VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston is pleased to present Perspectives 173: Clifford Owens, on view January 7 - April 3, 2011. Opening reception: January 6, 6:30-9PM. Curated by Valerie Cassel Oliver, Senior Curator, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston.

Perspectives 173: Clifford Owens marks the first solo museum exhibition for this New York-based photographer and performance artist. Often incorporating the camera in his performance works, Owens blurs the boundaries between the documentation of his performance events and the creation of photographic artwork born out of action. Additionally, Owens' performances break through the separation between artist and viewer by allowing audiences to participate in events.

He also restages historical live art works by other artists, creating open-ended situations that challenge the convention of art-making. Owens' works often contain multiple components and layers based upon his interactions with the public or other artists. These interactions serve to create a context for the work that involves physically demanding actions within a controlled set of conditions.

Working within these self-imposed conditions, Owens brings a new perspective to the history of performance art through the act of repeating canonical works within the very different context of current era, through the incorporation of the camera, his own body, and new audiences. Particularly in his restaging, Owens brings a newfound understanding of the canon through the recognition of black artists who have been historically lost within this dialogue.

PUBLICATION:  Perspectives 173: Clifford Owens is accompanied by a catalogue, featuring an essay by Valerie Cassel Oliver, color reproductions of exhibited work, and the artist's biography and bibliography.

PERSPECTIVES EXHIBITIONS SUPPORT:  The Perspectives Series is made possible by major grants from Fayez Sarofim; The Studio, the young professionals group of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston; and by donors to the Museum's Perspectives Fund: Bright Star Productions Inc., Fusion Taco, Heidi and David Gerger, Anne and David Kirkland, Karol Kreymer and Robert J. Card, M.D., Kerry Inman and Denby Auble, Belinda Phelps and Randy Howard, Lauren Rottet, Leslie and Shannon Sasser in Honor of Lynn Herbert, Sara Dodd-Spickelmier and Keith Spickelmier, William F. Stern, 20K Group, LLC, and Laura and Rob Walls.

EDUCATION SUPPORT: The Museum receives support for its education programs from: Anonymous, Baker Botts L.L.P., Baker Hughes Foundation, Ruth Dreessen and Thomas Van Laan, Louise D. Jamail, John P. McGovern Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. I.H. Kempner III, Kinder Morgan Foundation, Andrew R. McFarland, M.D. Anderson Foundation, Marian and Speros Martel Foundation Endowment, Mrs. Louisa Stude Sarofim, and 20K Group, LLC.

Teen Council is supported by Mrs. Louisa Stude Sarofim and Baker Hughes Foundation.

 GENERAL SUPPORT: The Museum's operations and programs are made possible through the generosity of the Museum's trustees, patrons, members and donors. The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston receives partial operating support from Houston Endowment, the City of Houston through the Houston Museum District Association, National Endowment for the Arts, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and The Wortham Foundation, Inc.

All CAMH produced catalogues are made possible by a grant from The Brown Foundation, Inc. Continental Airlines is the official airline of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston.

CAMH MISSION: The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston is an idea and a place shaped by the present moment. The Museum exemplifies the dynamic relationship between contemporary art and contemporary society through its exhibitions, public and educational programs, and publications. The CAMH provides the physical and intellectual framework essential to the presentation, interpretation, and advancement of contemporary art; it is a vibrant forum for artists and all audiences, and for critical, scholarly, and public discourse.

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GENERAL INFORMATION: The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston is located at 5216 Montrose Boulevard, at the corner of Montrose and Bissonnet, in the heart of Houston's Museum District. Hours are Wednesday 11am-7pm, Thursday 11am-9pm, Friday 11am-7pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am-6pm. Admission is always free. For more information, visit www.camh.org  or call 713 284 8250.

Pictured:  Clifford Owens, Photographs with an Audience (New York) (detail), 2008-09. Installation of 18 C-prints. 18 x 20 inches, each. Courtesy On Stellar Rays, New York.