“Most Improved,” Lance Flowers’ assembly of collages for his exhibition at the Community Artists’ Collective, addresses the philosophical concept of Anicca, the Buddhist doctrine of impermanence.
An opening reception will be held at The Collective, 4101 San Jacinto, Suite 116, on Saturday, November 16, from 3 to 5 p.m. The artwork will be on display beginning Saturday, November 9.
Flowers, who will give an artist talk Saturday, November 23, from 4 to 6 p.m., explains that he is channeling an awakening by repurposing the objects around him.
“In Buddhist philosophy, suffering arises from becoming overly attached to one form or idea of form,” he states.
“I incorporate the principle Anicca (meaning everything is changing) and mindfulness in my collages. By changing an object’s story, I hope to alter its intention.
“Recently I have implemented packaging with a focus on luxury goods. These boxes and bags were once symbols of material wealth and great status. Now empty with their contents dissected and their purposes fulfilled, these items inevitably would have decayed as their life cycle concluded,” he contends.
“Consumerism often dissects us in similar fashion. Logo vs. logos; the human condition is paralleled with a new plot twist. This is my Houston story, our comeback; this is us “Most Improved.”
Flowers is a multi-disciplined artist native to the greater Houston area with strong ties to TSU and the Third Ward community. He formerly teamed with Complex Magazine, the Beam Suntory investment group and the late fashion mogul Jonas Bevacqua through his LRG clothing imprint. His work is travelled and collected nationally. He has participated in Houston’s Project Row Houses and was awarded MFAH 5A’s "Best of Show.” His first city-funded Houston Arts Alliance grant was in 2013.
Earlier he collaborated with UCLA professor and Suzanne Deal Booth Art Prize recipient, Rodney McMillian. The audio/visual collaboration premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco where it ran for four months. Flowers briefly put his own art on the back burner to focus on civic work and help establish the Houston Public Library's internal art program, where he served as chairman alongside HPL Director Dr. Rhea Lawson.
Flowers recently constructed three large permanent installations for the lobby of Memorial Towers, a multi-million dollar acquisition of the Barvin Group.
His current visual offerings entitled “Most Improved” are funded once again in collaboration with the City of Houston.