Do you ever wonder what your work would look like if you could blow it up in scale and make it public? The billboard on Woodward Avenue and Maplehurst in Ferndale has a beautiful new collaboration piece and your work could be next! It’s a street level venue that is seen probably by thousands of people each day. In order to get an idea of how high the bar has been raised (it has even grown roots!) we have some photos of the mockups and images of the past works that have graced the 23 foot long billboard. Below is the mockup for “Everything at Once”

“Our motive for this project was to undo all the calculation common to outdoor media and play with the idea of the ‘billboard’ and public space. The work is about the organic process of merging three ways of creating, rather than delivering a planned ‘message’.

Our approach was to first build on the shared interests that link our artwork; such as a sense of place and the narrative potential of landscape. Then each contributed signature concepts to synthesize a setting: Andrew Krieger’s interest in escaping the painted surface and movement: Michael McGillis’ fascination with scale and the depiction of nature; Clinton Snider’s revealing the value assigned to object and forms.

The result is an intentionally offset overlapping of three viewpoints that provide raw material for individual conclusions.” – Krieger – McGillis – Snider

Jump for joy for a job well done!

Past billboards:

Kelly Frank & Allison Wong – Spring 2011

Kathleen McShane – Fall 2010

Vagner Whitehead – Summer 2010

Kate Hardy – Winter 2004

Phaedra Robinson – Spring 2003

Hartmut Asten – Summer 2002

Lynn Crawford

“For nearly two decades motorists and pedestrians traveling the Woodward corridor have enjoyed the street-level installations created by artists from throughout the United States. The Public Art Project (formerly known as “the Billboard Project”) is a Michigan nonprofit organization. This installation was partially funded by a grant from the Ferndale Community Foundation.”

If you are interested in sending on a proposal or would like more information you can contact Darlene Carroll atthepublicartprojectbillboard@gmail.com.

For a college final exam, I worked with a group of students to conceive of and participate in a performance art piece. We clashed on every idea. Our final idea frustrated me, because I thought it was devoid of any conceptual or artistic merit.

The day of the final we were in the fine arts building’s basement. I only remember one other performance. One group displayed a very detailed, beautiful drawing. Then each group member took a turn and erased the drawing (I only later discovered this concept mirrored a conceptual piece by Robert Rauschenberg where he erased a William de Kooning drawing). I remember vaguely the other groups who had elaborate videos and performances.

My group turned the lights off, and then we took turns and walked across the floor- – the floor was dirty with sand and the room was cavernous. We all had different cadences—someone kicked a plastic ball – and at the end we all walked together in a muffled shifting through the room. In his class critique, the professor described our work as monotonous, frustrating, and borderline pointless. This, in his viewpoint, showed that we understood contemporary art and we received an A.

We deserved a D. Actually, in this professor’s contemporary art philosophy, we deserved an A. In my view, we deserved a D — maybe a C.

I believe that there are two sides to conceptual art (at least for me to write about the subject, it is easier if I can simplify conceptual art into two categories ). On one side, there are artists that demand that you contemplate deep issues through an unfamiliar, creative new language – their language to tell, or better yet, open up a dialogue of questions about difficult concepts. On the other side, there are artists that demand that you acquiesce to them knowing better. They are smarter than you. They think deeper than you. They are Artists, and you are not. This group irritates me since they often rehash ideas that other artists explored at the conceptual art’s birth. An idea can only be original once. So these artists bask in self-importance while they skim the top of substantive issues, which results in an insult to the viewer and to their predecessors in this field.

In my view, Barely There is great because you get to see both sides. In fact, I believe that you can get an immersive education in conceptual art if you attend Barely There.

My review of the show breaks down the pieces showcased by Barely There into three categories. First, I discuss one of the important historical pieces. Second, I discuss one piece that frustrates me, and which adds to the discussion regarding the purpose of conceptual art and the duty of the artist who puts forward conceptual art. Third and finally, I discuss two pieces that inspire me and sparked a conversation in my head about what is good about conceptual art. Because this show hits all three of these categories, I think it is a brilliant example of MOCAD’s mission to educate the public.

Art History

The show’s cornerstone piece is a pivotal video in conceptual art, the World Question Center, 1969. James Lee Byars created this piece. His performance work shows the value in conceptual art. It can force us to ask questions and add substance to what may be the seemingly mundane of the everyday. Namely, all of us have questions, none of us have sufficient answers, and this highlights the beauty of communal interaction. The piece consists of a group of artists, which includes Byars, who sat at a call-in center. Prior to the live broadcast on Belgian T.V., various intellectuals were asked to call into the broadcast with an important question. And that was it. Byars merely acknowledged the questions—Byers offered no answers.

