Detroit Originals T-shirt Art Contest - $100 Prize
Have your original art reproduced on a Detroit Originals T-shirt.

Help to convey a positive image of our city.

Make a difference in the continued renaissance of Detroit and publicize your own art at the same time.

Contest Rules

Designs must convey a positive image or message about the city of Detroit, and be easily reproduced by one-color silkscreen process.

Complete the license form and submit it with your one or two color, two-dimensional design in hard copy no larger than 11 x 14 inches or digital file (TIF or JPG format only) at minimum 300 dpi resolution to:

Art Contest
Detroit Originals LLC
220 Bagley Suite 828
Detroit, MI 48226

Digital submissions may be sent to:
artcontest@detroitoriginals.com

Please include biographical information, artist’s statement, resume, your web site URL or any other information that will help us to publicize you and your art work.

No more than three submissions will be considered from any one artist.

IMPORTANT: CONTEST DEADLINE
Designs must be submitted by Sept. 23, 2006.

Contest judging will take place Sept. 30, 2006.

Winning contestant will be notified by Oct. 15, 2006 via email or telephone.

We reserve the right to use your name and art to promote Detroit Originals. In the process, we will also promote you and your art through the use of the Detroit Originals web site, press releases, blogs and/or other forms of publicity, at our discretion.

Judging is strictly at the discretion of Detroit Originals LLC. We reserve the right to not accept any entry that does not meet the criteria established in the contest rules.
www.detroitoriginals.com

Bohemian National Home
Through September 2, 2006
3009 Tillman, Detroit
Located on Tillman (22nd St.) and Butternut, one block north of Michigan Avenue,
just a few blocks west of I-96.

The Bohemian’s cracked plaster walls and all around very Detroit interior play host to an acknowledged odd pairing, Dave Roberts and Anne Fracassa, who perhaps could not be conceptually further apart, with the only thread between them being a connection to the gallery’s director, Jerome Ferreti. As Fracassa is sensuous and sentimental (in a non pejorative way), Roberts is crude, raw, and whimsical.

In some other way, both artists also relate to the place – Roberts’ work fits the makeshift nature of the gallery, and Fracassa’s views of a city on the crossroads between decay and revitalization speaks to the growth of this space.

The main body of Roberts’ work is a series of landscapes featuring a bright pink, unexploded bomb that more than a little bit resembles a condom or nippled shape. The bombs have all landed in exotic, vacation seeming places. The very non-threatening pink color of the bomb has leached into the landscape. It’s friendly in that way we could imagine propaganda cartoons about the bomb being dropped as leaflets on some battleground. In an era when our leaders believed “we’d be greeted as liberators” despite bombing the hell out of the people, Roberts’ images speak volumes in their whimsy.

Roberts offers another body of work of a more personal nature, more loosely drawn (think cartoonist Edward Sorel of The Nation and The New Yorker) almost Mandala-like in their circularity, representing perhaps a transformative journey for the figures within. His final body of work is kept hidden just outside the main gallery, and brings new meaning to the word “Kitty Porn.” And I’ll leave it at that.

Fracassa, whether painting on paper or bricks, brings an ethereal touch to her compositions of Detroit. The places always seem to glow, a moonlighting effect, and the softness of the rendering isn’t unlike Cybil Shepard in show of that name. There’s a perpetual haze in the air, of clouds and industrial plumes, which give off a different sort of glow. The city is empty, yet despite that she’s captured something beautiful, almost magical. Even in depicting a city in abandonment, these are full of hope, as is her commitment to this city, which shows in the delicate caring nature of the paintings and the very real reclamation projects she’s been involved in.

Many of the works on paper deal with a crossroads, which as stated above speaks to this moment in time of the city, but of a more personal nature as well. With each moment we are confronted by choices, to step right or step left. Our lives, who we become tomorrow are all linked to these decisions. Some seem monumental, and perhaps paralyze us, while others we make as simply as crossing the street, though their effects may be no less impactful. The crossroads become quite literal elements of composition as well as iconic symbols for something deeper. The strength of Fracassa’s work is that she doesn’t simply depict the town (though she does that quite beautifully) but that she infuses it with such personal dimensions, that allow the viewer to connect to the work far more than through just the locations. Through images of place, she finds voice for something quite human. – Nick Sousanis
ws@thedetroiter.com

More Fracassa, click here.

For a photo gallery and essay by Fracassa from our archives, please click here.

“To explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations.”

A slew of persistent requests and reminders prompted your arts editor to boldly go where he’s never gone before – that’s right, thedetroiter.com went to Brighton to check out their first public sculpture Biennial. The exhibition had gotten some press – mostly on account of CCS sculpture professor Jay Holland’s nude male figurative sculpture, which was greeted with a “Footloose town”-like response from a vocal minority of Brightonians. Sadly, not so much had been written about the actual art, and I headed there with little idea of what to expect.

As it turned out, the show ended up being more than a pleasant surprise – to be sure, it was worth the trip. It’s a pretty high caliber exhibition, for the most part consisting of some well known Michigan and national sculptors, mixed in with a few less known up and comers, and even a couple local participants.

“A Magical Mystery Tour Is Waiting To Take You Away”

My particular tour of the exhibition started near the local CVS drugstore, with CCS sculptor professor Chido Johnson’s larger than life carved limestone head “Bob.” The face looks skyward, with a leeringly celebratory grin, and in reading more from Johnson’s statement we learn this “Bob” references the character from a TV commercial for a male “enhancement” product. The piece is delightfully expressive, and its location next to the pharmacy is perfectly appropriate. This is a great place to have started viewing the exhibition, as Johnson’s piece’s immediate accessibility coupled with its more subtle meaning and overall scale set the tone that this is to be a grand and varied tour.

That this exhibition is the real deal is quickly confirmed in crossing the street from “Bob” into the start of a small park area, inhabited by a grove of larger sculptures including noted Detroit sculptor Ray Katz’ “Evolution One.” It’s a towering piece of simple geometric forms and bright primary colors. Katz’ piece was the first of the sculptures to be installed, and as such, it was the first to get Brighton’s vociferous letter-to-the-editor writing folks riled up. Comments in the paper included calling it a “cluttered up junkyard,” which at least in its current state (to be fair, when first installed it was apparently in need of a paint job) is anything but the case. One could argue that having people talking is better than silence, and since another 26 sculptures were subsequently installed, there’s no doubt this was the start of something. Immediately surrounding Katz’ piece are Jim Lawton’s bright orange, horizontal sculpture, Todd Erickson’s rusting relic “American Beauty,” and David Deming’s “Centurion.” This is an impressive gathering of sculptures all within a few feet of one another and all possessing significant scale and serious compositions.

An entire tour of the Biennial includes works by renowned Detroit sculptors like Bob Sestok and his steel geometrical construction “Logic,” Sergio De Giusti, whose relief piece was temporarily de-installed at this viewing, John Piet, Phaedra Robinson, and many more. (The complete list can be found here.) There’s a piece by Charles McGee, a dance of human forms cut into ribbons of metal. It’s displayed prominently above a bank by Brighton’s Mill Pond, which brings up the issue of placement in such an exhibition. McGee’s piece is so lively, and might work great in a more active thoroughfare, yet by placing it as it is, it is given a place of importance, and not just hurried by. If hanging art in a gallery takes great consideration, so must the issues increase in placing works outdoors in a far more permanent setting. As it stands, McGee’s piece works great here, and its proximity to the water allows for excellent viewing of its reflection.

As with Johnson’s “Bob” by the drugstore, each piece is located rather fittingly. For instance, Tom Rudd’s “Three Fish,” literally three sculpted fish, are set afloat in the pond alongside the expansive boardwalk. These fish look good on land, but it’s a nice touch that adds to the strength of the work. Ken Thompson’s “Standing Arch,” a curved, half-ladder form, was perhaps placed too well, as installed near a truly wonderful playground and jungle gym area, it was apparently too tempting for children to want to climb up! A short fence has subsequently been erected more clearly delineating the sculpture from the play equipment.

