Christopher Cascio's 'Culture Club' at Basket Books & Art: A Review

Christopher Cascio's exhibition 'Culture Club' at Basket Books & Art in Houston, on view through August 30, 2026, presents a dense installation of collaged paintings and paper works. The show, which the reviewer has followed for 15 years, features cut-out images on canvas and smaller works, arranged in a manner reminiscent of an 80s rock club like CBGB. The artist's imagery draws from themes of drugs, girls, comics, and horror, reflecting a young man's escapist interests. The installation includes walls painted in muted colors with white negative-space patterns and other walls papered with black-and-white printouts of tabloid headlines and prurient content. The reviewer notes the influence of Richard Prince's rephotography strategies. A central totem-like column of joined paintings interrupts the space, adding to the sense of compression. Recurring motifs include masks and totemic figures, evoking ancient rituals and psychedelic experiences. The show also includes a shelf with empty prescription bottles, hinting at personal vulnerability. Cascio's past exhibitions at Foltz Fine Art, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, and Devin Borden Gallery are referenced, showing his range from abstract fabric works to obsessive collections of objects. The review concludes by questioning the artist's compulsion and the confessional nature of the work.