VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

The Jung Center of Houston presents the exhibition James Surls and Charmaine Locke: The Dance of Life. On view October 1 through October 29.

The artists write:  During our time together, beginning in 1976, we have danced over, under, and through grand moments of living. The context of Jung's world view is one that both of us have brought to bear on our philosophy of being, and is intertwined deep in the art that we produce.

James Surls was born in East Texas in 1943. He graduated from Sam Houston State Teachers College in 1965 and from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1968. From 1969 until 1976, Surls taught at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and then moved to Splendora, Texas, with the love of his life. Charmaine and he lived there for a little over twenty years, experiencing every emotion that a couple with kids, growing together and as individuals, can endure. They have lived in the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado for the past nine years, and love it for a fact.

Along the road Surls made art and curated shows with the ferocity of a man possessed. Over the years, he has been represented by four different galleries in New York. Currently, he is represented by Charles Cowles Gallery, New York, Barbara Davis Gallery, Houston, and the Gerald Peters Gallery in Santa Fe and Dallas.

His proudest accomplishment is that he still loves my wife and has seven beautiful daughters who are independent and capable individuals. The next proudest thing is being collected by museums around the country and having his work appear in solo shows and group shows. His most memorable exhibitions include: “Visions” (1984) at the Dallas Museum of Art, accompanied by a book called Visions: James Surls, 1974-1984. The 2003 show and catalogue at the Meadows Museum in Dallas, “James Surls—In the Meadows and Beyond." and Blaffer Gallery's “James Surls—The Splendora Years 1977–1997”.

But at the top of Surl's accomplishment list would be his involvement in the Lawndale Alternative Space and all those great years spent with so many great friends.

Charmaine Locke's first show of small sculptures was at the Max Hutchinson Gallery (1977) in Houston and was followed by several “Couples” shows in Texas, Louisiana, California, and Washington, D.C. (1979–early ’80s).

In her travels around the United States, she became aware of many artists working with their perception of the “house.” In 1979, she curated “The Image of the House in Contemporary Art” for Lawndale Annex, Houston, producing a catalogue and a panel discussion on art, architecture, and social issues relating to shelter. Her sculptures were include in another house-themed show, “The House That Art Built” at California State University, Fullerton. Later, Locke curated another show for Lawndale, “Sculpture: The Spectrum” (1988).

Recent exhibitions include the creation of a large-scale collaborative sculpture (with James Surls) for Mariposa Park, Corpus Christi, Texas; “Eye to Eye: James Surls and Charmaine Locke,” Art Center of Corpus Christi; and “The Creative World of James Surls and Charmaine Locke,” Anderson Ranch Arts Center (1999).

Locke served as founding member and director of Amazing Space, Cleveland, Texas and was on the board of directors of The Aspen-Snowmass Council for the Arts. Currently she a board member of Tomorrow’s Voices, Carbondale, Colorado.