In an open alley walk way, Cynthia McKean’s three welded together square steel frames, seem weightless. Each square exists in a different plane, like doorways, or windows to another place. Piet Lindhout’s “The Bird” is just that, a geometrical bird form in flight, resting on a pivot on a towering, curving stand of three elongated triangles of metal. The breeze causes the bird to turn and bob on its pivot. In some way this is one of the most essential pieces of the Biennial, not so much because it is the strongest piece, but it has a high crossover potential. That is the form is instantly recognizable and playful gives it broad appeal, yet it is not simply illustrative and helps inform understanding of the more challenging pieces in the Biennial.

“Let’s Give Them Something To Talk About.”

As for the piece that set so many folks atwitter? Jay Holland’s “Decision Pending”? Considering that Phaedra Robinson’s sculpture depicts a quadruple breasted and undressed female torso, that this got so much attention seems a terrific example of the double standard in regards to male and female nudity. However, even if one is bothered by a display of genitalia, there’s just not much to see. (If anything male viewers might be more than a little bit uncomfortable at this otherwise quite masculine figure’s as being spectacularly unendowed – reminiscent of the post-operative fictional transsexual Hedwig and his remaining “angry inch.” (Now perhaps by crossing this figure with the same Viagra-like drug manufacturer as Chido Johnson’s “Bob” one might really cause a stir!)) In all seriousness, Holland’s created a figure at once strong, yet (pun unintended) impotent. With fist raised for action, the figure becomes contemplative and resigned to wait. In the utter non-specificity of his features, he becomes strongly iconic and a symbol of everyman.

“Who was that masked man, anyway?”

It’s an impressive and wide range of forms: some small and some very large; representational and abstract; serious and somewhat lighthearted. Spread out throughout the town, the tour makes for a nice circuitous path to experience the art works and the downtown area in a different light. The combination of art and landscape makes for a really satisfying experience. So we might ask how did Brighton pull off an exhibition of this caliber? Before answering that question, let’s take a look at one final piece.

It’s John Sauvé’s “Strum,” a flat steel panel with the silhouette of a person in a very rock and roll pose removed, leaving this active negative form. Sauvé (pronounced “So-vay”) has been acting as the tour guide this whole time, and much like the absence of figure in his composition, he’s left his own role in Biennial project somewhat understated. As it turns out his contribution runs far beyond that of ardent supporter, but indeed as organizer and person who really made all of this happen. In taking in the scope of the exhibition, you come to realize what a huge task this is meaning that somebody had to find the artists, get them to commit to the exhibition, get the work to town (some of it quite immense), install it, construct permanent pedestals for each piece, all with approval from the city. No small thing for an entire arts organization, let alone one man.

“This looks like a job for Superman.”

I can’t say Sauvé is mild-mannered. He’s fast talking, with a warm sarcastic side. This overall outgoing manner seems well matched for his day job in medical sales, but completely masks his unbelievable devotion to the arts and community, and the sincerity with which it comes from.

The Biennial project first came about three years ago in a conversation between Sauvé and Piet Lindhout, the town’s architect (whose piece “The Bird” was discussed above). Lindhout set forth to layout the potential locations for the pieces, while Sauvé worked the political angles to make it all possible. In a small town with no experience with public arts, this was no small task. Eventually this would include establishing the Mayor’s Commission for Art in Public Places in Brighton that would oversee the project. But it was a difficult road the entire way, as such things are, and even included a changeover in mayors smack dab in the middle of it.

Beyond politics, Sauvé had to work with the diverse body of artists, and basically make things so amenable to them, “that they couldn’t say no.” To do this he would commit himself to building pedestals, transporting sculptures, and more, all around his job job, making his own work, and time with his family – his wife and two young daughters. With the first installation of Katz’s piece last November, the pace quickened until reaching a feverish pitch the last two months before the June opening.

This may have been one Herculean task, but nothing new for Sauvé. As he says, “Art has always been everything to me.” And in learning more about him, there’s no doubt that that’s true. Sauvé received art history and marketing degrees from Michigan State University, and later a master’s in arts administration. This led to a job assisting E. Ray Scott, the founder of the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA), in developing the Michigan Council for the Arts in Public Places, which included such prominent members of the art community as Charles McGee and Sergio De Giusti, and was responsible for among other things, the Art in the Stations murals.

Sauvé would eventually settle in Brighton with his family, working whatever jobs could feed his art making habit, and been steadily involved in a stream of public art related projects since. Five years ago, he started the Brighton International Film Festival and Art EXPO, a one to two night event that gets kids involved in learning about filmmaking and art, in an effort to help keep them off the streets and offer them an avenue to express themselves.

Sauvé’s also been heavily involved in the Boys and Girls Club of Oakland County, and speaks strongly about the club’s positive impact on children, “This place truly saves lives.” While he reiterates an earlier statement with an addendum, “art is everything, but this makes it all worthwhile.” To this end, he created 40 eight foot wood sculptures that kids from the club can use as raw canvases to do what they want with, all of which will be on display throughout Oakland County starting this September. In addition, he’s established the “Sauvé Art Foundation” to help fund the film festival, other educational art projects and in general help to bring public arts to the community.

When asked, “So why do all this?” Sauvé speaks of his love for art, and when pressed further about the Biennial in particular, he responds simply, “I wanted to show my girls you can do anything if you put your mind to it.” And certainly his series of projects and their impact on people’s lives is testament to just that.

As for the Biennial, well the work may all be in place, but there’s plenty left to do. There’s a website to get up and running, more plaques to be installed, some finishing touches on some of the installation on the sculptures, and fundraising to begin this fall in order to purchase the works to make them permanent. (Sauvé financed much of getting the works here and in place out of his own pocket.) And then, in two short years, it will be time for Brighton Biennial Two!!

The trip to Brighton is not to be missed, especially in the remaining sun filled days of summer and early fall. It’s quite an accomplishment and may even make you start to think about the possibilities that exist for the streets where you live. – Nick Sousanis
ws@thedetroiter.com

Thanks John for being a great host and all your efforts in making this possible.

Motor City Brewing Works
4701 W. Canfield, Detroit
(Between Cass and 2nd)
313-832-2700
Every Wednesday Night, 7-11 pm
(August 23, 2006)

This week features not a single artist, but something different all together in the form of 10eastern, an online communal art blogging experiment brought to life by Rich Vogel. The works are by folks who submit “drawrings” and found photos to the website, and it’s sure to be a wildly diverse body of images on display. For more info check out the website: or the MetroTimes story.

Last week saw Bryant Tillman’s pastels and paintings, in which he sold most of his work for a song. This “blue light special” on art was last seen with Scott Hocking’s appearance – giving viewers a fun opportunity to own a piece of work from well respected Detroit artists.

If you missed your chance to catch Tillman’s work, check out a past review here.

Week in and week out, Wednesday nights have proven to be educational and a valuable experience. For artists this has meant a chance to try out work in mini-shows and given up and comers a shot to be seen. Perhaps just as importantly the atmosphere has been such as to provoke conversations on art and more that have gone on long past closing time. So come check it out, sample (in moderation!) what the owner John Linardos and the good folks at Motor City brew up each day (an undeniable artistry in its own right) and enjoy yourselves. We’ll see you there. – Nick Sousanis
ws@thedetroiter.com

Upcoming
aug 30 heather jarosz

(For more on the man who makes this all possible - bartender/curator Graem Whyte, see our four question feature here.)
(Also check out Rebecca Mazzei’s excellent profile of Motor City and This Week In Art in Metro Times.)

