During the month of September 2018 I had a one-person exhibition, “Selling the Alamo,” at Mockingbird Handprints in the Blue Star Complex in San Antonio. I shot the pictures over 11 years on and around the streets of San Antonio, offering my take on what makes San Antonio a unique city: its interaction between commerce and religion, its western and military traditions, its conservative politics, and its emphasis on the outdoors and sports. Most of the photos are included in my San Antonio webpage gallery and can be seen at www.edmalcikphotography.com .
The namesake photo is of an empty building on Commerce Street which has a billboard-size picture of the Alamo in its plate-glass window, plus a realtor’s sign offering “For Sale or Lease by Owner.” When I first saw all this I thought it was a joke about the current controversy over developing the plaza around the Alamo in downtown San Antonio, making the point that the proposed changes were selling out the Texas icon. Perhaps it was a joke, but it could also just be a realtor using a picture to cover the view of an empty building with no humor intended. I don’t know, and I like the ambiguity such that I haven’t called the phone number to find out. The picture has been confused with being a reflection of the Alamo from across the street. It is not.
The exhibition had good press. The San Antonio Current recommended the opening reception and said “Malcik…has a keen eye for commentary via context that shines through.” The next issue had a commentary on the picture of the Alamo:
“This image grabs my attention on many levels. The simplicity of the way it captures the current Alamo redevelopment is perfect,” Al Rendon, photographer and owner of Rendon Photography & Fine Art.
“I’m struck by this photo’s relevance and social commentary,” Rigoberto Luna, co-director of Presa House Gallery.
“The Ed Malcik photo of the empty shop window packs a rich conceptual punch which is all the more impressive as it was a found situation, discovered by the photographer instead of staged. In one photo, the complexity of the Alamo mythology is presented and asked to be unpacked.” “(The) For Sale or Lease sign speaks to a complex relationship the city has had with the Alamo Plaza redevelopment….” Chris Sauter, artist and director of foundations and special courses at Southwest School of Art.
“I love this one—especially the seemingly unintentional statement made. Brilliant.” Kristel A. Orta-Puente, artist and curator.
For the exhibition I printed three pictures larger that the 13” x 19” size of the rest, including, of course, the Alamo picture. Another large image shows Jesus and Mary on the side of the Saltillo Grocery surrounded by ads for cigarettes and beer, making the religious figures look like salespeople. It is one of several examples in the show where religion is used to advertise products. The other big photo shows Gloria’s Bar with a sign warning that anyone caught with a knife will be “bar out.” San Antonio has a tradition of rough bars that includes the Esquire on the Riverwalk that had a uniformed officer searching everyone who entered for weapons. The bar advertised the fact with their T-shirts saying “I was frisked at the Esquire Bar.” In the exhibition’s photos I tried to capture the feeling of what San Antonio is like as seen from the street.
Ed talking at the gallery about his work..
The show had good attendance, especially for the opening and for the artist talk I gave about shooting on the street in San Antonio. I was pleased with how the exhibition was received, and with sales. Please take a look at the photos in the webpage gallery section.