Jack Massing's Trash

Thinking About the Efficacy of Political Art

In the early 1980s, Jack Massing met Michael Galbreth. Both were art students at the University of Houston. They began an artistic partnership that they named the Art Guys that lasted until 2019, when Galbreth died. When I think of the work the Art Guys produced, I think of somewhat dry, humorous brain-teasers. Qualities that I don’t usually associate with the Art Guys’ artwork are politics or activism. Their work together has always struck me as about irony and logic. As an ironic nerd myself, this was art that appealed to me a lot. I was proud to participate in several of the Art Guys performances when they celebrated 30 years together in 2013.

What do you do when your artistic partner for over 35 years dies? On one hand, you have 30 years of momentum that is unlikely to just disappear. Things that were important to you prior to your partner’s demise will still be important. It may be that the work you do after your artistic partnership is over will be similar to what came before. In the case of Massing’s solo work, which I’ve seen a few days ago at Houston Christian University in an exhibit called “One Man’s Trash” and last year at the Locke Surls Center for Art and Nature group show, A Gift From the Bower. In both, Massing keeps the humor and logic, and adds political activism to the mix.

The photo above is of the Hall Wall Install, a series signs made from plastic six-pack holders (I’m sure these common objects have a name—but like most disposable items, it’s not important enough to learn what that name is). Massing is the center figure in the photo above. Students were invited to reinstall cans into the holders.