DAM
Runs through August 26, 2006

The Detroit Artists Market puts on a show of some things old, some things new, some things borrowed, and some things, ummm, red. The Market walls (half of which are painted an intense red) are playing host to an eyelevel arrangement of black and white prints and a few pen and ink drawings. The exhibition is a collaboration between DAM and a group of Bachelor of Fine Arts students from the University of Windsor, with works selected by the students from a Detroit private art collection.

This collaboration is a very cool and quite rare opportunity for the students in that they get to participate in the art world (the international one at that) in a very real way: they selected, framed, priced, and hung the work. And furthermore, it’s not simply a test run, as the majority of the works are for sale. The young curators wisely restricted their show, settling on black and white works on paper, and thus made possible a rich exploration of the medium. Viewers get to see the full range of print media including wood and linoleum cuts, etchings, wood engravings, lithographs, and mezzotints. It’s all too rare to see this sort of work en masse, and having it all side by side, is both educational and serves to show the potential of the medium.

In addition to sticking to a single medium, the curators also chose to focus on the theme of social realism. The works range from war and political commentary to the lifestyles and living conditions of ordinary people. Given the 150 year range of works shown, the viewer is not only offered a glimpse into the climate of the country at different points in time, but also how approaches to the print media have evolved and remained consistent.

Thomas Nast’s wood engraving, “Tammany Tiger Loose,” which originally ran in Harper’s Weekly in 1871 is likely the centerpiece of the show. The cartoonist Nast was a celebrity and is credited with popularizing the symbols of the donkey and the elephant for the democratic and republican parties respectively. This cartoon confronted corruption in the New York City political higher ups, and quite vividly depicted this corruption as a ferocious tiger mauling the Republic in female (ala Lady Liberty) form. (The show also includes an etching by painter Lucian Freud, which while not a particularly strong print, Freud’s a big name, and it’s a good choice to include among more devoted printmakers.)

The social importance of the print and cartooned image is strong throughout the show and no more so than in Howard Cook’s expressive lithographs depicting soldiers’ lives during World War II. Given the events of today, this sort of work has never been more relevant, and revisiting work past might not only shed greater light on the media, but convey the need for the current generation to address the issues of today similar fashion.

Not all the prints deal with strife and conflict, as the prints of Winslow Homer also from Harper’s, show a bit more idyllic side of life at in the late 1800s – children at play and the like. There are several strong examples displaying the high contrast of the woodcut, by Detroit artist Leo Meissner and his self portrait, as well as Sheffield Harold Kagy’s somber 1933 print “Judgement” of a bearded older man. Robert Harden’s untitled scene of urban smoke stacks makes great use of the lush, velvety black made possible by the mezzotint printing method.

In addition to seeing a window into life in past times, a few of the prints depict the printing world itself. Gustav Baumann’s “The Print Shop” shows a bit of the workings of the print studio in a colored woodcut, while Armin Landeck’s engraving of engraver’s tools lets the viewer a bit behind the scenes on what went into creating the crisp and clean print.

This is a solid exhibition, showcasing both the print and art that deals with the social conditions of the day, which print did for so long. Check it out, and note, this Saturday, August 19, the curators will be speaking about the work and their experience. A must for print fans and potential curators. – Nick Sousanis
ws@thedetroiter.com

GALLERY TALK
Saturday, August 19 from 2pm-3pm

Curators
Joe Berube
Colleen Lumley
Mary Martire
Luisa Napoli
Nadja Pelkey
Lisa Schwartzentruber
Snezana Sikman

Meet the curators of Black & White & Red All Over, a group of students from the University of Windsor's Bachelor of Fine Arts program. They will discuss their DAM gallery experience, from choosing the artwork to the finishing touches of the opening night.

Please join us Saturday, August 19th from 2-3pm.
For more information please call 313.832.8540
Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 11- 6pm

Community Arts Grand Opening

Through the revolving door of opening and closing galleries in Metro Detroit I was pleased to attend the grand opening of a stellar new gallery in Ferndale; the Community Arts Gallery in the Paramount Bank Building.

On Saturday July 29th a warm but perfect summer evening the Community Arts gallery (and the bank) opened their doors for the first time. The event was very tasteful and well-attended, which hopefully portends well for the future for this gallery and the Ferndale art scene in general.

“The Bus Stops Here” exhibit was unveiled within the newly renovated Paramount Bank building, as the introduction of the artwork paralleled the all-new interior, another accomplishment by the well-known Detroit area architect Ron Rea. It’s a modern design that immediately transports you to a place where one’s eyes and mind enjoy exploring their surroundings.

The exhibit was developed in part by Design Michigan; a Cranbrook Academy of Art program which is funded by, and operates in partnership with, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. All of the artists in this show are graduate students at Cranbrook, including the curator, Jada Schumacher. Artists featured in this show include: Aaron Blendowski, John Truex, Yu-Chin Hsiao, Patrick Casey and Shan Sutherland.

The show is an excellent example of Cranbrook work combining the big three: concept, esthetics, and function. The Cranbrook influence provides conceptual grounding, the works were esthetically pleasing and of a subject and a scale with which we all can relate. In addition to their conceptual and esthetic elements they also possess this third aspect of functionality – they are after all bus stop benches.

Civic art… art for the public… it requires people with the vision of a greater good (and the backing) to make it happen. The value of public art could be debated but the folks involved in this project are in total agreement. With the combined support of the state, the city, MDOT, the bank, and the artists an idea was proposed and ultimately executed in fine style. Congratulations to all involved for a job well done.

As for the revolving door of opening and closing galleries in Metro Detroit, we shall see what comes of the Community Arts Gallery; our hope is for a long lasting civic presence.

Tom Carbone is the Arts Calendar Editor of thedetroiter.com and an avid supporter and contributor to the worlds of fashion and device.

This Week in Art: Bryant Tillman @ Motor City Brewing Works (LWIA Ann Gordon)

Motor City Brewing Works
4701 W. Canfield, Detroit
(Between Cass and 2nd)
313-832-2700
Every Wednesday Night, 7-11 pm
(August 16, 2006)

This week sees a last minute change in the lineup, but it’s all good as it gives regular attendees of the breweries one night art stand a chance to check out Bryant Tillman’s work up close and personal. For more on Tillman’s work, check out a past review here.

Last week saw painter and arts blogger extraordinaire, Ann Gordon takes the center stage, and with her a new approach to her paintings, and now drawings and constructions in the square. Gordon has made a great departure from her urban inspired compositions, to deal with crash ups and cutups of plastic animals. It’s a pretty whole body of work, as she approaches related subject matter on a few different fronts (explained quite interestingly in her statement, re-presented below). In her drawings, the disembodied horse heads and such, (cue “Godfather” theme here), offer her the chance to play with composition. These are to be sure, quite flat imagery, more like an arrangement of puzzle pieces than representational drawings. While not entirely engaging as subject matter, they do however function quite informatively as explorations of the division of the picture plane. In turn, these speak to the more abstract painted painterly pieces. And then there are the constructions – “protrusions,” in which she’s assembled these plastic animal parts on a canvas and then stretched elastic material over the entire composition. The result is tensile structure of sorts, almost landscape, with a few “Easter Eggs” inside, where one recognizes a bump as a horse head or leg or some animal body part. The strength of all of this is conceptual and the linkage between the bodies of work, as each no doubt informs the other, as they all inform Gordon’s future. This then is one of the beauties of the one night format – less pressure to feel ok about trying something new, but still the formality of an exhibition to really think about what’s going up on the (makeshift) walls.

