Dang
51. Insightful Artist Stephen Lapthisophon
50. Dallas Arts District
49. Farmer’s Market Localvore Sarah Perry
48. Technological Painter John Pomara
47. Progressive Playmakers Christopher Carlos & Tina Parker
46. Purposive Chef Chad Houser
45. Absorbing Artist Jeff Gibbons
44. Artistic Integrator Erica Felicella
43. Multi-talented Director Tre Garrett
42. Anachronistic Musician Matt Tolentino
41. Emerging Veteran Actor Van Quattro
40. Festival Orchestrator Anna Sophia van Zweden
39. Literary Framer Karen Weiner
38. Man Behind the Music Gavin Mulloy
37. The Godfather of Dallas Art Frank Campagna
36. Rising Star Adam A. Anderson
35. Artist Organizer Heyd Fontenot
34. Music Innovator Stefan Gonzalez
33. Triple Threat Giovanni Valderas
32. Cultural Connector Lauren Cross
31. Critical Artist Thor Johnson
30. Delicate Touch Margaret Meehan
29. Fashion Forward Charles Smith II
28. Dedicated Artist Carolyn Sortor
27. Political Cyber Banksy Wylie H Dallas
26. Dance Preserver Lisa Mesa Rogers
25. Rob ‘Ain’t No Creative Like A Bow-Tie-Wearing Creative’ Shearer
24. Scholar of the Stage Susan Sargeant
23. Photographer of Record Justin Terveen
22. Music Man Jeffrey Liles
21. Keeper of the Safe Room Lauren Gray
20. Playwright Jonathan Norton, Man of Many Words
19. Filmmaker and Funniest Comic in Texas Linda Stogner
18. Gallerist Jordan Roth, the Art Scene Cheerleader
17. Artful Advocate Vicki Meek
16. Ballet Queen Katie Puder
15. Carlos Alejandro Guajardo-Molina, the Book Guy
14. Janeil Engelstad, an Artist with Purpose
13. Will Power, Playwright and Mentor
12. Gallerists Gina & Dustin Orlando, Boundary Pushers
11. Moody Fuqua, Music Community Organizer
10. Joshua Peugh, Choreographer to Watch
9. Allison Davidson, Advocate for Art Accessibility
8. Ben Fountain, Man of Letters
7. Fashion Maven Julie McCullough
6. Contemporary Curator and Artist Danielle Avram Morgan
5. Irreverent Art World Organizer Kevin Ruben Jacobs
4. Dwell with Dignity’s Lisa Robison
