In May, when I was in Dallas for Jordan’s wedding, my parents and I took a trip to the Dallas Contemporary in the Dallas Design District.

 

 

Dallas Contemporary
Dallas, Texas

The first piece we saw at the gallery wasn’t actually in the gallery, but outside it. One of the more controversial works of art of recent time, Playboy Marfa by Richard Phillips was installed roadside in Marfa last year. It’s a large neon Playboy sign placed above a black, stylized dodge charger on a tilted concrete table.

The piece immediately drew criticism and was eventually dismantled after TxDOT ruled that it is in fact an unpermitted advertisement and not art. The ensuing discussion then called into question the future of another work, Prada Marfa, arguably the most popular work of art in Marfa.

The key difference between the two however is that Playboy paid for Playboy Marfa to be placed in land not permitted for signs while Prada Marfa was done without any support from Prada and was placed in leased, privately owned land. This allowed Prada Marfa to be classified as a museum with the piece itself the only exhibit of that museum.

After being dismantled, Playboy Marfa was moved to Dallas and if I’m not mistaken, is still there.

 

Playboy Marfa

 

 

 

A Close-up of the Playboy sign

 

There were quite a few other works on display, but none piqued my interest as much as one we came to see, Anila Quayyum Agha‘s Intersections

 

 

Intersections is an elegant piece composed of only laser-cut wood, a single light bulb and an empty room.

The artist may have intended it as an exploration of geometric patterns from Islamic sacred spaces, but I see it as an extremely pure piece of design.

I really wish I could have seen the sketches and prototypes that she went through before achieving this final result. I can’t imagine the number of iterations required to reach a result this minimal.

 

Intersections

 

Shadows cast by viewers are an amazing facet of this work. They make viewers part of the art in a way that normally isn’t possible with non-interactive, static works of art.

 

Self Portrait

 

I was blown away when I first saw photographs of it, but this work of art is truly something that needs to be experienced in person. Go see it.

 

 

 

Cosmic Cafe
Dallas, Texas

After leaving the gallery and then walking around the Design District, we got dinner before returning to Plano. Since we were nearby, we stopped by one of our favorite vegetarian restaurants, Cosmic Cafe. If you are in the area and like simple, asian-inspired fusion food, then this is well worth a try.

 

 

As we sat down waiting for our food, I was reminded how lucky I am to have my parents. They are supportive of all my interests and keep very open minds. Even though art wasn’t a big part of their lives growing up, they didn’t think twice when I suggested that we go to an art gallery.

Thanks amma and appa. The fact that you not only help me cultivate my interests, but also make a concerted effort to understand and enjoy them yourselves speaks to the amazing people that you are.