One other thing of note, in her other identity as a blogger, Gordon has seen a lot of art in Detroit (and elsewhere) in the last several years. It’s interesting to note some “parts” from exhibitions she’s seen over the years. For instance, in Revolution’s “So Beautiful” exhibition, Thomas Rapai presented large odd bird paintings based on hummels, and Gordon has a few rabbit and other furry animal paintings that share a bit with Rapai’s. As these same paintings too, show a hint of the Martha Stewart-inspired palette of Clint Snider’s more recent dip “paintings.” Whether such potential influences are conscious or not (or true or not), Gordon’s dedication to keeping up with the arts (on her blogsite) not only helps educate others, but helps her to continually build her own vocabulary, and is to be admired.

Parts

I grew up in a car family. My father restored vintage automobiles and we attended car-based gatherings nearly every summer weekend of my childhood. When my parents divorced, my mother taught me how to drive and at some point in high school I developed a terrible fear of overpasses collapsing on my car’s roof and of being subconsciously directed to steer my vehicle into oncoming traffic.

Last year, feeling exhausted of painting Detroit’s burned out and abandoned houses, I began staging Hot Wheels car crashes which I would then photograph and make a painting from. My boyfriend’s vegan diet pitted against my love of food led to me constantly confront my relationship with meat. With this in mind I staged a “horse crash” using plastic model horses that I cut up and painted with “blood.” I then photographed these gory scenes and painted abstractions of them.

I have since expanded my animal-based “Parts” series to include cows, pigs, dogs and other beasts. A few of the animals safely make it into my work, barely escaping dismemberment between my scissors’ blades, but these “lucky” creatures tend to end up portrayed in scenes of malicious sexual action.

I might have problems.

Week in and week out, Wednesday nights have proven to be educational and a valuable experience. For artists this has meant a chance to try out work in mini-shows and given up and comers a shot to be seen. Perhaps just as importantly the atmosphere has been such as to provoke conversations on art and more that have gone on long past closing time. So come check it out, sample (in moderation!) what the owner John Linardos and the good folks at Motor City brew up each day (an undeniable artistry in its own right) and enjoy yourselves. We’ll see you there. – Nick Sousanis
ws@thedetroiter.com

Upcoming
aug 16 chris nelson
aug 23 10eastern
aug 30 heather jarosz

(For more on the man who makes this all possible - bartender/curator Graem Whyte, see our four question feature here.)
(Also check out Rebecca Mazzei’s excellent profile of Motor City and This Week In Art in Metro Times.)

A call for entries for the Third Annual
Threads show at Johanson Charles Gallery
Opening October 6, 2006.

This September Mosaic Productions is proud to present the third annual "Threads" show, a fashion extravaganza. Billy Hunter and Jeanne Moore of Mosaic Productions are hosting a contest for the fashion and not so fashion side of Detroit. The show Threads, to be previewed at Johanson Charles Gallery, will be a clashing and melding between fashion and art, a combining of the two in unique and creative ways. Threads is a contest to create art for the body and designs should follow the dress to impress philosophy. This means artists have full reign to create a piece that shocks and amazes. The idea is to bring together Artists and Designers, who will challenge one another to create a wearable work of art unlike any other.

There will be three main Themes to choose from: 1) Detroit - Reflect our city; 2) Environment - Nature and ones surroundings; 3) Future - What's ahead for all of us. Within these themes, artists can choose to create Accessories (bags, footwear, hats, jewelry, etc.), Outerwear (Shirts, jackets, pants, etc.) or Underwear. Artists can use any materials they deem fit for their wearable art piece.

Prizes will be based on number of entries. One winner in each category and a Supreme Award winner to be recognized for most creative piece.

Entries are due by October 1, 2006 and can be dropped off at Johanson Charles Gallery, 1345 Division in Eastern Market. Gallery Hours are Tuesday - Friday 4:30 - 7:30pm and Saturday 10am - 5pm.

For more information see www.mosaicproductionsgallery.com, write Billy Hunter or Jeanne Moore at mosaicproduction@hotmail.com or call 313-342-6143.

DIRECTOR. Detroit Artists Market (DAM) seeks a qualified and experienced individual to provide organizational and financial management.

For 74 years DAM has served Detroit and Michigan artists by exhibiting and selling contemporary art, assisting artists’ professional development, and offering community outreach and education programs. DAM is a nonprofit organization with broad community support among
artists, private donors, foundations, government agencies, corporations and volunteers. Responsibilities: Operational and financial management; fundraising including soliciting contributions and writing grant applications; preparation of annual budget; personnel
management; implementing the Board’s plans, policies and decisions; marketing; community relations.

Applicants should have : strong management and communication skills; record of successful fundraising; ability to balance and prioritize multiple interests and demands. Four years nonprofit or similar experience in positions of increasing responsibilities preferred. Salary commensurate with experience.

Apply with a cover letter, resume, names of institutional affiliations, three references, and salary
requirements to: Peter Ruffner, Director Search Committee, c/o Detroit Artists Market, 4719
Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48201; or e-mail to directorsearch@mich.com.
Confidential inquiries welcomed. DAM is an equal opportunity employer.

On a sweltering afternoon in early August, your arts editor had the opportunity to catch up with Klaus Kertess, curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit’s inaugural exhibiton and one of the exhibiting artists Jon Pylypchu, to discuss the role of contemporary art, Detroit, MOCAD, and the space itself. As this took place on location, I also got to take a first look inside MOCAD. Despite being quite familiar with the exterior, I was still stunned by the enormity of the interior – cavernous (as it says on their website), is an understatement. This vast open space seems ideal for the ambitious look at contemporary art that the MOCAD people have in mind.

The potential of the space aside, it is to say the least in a very raw state. To an outsider, I must confess it’s difficult to imagine it being transformed into a space capable of hosting a world class exhibition in but a few months. But the optimism and can-do spirit of those behind it is uplifting. I took a brief walk through with acting director Mitch Cope, who explained a bit about their approach towards developing the space and the intent to have the building itself evolve over time. He expressed their idea that rather than dropping in a “brand spanking new building,” that this “museum is a part of community and it can grow with it.” We might think of this is as if this weathered, hulking shell as synonymous in some way with Detroit, and as one’s fortunes change, perhaps, so too will the other’s.

Jon Pylypchuk – “Pretty Scrappy”

A native of Winnipeg, Canada, Pylypchuk currently resides in Los Angeles. He remembers coming to Detroit once in high school, but this was his first time here as an adult.

thedetroiter.com: Having just arrived in town, what’s your first impression of this city?

I actually got a pretty extensive tour from Mitch (Cope.) It’s a pretty awesome city!

It reminds me of LA in a way, and it also reminds me of Winnipeg in a way. Seeing things like industry right up against residential and then everything’s empty. … It seems like it has so much potential to be a really exciting place. I don’t know whether there’s a general apathy in this city to not make it like that – which is similar to Winnipeg, where it could be really good but nobody wants to put the time into it.

In a way I feel having the building here will attract artists which will attract other people. It’s pretty exciting and I’m absolutely honored to be a part of it.

[This first exhibition] is a pretty good cross section of artists from all over the place. I know I’ll go home and tell everybody I know how cool it is. I’m just assuming other artists will do the same. Every time I talk to somebody about doing a show here, they’re like, “Detroit?” And I’m like, “Yeah?” And now I can go back and say, “It’s actually pretty cool.”

How then does the theme of the exhibition and that of your own work address Detroit?

I was planning on doing a shanty town when I had no idea Detroit was as vacant as it is. So I think it kind of fits. I was going to make most of the stuff in LA, but then just driving around with Mitch and seeing all this old wood and stuff, I thought, why not just rent a truck come here a week early and build it here. I think that maybe in using parts of the city [to make the art], it will have more of a connection to it.

Pylypchuk intends to come back to town about a week and a half before the exhibition opens to create his installation. We talked further of so much of the art in Detroit being created from remnants of decay.

It’s kind of nice, like the history of junk. What once was something that was really treasured and then un-treasured and then possibly treasured again.

