moderndallas issue 51 // nov 2023

e.51 ‘23 // isabelle du toit , royal flycatcher, 2023 oil on canvas, 24h x 30w in / cris worley fine arts

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// laman residence photo: dror baldinger, aia architectural photography, mark menjivar photographer

by J. Claiborne Bowdon

Living History:

// photos: jason o’rear

Omniplan’s case study of the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum begins with a question: “How can a building educate and change the world?” The homepage of the Museum itself seems to answer it: “It’s about humanity. Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow

// groveland house - craig kuhner architectural photography

The webpage for Omniplan’s case study of the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum begins with a question, “How can a building educate and change the world?” The homepage of the Museum itself seems to answer it: “It’s about humanity. Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.” Omniplan is an architecture firm that has been shaping Dallas for over 67 years with private and public architecture projects, but something of this

emotional and historical magnitude is a rare and deep responsibility. How does a building contend with the pain of confronting the atrocities of the Holocaust? It works to demonstrate both the profound human toll of doing nothing when everything is at stake, and the hope that lashes against it when those that are not in harm’s way willingly put themselves in it for the sake of others.

// aldwick residence - charles davis smith faia architectural photography

The permanent exhibit is an experience- one that shapes the building itself and you as you pass through it. You begin with an orientation. The doors swing open automatically to a theater based on a timetable. You enter into a minimalist gray room with simple wooden benches. This room prepares you to understand and confront everything that proceeds from it in terms of the historical weight of what you’ll confront, and the visual aesthetics of the building. The minimalism is a timeless approach to the look of the interior, but it’s also an intentional gesture to put what the building offers at the forefront.

The way the first two rooms operate is also useful in how it puts you in a frame of mind to truly understand everything that will proceed it, though likely unintentional in some respects; the automated nature of the doors that allow you into the theater, and then into the stairwell, give you the feeling of being at the mercy of an abstract force that you cannot control. Once you enter the stairwell from the theater you are shown a diorama of the beginning of the Jewish faith. From there lights and a voice entreat you to move up the stairs to the next landing, where the history of the Jews continue. Once you reach the third landing a

HAPPY HOL /DAYS

video outlines the roots of the hatred and the stereotypes that have shaped the destiny of a people for thousands of years. You then proceed to a door where Hitler’s voice booms on the other side.

Once you pass through the door you’re confronted with the beginning of the Nazis. Everything is organized on a timeline from these moments and everything, in every corner of the world involved or touched by Nazis, is pre-

sented as you proceed through the halls of the timeline of the Holocaust. Placards and entire walls list each progression that would lead to the creation of the concentration and death camps, and the testimonies of those that experienced each of them are available to watch on video screens with personal earphones so that they can tell you their stories. The transition from the theater to the stairs to these hallways is a more obvious change in levels, but as you move from one part of the exhibit to another there

// cobalt homes | nimmo architecture

are more subtle shifts in elevation. The building is less structurally and visually audacious than the initial concept renderings suggest it might have been - the stairway that returns you to the lobby appears to have originally been envisioned as a small scale Guggenheim in concrete-but the building embraces itself without and within. Even the copper itself mimics the interior path of the permanent exhibit.

The choice of copper to crown the structure is as much philosophical as it is aesthetic. The copper, like the Statue

of Liberty, will develop a patina over time, which is meant to symbolize “perseverance in weathering the storm.”

Copper has been chosen as a cladding for buildings for this reason before, the de Young Museum in San Francisco for instance, but this added layer of meaning is seen through as the copper continues into the building itself, and joins you as you finish the journey of the permanent exhibit. The copper within the building will forever retain its brilliance, and will stand in juxtaposition against the rich green it will show on the outside – reminding us of itself and what it has endured.

It’s fitting that OmniPlan’s website asks a question, as we are all left with so many in the face of unspeakable horror.

How? Why? The museum succeeds in fulfilling its maxim to “Embrace ideals, challenge reality, participate in repair,” by connecting the cause of the Nuremberg trial, the need to establish human rights to prevent or answer injustice, and even the injustices that would follow the Holocaust throughout the world. These moments in human history are not books on a shelf; they are not separate and contained. They have happened and are happening in the

same place, which of course is the planet we all share.

Time and geography are poor distinctions when considering the magnitude of what is inflicted on those who lose their lives, literally and figuratively, to unanswered hate.

Distance, in all its forms, cannot separate us from this.

