The artist Mark Flood plays curator this winter with “The Future Is Ow” at Marlborough Chelsea. The prophetically titled exhibition gathers together the most futuristic work of the Houstonian’s artist circle, which includes Chris Bexar, Paul Kremer, El Franco Lee II and Susie Rosmarin. Billed as a group show governed by a common interest in digital printing, it celebrates years of fruitful friendship both in and out of the studio — and the informal layout, which includes a mattress floor and plywood fortresses, is more reminiscent of a clubhouse than an exhibition. “I get the idea and the title for a show at the same time,” explains Flood, who has been collecting his peers’ work for decades. “I don’t think the future is going to look like a James Bond movie; I think it will be some shelter where everyone sits on the floor surrounded by art.” Here, a look at Flood’s brave new world.
Paul Kremer
Paul Kremer’s paintings, some of which are based on Google searches, echo the digitized vocabulary of his fellow Houstonians. “He is so computer-savvy, he did Lou Reed’s website,” says Flood of Kremer. “I hooked him up with Susie, and they just went crazy. The clicked immediately.” Kremer’s Google search prints are contrasted in the show with his abstract paintings, which demonstrate a more hands-on form of artistry. These simple geometric compositions add a breath of minimalism to the otherwise maximalist display. Rosmarin echoes her collaborator’s claims: “Paul can do anything, but I really love the work he is making now.”