What then is your personal approach to art making?

When I first started making art, I would look for things like found objects that sort of reminded me of something and then I would make figures or landscapes out of that. Over the years I’ve started to actually look for specific materials and fashion things out of that. Lately I’ve been trying to reuse old stuff, old materials or stuff that I wouldn’t consciously use I would just find them and use them, and build things out of that. Pretty scrappy.

“Pretty Scrappy” seems like a pretty perfect fit for Detroit. How did this approach evolve?

I went to the University of Manitoba for undergrad and UCLA for grad school [from which he graduated in 2001.] At UM I started making abstract paintings and oil paintings with figures in them, but still pretty scrappy. I don’t really know what I’m doing oil painting. Then a couple of friends of mine and me were sitting around one evening and I had been sort of attracted to found objects to make stuff out of, but then we were just kind of fooling around one day and I started making these things. My friend Michael, who I really respect, really liked what I was doing. And I had liked doing that better than making oil paintings. I kind of caught a little bit of shit from my professors for not making oil paintings because they liked them and I didn’t. From there I stopped making oil paintings altogether and started making what we ended up calling “Scrap Art.” We wrote a manifesto and we were scrap artists for a little while.

In between going to UCLA and University of Manitoba, I basically stopped making art altogether, and then when I got to UCLA, I realized I had three years to do whatever I wanted to. I pretty much worked nonstop in that way. The way that the professors were at UCLA was like call us when you need help or you want someone to look at what you’re doing. Otherwise just do what you’re doing. I felt it was more self-directed, self-disciplined practice. I like that. That’s when I really started to focus on scrappy art.

Earlier this year, Pylypchuk had a solo installation show at MOCA Cleveland. What can MOCAD learn from MOCAC?

Just the simplicity of their idea – it’s not a collecting museum. They just do shows. They provide that service to the community that people can take a look at stuff that they might not have the chance to look at.

The thing that I really like about having this museum here is something I always thought about for Winnipeg. In the sense that there is really one or two contemporary art galleries there, and then there’s the Winnipeg Art Gallery, which is more of a regional thing. And so, going to school at UM, you were only exposed to contemporary art in magazines and books. If Winnipeg had a museum of contemporary art, then you would see things as they were happening at the same time, and not just from books, but from real life. It’s kind of nice.

Coming full circle, what does it mean for the Detroit community to have a museum of this sort?

I don’t know a lot about the Detroit Institute of Arts, but it seems that this will be different in the sense that [it will show] things that are happening right now. Young people and older people too, will have the opportunity to actually experience things first hand, rather than experiencing things through the filter of magazines and books.

And, the building is awesome!

After this visit to Detroit, Pylypchuk was headed back to LA to finish preparing his work for an upcoming show at Tokyo’s Tomio Koyam Gallery.

Klaus Kertess –“Space and Place”

As the planning for this exhibition has unfolded, Kertess has been to Detroit on numerous occasions, but that first impression remains strong.

My first impression was shock. And now I’ve fallen in love with the space. I hadn’t been to Detroit in thirty years. That last time, I was out here to give a lecture at the DIA and immediately afterwards I was taken to ten or twelve studios, so I never really saw the city.

When I came back for the first time as part of this, Scott Hocking took me around – I did the “Scott Tour” – which I’ve done several times now.

(You got the best tour guide in the city!)

The city is such a contradiction because there’s such overwhelming and devastating destruction, and at the same time there seems to be all this energy here. That really struck me. I’ve spent more time working on this show than I have on almost anything I’ve done for a while, relative to its small size that is. There are only nine artists. I’ve been out here quite a bit, for the day or overnight. I haven’t been to every city in America, but Detroit, in spite of the devastation has an energy that most cities don’t have. So there’s something about that contradiction – the constant feeling that it could get better or it could get worse – gives it a kind of tension that makes it really interesting to work in this space.

So to that end, how does contemporary art lift a city up?

It’s not about contemporary art being better or worse than what came before or what’s going to come after. I think that most cities have a craving for it, because contemporary art is part of their environment in a more visceral way than older art, because we’re all living in the same environment. Artists tend to distill that environment not necessarily more clearly but more intensely than we do in our daily life. So in my experience, especially for younger people, all cities have a need to have a dialogue with interesting art, their consciousness – where they are, makes them think about their space and their place. It’s not about answers but finding your reflection in the work you’re looking at. I think that happens on a more visceral level with contemporary art.

Which isn’t to say that that’s all art should be. I have an ongoing interest in Cambodian art from the 7th to the 11th century, which I think is some of the most beautiful sculpture ever made. That’s a very personal reaction. But it isn’t the same thing, as looking at a contemporary artist, like looking at Jon’s work and trying to find out what my relationship to it is – why would he make something like that – what does it mean about my space and my place?

You mention falling in love with the building – tell us a little bit more about how this came about.

I have a reputation, which is somewhat deserved, in being extremely painting friendly at a time when people continue to say painting is dead. So when I first came out here when I was asked about doing a show here, what I automatically thought of was a painting show that had been bouncing around in an unclear way in my head. My ideas would clarify when I had a space to work in. When I walked into this space, I dropped my jaw and thought, there’s no way we can do a painting show in a space like this as the walls are not all that hospitable to painting. I wasn’t disappointed, I was confused.

Gradually, between driving around with Scott and seeing this building is a ruin, perhaps not as extreme as some of the other ruins in Detroit, but it has the same sort of distresses that are elsewhere. And it happens to be a moment in our lives where distress is worldwide. And so, I thought of people who were responding in different ways to some of the issues that troubled the world. Not necessarily specifically and not didactically. I don’t think that art is didactic. I think all art that’s good is ambiguous in a way. It isn’t about getting a clear solution to the world’s problems, but it’s like facing of questions in some way.

Except for Nari Ward whom I’ve worked with before, all of the artists in the show are artist’s whose work I really admire but have never worked with before. So for me there was excitement about working with a whole new group of people.

I’d seen one show of Jon’s in Manhattan and wanted desperately to reject it, and then I saw the second show and just gave in completely. And I’m thrilled he’s making a piece for the show. I think he’s certainly one of the more interesting younger artists around. I knew Paul Pfeiffer’s work, and have always wanted to do something with Paul.

It’s kind of amazing, I think, that out of the 9 artists five are making work specifically for this space. Very often you just get a group show that recycles work from previous shows. Barry McGee is doing the façade. I’m just thrilled.

And I think it’s great for Detroit.

I sent Barry images, and I’d never met him before, I’d seen his work. He emailed back and said the building is so ordinary he couldn’t resist.

Most of the artists have been here. So Barry came, he got the Scott tour. And he’s going to come and make his piece. Nari Ward did two pieces for the 95 Whitney Biennial which I curated that were really extraordinary. Nari seems like he was made for this building. There was no way of knowing what he would do. So he came out, he got the tour of Detroit, and then we were standing in the building, and he saw the insulation panels lying on the floor. When he looked down at the ones that had crumbled, their kind of waviness reminded him of looking at the sand through the water at the beach. Which indeed it does. So he’s making his piece largely out of that garbage. He’s making an “urban beach.” An oasis. We were flying back on the plane across the aisle from each other, and he was already making sketches in his sketch book. For a curator that’s the kind of thing that is really exciting, to see somebody turned on and the wheels churning in his head.

So he’ll come out here and work for two weeks before the show. And it’s great to get work like this – a number of the artists will give talks here or other sites around town.

As much as possible we tried to spread it into the community.

The final artist included in the exhibition is Christopher Fachini. Christopher is a Detroiter, a musician. A virtuoso – he plays all these instruments really beautifully and he’s obsessed with Reggae. [For his piece] he’s been playing seven different instruments and playing each part within his composition and weaving them together with a computer. So there’s these incredibly lyric melancholy and joyous riffs on reggae. Then he’s collecting old boom boxes so that there will be a stack of boom boxes and he’ll DJ his piece for the exhibition on these boom boxes.