Just this week a 93-year old that was a guard at the Stutthoff concentration camp will go on trial for thousands of crimes against humanity. Yesterday is not so far away as we think, and neither is tomorrow. // dhhrm.org

CADDALLAS.ORG 2023 MEMBERS Carneal Simmons Contemporary Art Conduit Gallery Craighead Green Gallery Cris Worley Fine Arts Erin Cluley Gallery Galleri Urbane Marfa+Dallas Holly Johnson Gallery Keijsers Koning Laura Rathe Fine Art Meliksetian | Briggs PDNB Gallery Pencil on Paper Gallery RO2 Art Valley House Gallery & Sculpture Garden

REFUGE

Isabelle du Toit

by Todd Camplin

// frog with mushroom, 2023 oil on canvas 9h x 12w in

// mesia, 2023 oil on canvas (detail) 24h x 30w in

Earlier this week I needed to exercise, so I walked every aisle of Walmart. The next day, after Thanksgiving lunch, I took a nature walk. I had to get my steps, so Walmart was necessary. I didn’t enjoy walking in a store as much as I did being outside in nature. On Thanksgiving day, I felt the sun on my face, heard the dry leaves crunching under my feet, and observed the bare tree branches blowing in the

wind. When standing in front of Isabelle du Toit’s painting, the memory of being in nature came flooding back to me.

Isabelle du Toit takes you to a moment of nature where things in the background seem to fall away. The painting Screech Owl depicts an owl perched upon a stack of sticks. No visible table or ground holds these items. A

// screech owl, 2023 oil on canvas 16h x 20w in

spotlight implies some kind of surface. This painting has no lines indicating an edge. The bird, twigs, and spotlight seem to float unnaturally. Similar to a memory, much of the details fall into darkness. The picture of the event stays in focus. The painting is not a window into the real world, but a scene in our mind.

Isabelle du Toit mixes and matches a few painting traditions together. Nineteenth-century painters like August Wilhelm Leu and Ivan Shishkin created crisp and clear images with brushwork at some of the highest levels of detail. Northern Renaissance painters, like Albrecht Dürer, likely used lens technology to get their fine details.

// donjuan carlos, beginning of the end, watercolor on paper, 2023, 10x8

// tree frogs, 2023 oil on canvas 16h x 20w in

// little kingfisher, 2023 oil on canvas 9h x 12w in

Isabelle du Toit’s crisp paintings continue these traditions.

The level of detail du Toit uses in her paintings is uncanny.

The painting titled Cerulean Warblers kept me staring for a long time. I felt like the little birds in the oil painting would leap out upon my hand. I stood in front of the painting, overcome by the details. I made a quick sketch of the

work because I wanted a reason to linger a little longer.

Isabelle du Toit follows the tradition of painters who create a staged scene. Artists like Caravaggio or Francisco de Zurbarán would compose a work with lighting that looked like a theater stage. I remember the Meadows Museum’s exhibition of Francisco de Zurbarán in 2018. Some works

had dramatic lighting that focused the viewer’s attention on the main subject. Zurbarán painted the background black to add to the drama. Zurbarán painted Agnus Dei, displayed in the Museo Del Prado, Madrid, Spain. Agnus Dei is a detailed and realistic depiction of a bound lamb staged on a grey table with a black background. Isabelle

du Toit’s animals are also theatrically staged in a spotlighted scene, also highly detailed.

An element not approached by many artists for fear of becoming kitsch or sentimental is the element of whimsy.

Frog on Mushroom is an example of whimsy. The frog looks at the viewer while perched on the mushroom.

// mesia, 2023 oil on canvas 24h x 30w in

// giovanni valderas, shadow pilgrimage, 2023, wood, paper, glue, tissue paper,acrylic, 37.5 x 40 x 5

// cerulean warblers, 2023 oil on canvas 24h x 20w in

// mouse, 2023 oil on canvas 9h x 12w in

Initially, the frog appears cute, but as you look a little longer it seems to be resting yet a little tense. The playful scene still shows a little bit of seriousness. I think it takes a lot of courage to play near the line of kitsch, but Isabelle du Toit’s approach always keeps in mind the encroachment of humans on nature. This tension in her mind keeps the paintings engaging and relevant. I get a sense of both the subdued and the sublime.

Isabelle du Toit’s group of paintings will be on display through December 30th at Cris Worley Fine Arts. in the middle gallery. Harry Geffert’s show is in the front gallery.

His sculpture show will be up through December 16th. //crisworley.com

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ARCHITECTURAL

ADVOCACY

by Kendal Morgan

// winner landmark award: fountain place nikola olic // structurephotography

// cabana hotel

The historical buildings of Dallas owe their future to the activists of Preservation Dallas.

much harder to save historic one and two-story buildings in areas not protected under landmark status.”

As a city that prides itself on a “bigger, better, newer” attitude, Dallas nonetheless supports an organization whose lifeblood is the passionate preservation of private homes and public structures—Preservation Dallas.

Yet that’s exactly what Preservation Dallas has managed to do since their founding in 1972. What was then the Historic Preservation League had the broad mission of preserving and revitalizing Dallas’ buildings, neighborhoods, and other historical and cultural resources. After convincing City Council to adopt the Dallas Preservation Ordinance a year later, they spent the ensuing decades preserving structures from Munger Place to Swiss Avenue, Harwood Street to Fair Park.

