art in the home “Repurpose” for a purpose: David & Ann Nell Wallace
Downtown Tyler ArtWalk June 2 • 4-8pm Great Art 2 Live Music Art Demonstrations 2 Dance Film 2 Public Art Mural Downtown Tyler ArtWalk sponsored by: Hall Buick GMC, Tyler Junior College, Austin Bank, East Texas Radio Group & Piney Woods Live Magazine As you meander through the city streets of downtown Tyler during one of the art walk events, you may encounter an “open house” sign in front of a basement apartment underneath the Downtown Coffee Lounge. If the sign says “living art exhibit,” you will have found the home of David and Ann Nell Wallace. Do not miss the opportunity to take a peek inside. On a recent day, David and Ann Nell conducted a tour for us. David, the resident chef, and now featured artist of the Downtown Coffee Lounge, and his wife of 25 years inhabit this metro chic, ultra modern home that might well be found in upscale areas of cities much larger than Tyler. Everything inside is well arranged and appears to be meticulously designed to fit within the limited space available. Art objects complement the walls. Sculptures occupy strategic floor locations. An elegant
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theme runs through the urban basement home. The secret this apartment holds is that nearly all of the furnishings inside, including all of the art, resided for a time at Goodwill, Habitat Restore or the Salvation Army Thrift Store. That is, if David himself has not previously used it to the end of its useful life, received it as a cast-off, or pulled it from a dumpster. The Wallaces sold their conventional country home a year ago and moved into the apartment. “The first time I showed the space to Ann Nell she took one look and said, ‘No way!’” says David. Nonetheless, David managed to convince her that the space had potential. Soon they found that they could not use most of the items from their old home because they were unable to fit them through the door at the bottom of the entry stairs. Suddenly they were faced with the need to furnish and decorate 2,500 square feet of space. “We needed lots of interesting new things that would brighten up an underground apartment. And it had to be inexpensive. That was my motivation to start producing art.” Old keyboards, cigarette packs, plastic cake molds, toys, computer fans with moving parts, and many other items have been precisely arranged in pleasing compositions and Gorilla Glued in place. A computer desk has risen out of the ashes like a phoenix and now resides center stage as the faux marble formal dining table, hand-painted and etched with a Sharpie; a piece that might be mistaken for an item purchased from the finest of furniture stores. A visitor favorite in the home is a pasteboard carton, formerly holding a flat screen TV, painted black, covered with white ovals of various sizes, and so transformed into an art piece so versatile that it can be mounted in any orientation and still captivate the viewer. Viewed at various angles, it’s feng shui, bubbles, eggs, stones, but always random and beautiful. Another of David’s impressive industrial works is electrical conduit pipe cut at different lengths and then planted inside two contemporary black planters. A sensational impression of technology meeting nature.
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