I wanted badly to have someone local in the show, but I wasn’t hitting pay dirt. I also haven’t seen enough. Then I thought since music is such a big part of Detroit’s culture, I thought it would be great to have a soundscape as part of the show. Christopher all but appeared. These kids who ran a gallery [Commonwealth, we assume] knew his work and said to Mitch “you should go see him,” so Mitch and I went to see him at the former Polish Veterans Hall. He played some music for me and I asked him some questions. I woke up in the morning and I thought that that was so incredibly beautiful, and the way he described what he wanted to do was made to order for this show. It was totally serendipitous, we’d heard other musicians, and no one quite understood – they thought we wanted party music for the opening, which wasn’t the case. No one understood that I actually wanted was a piece that was part of the exhibition. Christopher was making something that was perfectly suited for what we were doing.

He’s busy doing that now. If the weather is right at the opening he’ll play it outside, and there will be other scheduled performances throughout the run of the show.

MEDITATIONS ON AN EMERGENCY, Curated by Klaus Kertess, opens October 26, 2006 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit.

The lineup is as follows:

Mark Bradford
Christopher Fachini
Barry McGee
Roxy Paine
Paul Pfeiffer
Jon Pylypchuk
Tabaimo
Kara Walker
Nari Ward

Look for more stories in these pages, and for a past story about the museum, click here, and for more on Scott Hocking and a MOCAD fundraiser click here. - Nick Sousanis
ws@thedetroiter.com

On Tuesday August 1st (a record setting high temperature day here in South East Michigan) people came from all over Michigan to Haberman Fabrics in Royal Oak to witness the fashion design challenge “Make It Work.” Toby Haberman and her staff are to be congratulated for an effort that yielded an entertaining evening and generated thousands of dollars in donations for the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute. “Make It Work” was born from Toby’s belief in supporting the local fashion design community, a desire to foster the garment industry in Michigan, and to raise money for the Karmanos Cancer Institute, all of which she did in high style.

THE CHALLENGE ASSIGNMENT

"Your girlfriend is a television reporter who will be covering the 36th Annual Fash Bash® DIA fundraiser on August 26. A Tahari fashion show is featured in the gala evening. Your friend wants you to make her a dress or ensemble. Her look is upscale and stylish, but her limited budget makes this a creative challenge for you."

Three fashion celebrities, representing design, marketing, and media were on hand for the difficult tasks of judge, jury, and executioner! Kara Janx, finalist in the Bravo Project Runway season two was here as a new and successful design talent. The shy Ken Dewey, Director of the exclusive personal shopping services “the 5th Avenue Club,” at Saks. And Susan Howes Fashion Editor for HOUR DETROIT Magazine; Susan has credentials in design, marketing, and journalism to name just a few. And as master of ceremonies hosting the Runway Finals Jon Jordan, LOCAL 4 Style Editor, he and Toby performed auctioneers duties as well.

Ten designers were culled from a pool of 60 entrants and on July 15th, those ten were given their challenge and $100 for materials. In just two weeks they were to design and make a single garment to meet the challenge. In addition each designer selected their own model; this was a great opportunity for them as well.

Activities were due to begin at 7 pm so photographer Amina Horozic and I went early to scope out the runway and stake out our spots. Amina a Clinton Township resident is originally from Sarajevo and is a Transportation Design graduate from CCS; she is one of the bright new guard at the DaimlerChrysler Design Center in Auburn Hills.

Haberman Fabrics is a huge store divided into areas devoted to different products or activities. For the event, the back of the store was transformed into a runway with seating for 200. The interior is painted in a variety of pastel colors and the ceiling is very high, which all made for a comfortable environment. In attendance were people of all ages, from near and far; the mother and daughter sitting next to me were long time Haberman customers as was the U of M student on my right.

The show began with the introduction of the judges, the designers, and their models. Each designer was given a brief opportunity to speak about his or her background and goals. After presentation the judges were escorted down the runway to an undisclosed location where the critical decision was made. Next the charity auction ceremonies began with the introduction of Dr. Blake from Karmanos, she was presented with a gift to the institute from Haberman. This was immediately followed by a spirited auction of several items the most noteworthy being a three night trip to NYC for the upcoming Project Runway finals. Also an introduction and free membership to the winner was made regarding the Detroit Fashion Incubator (DFI) a non-profit organization begun by contestant Michael Delon Wilson.

When the judges returned they gently removed seven of the ten and with insightful critique exposed the winner for the evening…

Second runner up Anastasia Chatzka impressed the judges with her remarkable craftsmanship. Her talent for construction explains Anastasia’s fearless approach to design. Her dogged attention to detail and unwavering adherence to her inner theme came through in a shimmering light orange evening gown. The finely constructed top with crossing pleats and gathered straps became the focal point while the puffy skirt top referenced 18th century design. A full-length skirt emerged from under the poof finishing with a ruffle and floral appliqués. Anastasia is currently attending the International Academy of Design and Technology in Troy and has had an inspirational internship with Betsy Johnson in NYC. Keep an eye out for this powerhouse talent. Anastasia Chatzka

First runner up Erica Chasco presented a stunning design that addressed the challenge, adhered to her own concept, and was very creative. The subdued colors were greatly appreciated by the judges. I especially liked the fore and aft draping and interweaving of the chiffon over the slim strapless dress. The dress on its own was very sexy, made of a course shimmering gray fabric tailored in a raw manner. The overall result was that of surprise and intrigue, this theme has great potential. Erica is a recent graduate of MSU and spent a year at FIT in NYC. I am sure that we will be seeing much more of this enthusiastic young talent. See Fashion Week Article.

The star of the evening, Sarah Lapinski, is a menswear specialist, her experience and attention to detail spoke clearly. The judges loved the repetition, subtle color palette, and referred to it as sheik. The hand dyed top portion in shades of cool gray was very structured reminding me of what makes great men’s clothing; fine lines and ordered composition. Beneath the well thought-out top drifted a purely feminine and voluptuous asymmetric skirt with a large hand colored floral construction in front. Aside from the design and construction the colors were the crowd’s favorite chant. The self-taught sewer and designer has a BA from Wayne in urban planning and several years ago teamed up with Sarah Lurtz (of Pure Detroit Design Lab fame) to foster a menswear line, "Wound".

Three additional works of note from our local talent pool were:

Michael Delon Wilson, also a graduate of Wayne he has been doing custom work since 2001 for clients in Detroit, Chicago and Toronto. He has been involved from the naissance of the Pure Detroit Design Lab, is the director of the Re-Fashion Detroit Project, and is the visionary leader of the Detroit Fashion Incubator. His two-piece design skillfully combined a 70’s color scheme and pattern with an o6 sensibility. At second glance I noticed how the full-length, sheer, white patterned skirt allowed the dark salmon, pinafore to be noticed underneath; pretty hot stuff, a perfect outfit for August 1st.

Jason Humphrey is a fashion graduate of Wayne, his response to the challenge took the little black dress and jazzed it up quite nicely. Working with a slightly glitzy fabric Jason pulled a bit of asymmetry into the skirt and added a sheer portion over what would be a simple strapless upper to give a refined retro feel. Together with his Audrey Hepburnesque model Jason transported us from “A Roman Holiday” (1953) to “A Detroit Runway” (2006.)

Mary Catharine Buchanan, is working on a Bachelor's degree at EMU and received an associate degree from the Fashion Institute in San Francisco. She is currently in product design and development at Maggie's' Organics in Ypsilanti. Mary Catharine’s piece was a complex mixture of textures and concepts. The removable top turned the outfit from sophisticated to casual before our eyes garnering approval from the crowd.

