Public Art In Motion At Houston’s Pennzoil Place

Over the next several weeks, the two-artist team DeeJon will captivate building occupants as they create 3-D art in the lobby of this Class A building.

Metropolis Investment Holdings Inc. and Transwestern have announced that artist team DeeJon is hosting a live artist experience in the Pennzoil Place lobby. The two-tower, 36-story property in Houston, TX, distinguished by its trapezoidal silhouette, is owned by Metropolis Investment Holdings. This public art installation is on display from February 19 to March 16, 2018. And, a streaming video feed is currently available on the property’s website.

public art
Rendering of how the installation at Pennzoil Place in Houston will evolve

DeeJon is an imaginative dialogue between two distinguished Houston artists, Dandee Warhol and Marjon F. Aucoin. The team is creating a 3-D installation in the lobby at 711 Louisiana Street in Houston. Open to the public, this event is the second of several live artist experiences held at the building.

“Our series of live art engagements commemorates the rich history and timeless design of Pennzoil Place, as well as the unique culture found in the city of Houston,” said Joseph Hebert, senior property manager with Transwestern, which provides leasing and management service for the building. “Architect Philip Johnson shaped the Houston skyline with his innovative design of Pennzoil Place, and we are honoring that legacy by cultivating live, experiential art and excitement in downtown Houston.”

Through use of materials like textiles, jewelry, and wood, the two artists offer a collection that blurs the viewer’s distinction between reality and fantasy. Wooden canvases serve as the first layer for the DeeJon piece, with the ebb and flow of their naturally occurring contours to suggest the shape of layers to come. The background of each painting is molded by Dandee in vivid colors set to aesthetic themes like the cosmos, the cross section of marble, swatches of fabric, and pop art. The foreground of each painting features a model, beautiful yet rendered in a way that constrains their proportions to a generic appeal. Painted by Marjon, they don apparel selected for their richness and texture, in many ways a contrast to and reflection of their respective backgrounds.