Almost as creative as the artists themselves, the opening reception for the Border Paintings exhibition at Peveto brought together a surprisingly seamless mix of ranch hands, sophisticates, well-heeled ranchers and collectors on Saturday.
Artists G.T. Pellizzi and Ray Smith began their work on Border Paintings in 2011 at the Yturria Ranch in South Texas. So for the opening of their show, Scott Peveto, head of his namesake fine art management company, arranged for the family of Yturria ranch hands to bring in a flavorful spread of Tex-Mex fare.
The artwork is a cross between action painting and documental imprints of the terrain.
As the 125 guests poured in to view the artwork, the Yturria team served their brand of homemade barbacoa, venison tamales, guacamole, pico de gallo, charro beans and corn tortillas. It was the perfect accompaniment for the art that pays homage to the land and people of South Texas and the Northern Mexico border.
The artwork is a cross between action painting and documental imprints of the terrain. The artists took paint to canvas and then laid the canvas face-down on the ground along the Texas/Mexico border at the Yturria ranch where they collected "forensics" on the ground and then let the artwork harden in the summer heat.
Among those perusing the unusual works were former German Consul General Rainer Muenzel and wife Ursula Gehring-Muenzel, Adelaide de Menil, Bill Hill, Frank and Mary Yturria, Alex and Cathy López Negrete, Sherry Applewhite, Billy Burge, Dr. Robert Debes, Kirk Longmire and Carolyn Farb.