In addition, the following designers made superb entrees into this very unique, prestigious and successful event. Samantha Bullock, manager of the Pure Detroit Design Lab has been in business since 1999. www.dsbullock.com Beulah Cooley originally from Mississippi has worked in fashion her whole life, received many awards, and her work can be purchased at stores across Michigan. See EFF article. Maisha Davis, has several degrees and has extensive experience in designing and making clothes for the movie and music industry in Los Angeles. Michelle Ariel Sanders, a graduate of MSU in Apparel & Textiles. See First Prize article.

I can see and feel the fashion momentum in Detroit; there are more events every year and the sophistication is growing. These are talented hard working people so keep an eye out for the next event and come join us, remember; Fashion = Fun.

Look for Fashion related events in thedetroiter.com, your support is what will make a fashion industry in Detroit happen!

Tom Carbone is the Arts Calendar Editor of thedetroiter.com and an avid supporter and contributor to the worlds of fashion and device.

Motor City Brewing Works
4701 W. Canfield, Detroit
(Between Cass and 2nd)
313-832-2700
Every Wednesday Night, 7-11 pm
(August 9, 2006)

This week, painter and arts blogger extraordinaire, Ann Gordon takes center stage at the Motor City Brewing Works’ one night art stand. Ann’s paintings are almost always in square format, and what we’ve seen in the past deals with the abstraction of urban landscapes. Quite recently she’s taken a new approach, and we are happy to share her statement below. A piece of this work is currently on display at Gallery Project in Ann Arbor.

Parts

I grew up in a car family. My father restored vintage automobiles and we attended car-based gatherings nearly every summer weekend of my childhood. When my parents divorced, my mother taught me how to drive and at some point in high school I developed a terrible fear of overpasses collapsing on my car’s roof and of being subconsciously directed to steer my vehicle into oncoming traffic.

Last year, feeling exhausted of painting Detroit’s burned out and abandoned houses, I began staging Hot Wheels car crashes which I would then photograph and make a painting from. My boyfriend’s vegan diet pitted against my love of food led to me constantly confront my relationship with meat. With this in mind I staged a “horse crash” using plastic model horses that I cut up and painted with “blood.” I then photographed these gory scenes and painted abstractions of them.

I have since expanded my animal-based “Parts” series to include cows, pigs, dogs and other beasts. A few of the animals safely make it into my work, barely escaping dismemberment between my scissors’ blades, but these “lucky” creatures tend to end up portrayed in scenes of malicious sexual action.

I might have problems.

One of the beauties of the one night only format (with beer!), is it gives an artist a chance to try out something they might not want to risk on a more traditional show. In turn, this experiment might end up working its way into future bodies of work. Should prove interesting this week.

Week in and week out, Wednesday nights have proven to be educational and a valuable experience. For artists this has meant a chance to try out work in mini-shows and given up and comers a shot to be seen. Perhaps just as importantly the atmosphere has been such as to provoke conversations on art and more that have gone on long past closing time. So come check it out, sample (in moderation!) what the owner John Linardos and the good folks at Motor City brew up each day (an undeniable artistry in its own right) and enjoy yourselves. We’ll see you there. – Nick Sousanis
ws@thedetroiter.com

Upcoming
aug 16 chris nelson
aug 23 10eastern
aug 30 heather jarosz

(For more on the man who makes this all possible - bartender/curator Graem Whyte, see our four question feature here.)
(Also check out Rebecca Mazzei’s excellent profile of Motor City and This Week In Art in Metro Times.)

Next Step Studios & Gallery
Group Show
Runs through August 9, 2006

Last Friday, July 29th, saw a charged atmosphere for a group show opening at Next Step Studios. Building owner, CCS grad Kaiser Suidan had a number of ceramic multi-part installations on the wall, punctuating the diverse spectrum of artists which included younger artists like John Azoni, Craig Paul Nowak, and Nick Jones to much more established folks like Jef Bourgeau exhibiting abstract digital work and Lester Johnson, offering a very different take on painting in the form of vertically hung wooden rods wrapped in multi-colored yarn.

For some it was a chance to test out new work, as with John Cynar’s series of photographs juxtaposing churches and cell phone towers, and we got a chance to see thedetroiter.com contributor Greg Tom’s perforated ceramics. All in all, a lot of fresh work side by side, a little crowded, but that didn’t seem to deter the crowd one bit.

Nice to see this space and the energy it brings, hope it becomes a more permanent addition to the nearby Ferndale galleries. – Nick Sousanis
ws@thedetroiter.com

The Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit (CAID) is working with ShowSpan, the producer of the Michigan Home & Garden Show in order to present a diverse collection of original 3 dimensional sculpture and original furniture and other functional art and some 2 dimensional photographs, paintings, etc.

The 18th Annual Michigan Home & Garden Show takes place at Ford Field and runs March 9 through March 11, 2007.

Artists/Designers interested in being considered for this exhibition opportunity should e-mail two to three images of work or mail portfolio by October 1, 2006. Please include an SASE if sending portfolios to ensure return.

Artists accepted to exhibit will receive passes to the Michigan Home & Garden Show and will be able to list their work for sale during the show. CAID will coordinate with the artists drop off and pick up of work, conduct sales during the Show and staff the large 1600 sq ft exhibition area during the show. CAID hopes to also install large sculptures throughout the entire show and to work with exhibiting landscape architects to include sculptures in their displays.

The CAID has secured one of the prime display areas in the show and we are excited to provide this unique opportunity for artists to expose their work to a large diverse audience.

Please feel free to contact CAID with any further questions or concerns.

-CAID
info@thecaid.org

Susanne Hilberry
RUNS THROUGH: September 16, 2006

By
Greg Tom

While one can analyze a work of art based on its formal properties, art can also be critiqued based on the experience and interaction between the viewer and artwork under question. By looking at work in this way, the viewer can open him or herself up to a range of additional questions that sometimes provide a deeper insight as to the motive and intent of the artist. A good or bad judgment on the work is then almost an afterthought within this context of viewer experience.

One reads a Josh Smith work. Using text and paint, Smith signs his name or uses pieces of newsprint and books to create the material for his paintings. It is clear from the show that Smith’s weapon of choice is his name. He likes it…a lot. Indeed his name is often literally the content of his work. Painting his name in large, gestural, almost child-like strokes, Smith proceeds to literally sign his name on the canvas as the painting. After getting over the initial aesthetics of the work, we’re left with a single question, “Why, oh why, would someone do this?”

It is precisely at this moment that Smith’s work becomes interesting. With the formal properties of Smith’s work a bit sketchy, motive and the minimal content of the paintings were all that seem to remain. Literally, we ask, “What’s in a name?”

Traditionally the artist’s signature has served as the authentication marker for a work of art. With a signature a work is deemed simultaneously complete and genuine. By removing all content except the signature, Smith is perhaps playing Loki (the clever Norse god of trickery) while simultaneously raising larger questions. Such a reading is further reinforced by Smith’s sketchbooks that are suspended from the ceiling of Hilberry’s gorgeous, naturally lit gallery. The term “sketchbook”, is used rather loosely here, for these are little more than photocopies of doodles, notes and other unintelligible miss-mash. The key here is that these are photocopies…not original (or “authentic”) works of art. By including these as an installation, Smith’s sketchbooks contrast and counterpoint his authentic “signature” paintings, thereby adding conceptual tension to the room.

So is Smith’s work just a sly joke on its viewers, and, given the considerable price tags, on its collectors as well? Is he, through his paintings, questioning what is authentic? Is he commenting on the nature or genuineness of painting (traditionally a form of copying from life)? Questions like this inevitably elevate the traditional dialogue beyond the formal critique and, regardless of whether one likes or dislikes Smith’s work, I, for one, cannot help but be intrigued by his paintings. Any work that pushes me to ask more questions in this manner at the least demands my respect, if not admiration. Still, caught up in these questions, I am forced to ask “am I reading into it too much?”