Development has always been an issue in Dallas, we’ve seen it all the way from the 1900s until now. It’s a constant battle, especially now that the city has nowhere to expand or spread out anymore. They’ve up-zoned a lot of areas that previously been duplex lots, and it’s become

// the statlerpool : credit: lisa petrole photography

Renamed Preservation Dallas in 1994, the organization expanded its advocacy efforts in the ensuing decade with outreach programs, outings, and seminars. By the time the clean lines of mid-century modern architecture returned to vogue in the mid-noughties, the PD had managed to make sweeping changes in the city’s historic preservation ordinance.

Residents who appreciated historic homes now had the support to assure development didn’t threaten significant structures 40 years or older; and the preservation of significant buildings—including the Knights of Pythias, The Statler, Old Dallas High School (Crozier Tech), and the Cabana Motor Hotel—solidified the organization’s mission into the 21st century.

With a current 17 conservation districts and 21 historical districts plus 130 individually designated landmarks, Preservation Dallas has made a large dent in doing their part to save the city’s notable structures, but there’s still much work to do.

“There’s a constant barrage of new developments. In Preston Hollow, houses are coming down every week. We don’t have the physical capacity to save them all, but we try and advocate as much as we can for buildings that have impact beyond that building. It could be an example of a school that could have an impact on how other schools are treated—it’s all on a case by case basis.”

Preservation Dallas spends much of their time working with developers, property owners, and architects, as well as hours at city hall and city council advocating in favor of or against issues that affect preservation.

// old dallas high school (crozier cech)

// the statler scout - credit lisa petrole photography

“It’s really important to preserve historic buildings, they’re a visual connection to our past, what Dallas was, what it is now, how far it’s changed and come.

Having old and new buildings together makes it a more vibrant city. Some people feel preservation is a roadblock, but it’s been shown all over the country that historic districts tend to retain their value better during the up and downswings of the real estate market.”

Residents interested in taking a deeper dive into what makes Dallas architecturally significant can explore some of PD’s events, become a member for $75 ($25 // the statler elevator bank - credit lisa petrole photography

// the statler - credit lisa petrole photography

// the statler - credit lisa petrole photography

for students), or donate. During “Preservation Month” each May, awards are given to outstanding work and individuals in the field, and the calendar is packed with activities including tours of notable spaces, lectures and book signings. A tour of an architecturally significant home or garden occurs every October, and a twice-yearly intensive introduction to historic Dallas is open to the public (and can be transferred into education credits for aspiring realtors).

Preservation Dallas recommends a drive-by exploration of the different parts of our city on your own—the early 20th century homes of East Dallas, Preston Hollow’s mid-century structures, the charming craftsmen homes

of Oak Cliff and Lakewood’s Spanish Revival and Tudor houses “Our historic structures are really just a visual reminder of our past, so people can come to Dallas and see what it was in the early 1900s or the 1950s or where we are now. People can go to Dallas Heritage Village and see wonderful structures from the 1800s to the 1900s, or go to Fair Park and see wonderful Art Deco buildings. You just drive through the neighborhoods and you get to see a lot of historic great houses. There are gems all over.” // preservationdallas.org

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your modern

calendar

Modern events and activities make for fun around the Metroplex.

SOTO + GUERRERO - DEC06 Dallas Architecture Forum

WALKING TOURS Discover the Arts District + Fair Park Tram Tour Ad Ex InTown Outings

PRESERVATION DALLAS BIANCA BONDI + CHLOE CHIASSON Dallas Contemporary

GROUNDSWELL: WOMEN OF LAND ART Nasher Sculpture Center

AFRO-ATLANTIC HISTORIES ABRAHAM ANGEL: BETWEEN WONDER AND SEDUCTION Dallas Museum Of Art

JAPAN, FORM & FUNCTION EXHIBITION Crow Museum Of Asian Art

JAUNE QUICK-TO-SEE SMITH The Modern Art Museum

THE WORLD OUTSIDE: LOUISE NELSON AT MIDCENTURY The Amon Carter Museum of American Art

modern

art galleries

Modern art, exhibits, around the Metroplex.

MORE CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN ART CURATED BY BENITO HUERTA Kirk Hopper Fine Art

DOUGLAS LEON CARTMEL Holly Johnson Gallery

MARY VERNON Valley House Gallery

CHUCK + GEORGE + JEANNE NEAL ro2art

ISABELLE DU TOIT Cris Worley Gallery

DANNY WILLIAMS + ANN STAUTBERG Barry Whistler Gallery

TED LARSON + JULES BUCK JONES + JEFFREY CHONG WANG Conduit Gallery

THEODORE ALLEN + SOMETHING TO DO WITH PLEASURE 12. 26

FRANK MORBILLO + JEANIE GOODEN + PATRICK PIETROPOLI Craighead Green Gallery

MICHAEL DAVIS + EMMANUEL GILLESPIE + RAPHAEL CRUMP Pencil On Paper Gallery

JOHN MILLER Meliksetian | Briggs