Teens’ ‘Perspectives 189’ at Contemporary Museum
Memorial resident Lynn Huynh knows what it means to suffer for one’s art.
To compile video clips of what she calls “oppression and progression in humanity,” Huynh, 16, endured repeated viewings of brutal archival footage.
“I thought, ‘This is real people. It’s not scripted,’ ” she said. “I was really shaken.
“It was stunning, in a pretty bad way.”
Huynh’s art installation, ”Self History,” is on display through July 12 at Contemporary Art Museum Houston as part of the exhibit “Perspectives 189: From the Margins,” which opened May 1 as the annual presentation of CAMH’s Teen Council.
The exhibition focuses on marginalization and its personal, political and social manifestations.
On view are works by 48 Houston-area teenagers, chosen from more than 400 submissions, in a variety of media ranging from
photography and video to sculpture and installation.
Huynh, whose parents are Son Huynh and Van On of Memorial, is a sophomore at Carnegie Vanguard High School in Montrose.
Three Memorial High School students won spots in the exhibition with their drawings: Jihyeon Joung, with “Father’s Wrinkles,” Kassandra Zuniga, whose work is untitled, and Katherine Anderson, with “Zambia.”
The Kinkaid School is represented by a video installation that artist Rebecca Roff titled “Senescence.”
Connor Mizell, 17, who recently completed his sophomore year at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, photographed mostly homeless people in downtown Houston for his selection, “Homosapiens,” a 40” by 40” canvas of 16 black and white images.
“Black and white was my favorite part,” said Mizell, “because everyone should get to paint their own colors.
“We should all identify as equals and not paint our colors on their images.”
Several of the works speak to body image, including a photograph of four girls in jeans, called “Are You Thin Enough.”
Other artists tackled immigration, teen angst and the influence of technology.
Huynh’s artwork claims an entire corner of the museum’s Zilkha Gallery and includes a full-length mirror that hangs horizontally across the video projection.
“The mirror allows the audience to see their reflection while absorbing historical knowledge,” said Huynh.
She added that a standout in the exhibition is “The 8%,” a hanging mobile in which Post Oak High School student Matthew Watowich employed roses, wood and wire to illustrate the tragedy of teenage suicide.
Of the 300 roses in the mobile, 8 percent are real, destined to wilt and die over the span of the exhibit.
“It’s an incredibly emotional piece,” said Mizell.
CAMH’s Teen Council is a group of students 15 to 19 who meet weekly to explore the arts and create youth-oriented museum exhibits and events.
“Perspectives 189: From the Margins” is accompanied by a 13-page catalogue with images of the installation and a checklist of featured works.