G.R. N'Namdi (NYC)

Though not in Detroit, we thought we’d point out the solid review in the New York Times of the exhibition of Howardena Pindell at G.R. N’Namdi’s sister gallery in New York City. Check out the review here.

And for past words about Pindell’s Detroit exhibition right here in these pages, click here.

– Nick Sousanis
ws@thedetroiter.com

Sherry Washington Gallery

Celebratory.

This one word succinctly and accurately describes Gilda Snowden’s body of work. In color, form, and movement, she captures the delight on her canvas of being able to breathe, to love, to laugh, to know joy, to know pain and sorrow – that is the celebration of what it is to be human. By this nature, the paintings have an autobiographical quality, in that they capture her expression, not in that they’re scenes from her life, but that she captures that energy, that spirit that is her person (or so we imagine as the viewer) through a variety of marks – drips, splashes, cuts – applied purposefully yet almost chaotically. The work immediately brings to mind a display of fireworks – explosions of color on the night sky – and artistically speaking this references, among other things, Whistler’s “The Falling Rocket.” (Which as it turns out Snowden created work in response to some years back for the DIA’s “Interventions” exhibition.) Fireworks have direction, form, yet their explosive nature adds a fair amount of unpredictability to the mix.

Snowden grounds the work with stand-ins (or rather sit-ins) for human figures in the form of a chair. The chair is a uniquely human creation – everything that stands must sit, but no others develop something specifically to do so and have developed a whole way of life around sitting. Rulers sit on thrones, we have “chairpersons”, and our “favorite chair” seems to acquire an anthropomorphic personality. The chair then is an extension of ourselves and we might imagine these paintings then as emotional portraits of sorts.

From the initial distance, the paintings are quite whole – lots of activity, yes, but all the elements work together to maintain a cohesive structure. Snowden works in multiple layers. It’s not clear at this distance, but she makes great use of masking technique to create a strong dynamic between the layers. At times she uses the unmasked areas both as marks – an array of active, directional lines, and as unifying structure in that, to take one example, a broad swath of color, concealed in the outermost layers, is made visible and its more subtle presence holds the painting tightly together. The masking along with the chairs and other more straightforward geometric forms – circles, triangles, lines – offer the work structure.

At middle distances, for the larger works, some of this structure begins to break down. We’re close enough now to see some of the details but still able take in the whole thing all at once, and it’s just too much. If these are portraits, it has become like seeing all the overlays of a medical diagram of a person at the same time and trying to know who that person is. We need places to take pause, before dancing off again. Even with the chairs firmly established as the paintings’ focal point, at this distance, there seems a need for greater rests.

The smaller works, no doubt in part due to their scale, maintain this balance of activity and rest at all distances. In the “red note” series, three small, square paintings, Snowden has constructed strong linear movement, taking the viewer upward, but always with the inclusion of something to draw the viewer’s eye back in – her trademark chair, a parallelogram enclosing the space. In a similarly sized chair triptych, Snowden offers her most spare work, doing away with some of the intense all over activity and allowing for solid areas of paint to stay at the surface. In one of the strongest paintings, she’s cropped the chair close, so its form stretches beyond the canvas, thus what remains really serves purely to divide up the composition. In between the form of the chair, she layers buttery creamy white paint, which in one place is slashed through but a single time with a blood red arc. That stillness violated by such a strong action works to great effect. This series seems like a promising departure to offer Snowden great possibilities on future work.

Snowden’s “See No Evil” series offer the same sort of directed focus – there’s an “eye” at the center of each, defined simply, hardly more than a narrow diamond form with circle inside, which makes the expressiveness not about the recognizable form but about the energy of the painting. Of which these have a great deal. That center is an almost literal eye of the storm, as a calm space within a flurry of activity.

Moving closer still, we start to see just all the complexity Snowden has worked into her compositions. It’s a bit like being close enough to someone to not just read that person’s iris as a particular color, but as the mosaic of colors and very dimensional textures that they are. There’s a delight in this discovery, this payoff. We’ve come from this more external celebration inward to discover all that makes it tick. For all the entanglement that makes reading the work at middle distances more difficult, up close we see all the variety of marks and diversity of Snowden’s techniques. A ring of a cup or a mug makes her ubiquitous circles, but she employs it with great creativity as in one example rolling this ring along the composition to make a stretched out slinky silhouette, looping back on itself analemma-like.

Repeated readings of the paintings no doubt continue to bring new discoveries, and that returns us to the idea of portraiture. The painting, like a person, offers something new in each interaction, as greater depths are revealed to us. Snowden offers a rich, joyful experience, and one to revisit as we look forward to reconvening with our friends. – Nick Sousanis
ws@thedetroiter.com

Motor City Brewing Works
4701 W. Canfield, Detroit
(Between Cass and 2nd)
313-832-2700
Every Wednesday Night, 7-11 pm
(August 2, 2006)

This week, Sarah Lapinski takes center stage at the Motor City Brewing Works’ one night art stand. Last week in art saw Davin Brainard display his whimsical stenciled paintings, as well as offer to draw for people on the spot. Not only a lot of fun to see and take home some of his work, but to have him in action. Yet another cool reason to be at the brewery on a Wednesday night, and Lapinski’s show – of unknown media as of this printing, promises to be fun as well.

Week in and week out, Wednesday nights have proven to be educational and a valuable experience. For artists this has meant a chance to try out work in mini-shows and given up and comers a shot to be seen. Perhaps just as importantly the atmosphere has been such as to provoke conversations on art and more that have gone on long past closing time. So come check it out, sample (in moderation!) what the owner John Linardos and the good folks at Motor City brew up each day (an undeniable artistry in its own right) and enjoy yourselves. We’ll see you there. – Nick Sousanis
ws@thedetroiter.com

Upcoming
aug 9 ann gordon
aug 16 chris nelson
aug 23 10eastern
aug 30 heather jarosz

(For more on the man who makes this all possible - bartender/curator Graem Whyte, see our four question feature here.)
(Also check out Rebecca Mazzei’s excellent profile of Motor City and This Week In Art in Metro Times.)

University of Michigan School of Art & Design
Work Gallery
306 S. State St.
Ann Arbor, Michigan
October 13 – November 10, 2006

Call for Artists and Designers

The School of Art & Design at the University of Michigan cordially invites artists and designers to submit work for the ‘Remnants From Passage’ juried exhibition at Work gallery located on U-M’s central campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Show dates are October 13 through November 10, 2006.

How does the landscape record diverse acts and events of human activity? For example: desolate landscapes of war-town houses in Sudan compared with aerial views of past expedition encampments in the Arctic, both recording a human imprint yet no longer inhabited. Such contemporary or historic records may reference a passage of negotiated borders and resources. What can we glean from the traces of our activities that are left behind? How are they deciphered and then re-contextualized over time?

What is the relationship between our shifting identities to the landscape and the tools we use to record them?

Artists and designers are encouraged to further develop and investigate these questions in all media, including performance and sound. A Friday Night Performance Cabaret will be a featured component of the November 10 closing night.

All submissions must include the artist’s/designer’s name, title of work, materials and brief description, affiliated school, grade level, and email address or contact information. Open to one submission per artist/designer.

Submission Dates: On Thursday, September 28 and Friday, September 29, 2006 work will be accepted from 9am-5pm at the Slusser Gallery, on the first floor of the School of Art & Design, 2000 Bonisteel Blvd, North Campus. Notification that work has been included in the exhibition will be sent by email on or before October 6, 2006.

For further details or questions, please contact Thea Eck, 2nd year MFA Visual Arts Candidate at theaau@umich.edu.