curated by: Michael Andrews for OneTen Madison Madison, Wisconsin May 6-7, 2005

The rules:
All guns must be three dimensional
All guns must be able to be handled

click here for roster of participating artists

My goals in curating this show are to provide a window into the social and cultural fabric of Texas. Since leaving Texas pursue an MFA in Wisconsin, I have encountered a general misunderstanding of Texas as both a keystone of 'The South' and a wildly unsympathetic and soul-less conglomeration of rednecks and racists. My attempt to counter that misconception by illuminating one of the more 'redneckey' aspects on life in Texas may be ill concived, but I expect it to be fun and provide an excuse for many artists to take a break from thier current bodies of work.

Taking that as a departure point, I've contacted many artists from Texas as well as those who have departed the Lone Star State for New York, Chicago, and Madison, Wi., with invitations to participate. While I feel that those of us from Texas will share some views and hopefully create works based on a a more grounded understanding of Texas, I've also invited a handful of artists who have no connection to Texas to counter the arguement. Participation in the show is not limited to the creation of works to be shown but rather, to each artist I've extended an invitation to man the booths where the guns will be displayed, falling into character of the individual peddling their wares. How each individual creates their works for this show will, more than I, dictate the overall feel of the show in exhibition.*

Through this show I hope to create a dialogue between the community of artists which I left back home and the individuals I have encountered here in Wisconsin. While it would be nice to provide the viewers with a more comprehensive view of what Texas is about, as seen through my personal experience of being a native Texan, I expect, rather, that the show will be fun and leave people asking how an outlet for WWII buffs, hunters, conspiracy theorists, and cops creates a more sympathetic view of Texas. My answer is that I am doing my part to contribute to the myth of the West, a concept of place that I find much more connected to my home than the northern deregation, 'the South.'