What was the first piece of art that really mattered to you?

Portrait of Sandra (1973-74) by Frank Auerbach. I’ve only ever encountered it in the Robert Hughes book. The picture of the charcoal on paper piece is accompanied by a suite of photographs that document its progression. It encompasses the most important aspects of image making to me: urgency of marks, pragmatic materiality and a composition deeply affected by process. It's a visceral and haunting portrait of a woman that happens to feel as much about time as it does formal issues even if you don't see the photographic evolution.

What is your favourite city to see art in?

The next place I haven’t been to yet! I live for the surprise. I’ll never forget how the Museum of Folk Art in Santa Fe unexpectedly blew my mind even after seeing the O’Keeffe museum, Ghost Ranch and Bandelier National Monument.

What is your favourite neighbourhood spot?

It’s gone. Misti Norris, please come back to us in Oak Cliff! My best dining experiences in Dallas were when she cooked out of the kitchen at Small Brewpub just blocks from our house near the historic Texas Theater. There, I made my case in public. Hope it works!

What is your most memorable art moment?

Personally, when the curators at the Louvre included my painting in their book: Fragonard/ regards croisés in 2007. I couldn't believe I was in the same pages as so many of my heroes.

In terms of a moment outside of myself: When I read about Dave Hickey taking off all the frames from a selection of paintings in the permanent collection at the Dallas Museum of Art in 1990. It changed so much about the way I think about the idea of framing and contextualizing art history. I love that I had no idea I would end up moving to Dallas more than a decade later for unrelated reasons.

What is your favorite book?

An obscure novel I read as a teenager by Canadian author Carol Shields - The Republic of Love.