Art Misery

There is one piece that is merely a blue pen without a cap positioned at an angle by a red pen cap. It is by Wilfredo Prieto and titled Infidelity. While it invokes an initial laugh at its title’s implication, this piece falls flat as an original conceptual piece when compared with the other pieces in the show. In my mind, this piece fails because it echoes Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain. In 1917, Marcel Duchamp entered a urinal into a show and titled the urinal Fountain. Through this act, Duchamp expressed his belief that the artist defines the art and not the viewer. He selected the urinal, he positioned it at a different angle, he created a new context for the object, and through this process he highlighted the value of the artist’s intellectual analysis of an object (his “readymades”) in contrast to an artist’s physical ability to create a piece of art. How does Infidelity add to this important piece?

I enjoy conceptual art, but the artist needs to challenge himself or herself before I can appreciate his or her particular idea. As noted, these discussions and these types of questions are only original once.

Art Ecstasy

There are two pieces that highlight particularly deep thought by extraordinarily unique and creative voices. The first is a remarkable multiple faceted piece that the artist presents in several stages. The artist was inspired by his thoughts on his father’s death. The artist is Pablo Helguera and the piece is titled Endingness, 2005. The artist provides an essay on memory, death, and his art practice. He also provides a movable art sculpture, which consists of geometrical shapes. The shapes are made of wax and framed with wood and the artist carved his essay into the wax. You can see the artist’s hand at work, and you can see an artist that is open emotionally to let viewers experience the artist’s process as the artist explores difficult questions. The final element is an orchestral score that the Detroit Symphony Orchestra performed at MOCAD.

The second piece was Love Lettering, 2002, by the brother and sister art team Rivane and Sergio Neuenschwander. Rivane is the sister artist, and her brother Sergio is a neuroscientist. This is a beautifully quiet piece. This collaboration illustrates what is great about conceptual art. It engrosses viewers through a single-channel video where color saturated fish swim through the screen with pieces of a love letter attached to their tails. The words are taken out of context, which highlights fleeting, fragmented memories of love and lost. You get the tragic sense of someone that tries to grasp a beautiful memory, yet is unable to grasp it fully. The piece also has an organic, industrial soundtrack, which accompanies the piece without competing with the gentle and quiet ephemeral strength of the main imagery of the piece.

There are other pieces, but these are the ones that resonated with me the most. The piece that frustrated me the most also sparked the most discussions after I saw the show a second time. Does that fact validate it? Please see the show and let me know your thoughts.

-Colin Darke

323EAST GALLERY PRESENTS CAMILO PARDO’S “FUEL INJECTED”

AN ENTIRELY NEW COLLECTION OF WORK

ROYAL Oak, Mich., May 31, 2011 —

323East Gallery present a solo exhibition entitled “Fuel Injected” featuring art of Camilo Pardo. The artists reception is on Saturday June 11, from 6 to 11 pm, Camilo invites the public to partake in a uniquely Detroit-flavored cultural event of art, music, fashion and refreshments. Experience the unveiling of an entirely new collection of silkscreen works on canvas, metal, found objects and other surfaces – plus the added attraction of fashionably adorned ladies, in designs that the artist created himself.

The opening reception is free and open to the public. Due to the expected volume of attendance, 323East will erect a tent in the adjacent parking area, with music provided by Brian Gillespie, Craig Hejka and Joe Vargas.

The art will be exhibited from June 11^th – July 1^st.

More about the show

The art that Camilo Pardo created over the years is all over Detroit. Indeed, a considerable amount of it is present on our freeways at any given moment of the day. Most recognized for the design of the Ford GT, Camilo will be exhibiting his art and fashion design, Saturday night at 323East Gallery on June 11.

Though some critics would disagree (or phrase it differently), cars and beautiful women are probably the two best subjects to turn to if one wishes to celebrate linear perfection. Static or in motion, they both evoke respectful admiration for engineering and a more than subtle urge for possession.

We also suspect that Camilo would agree with this observation. A talented artist who has made impressive design contributions to the Detroit auto industry, he has created a veritable catalogue of Motor City images over the years. He also has an enviable skill for rendering the female form on canvas or on other backgrounds; this latter gift enhanced by nuances drawn from popular culture and the eternally youthful male ethos that complements and inspires that culture.

Our motor is running. How about yours?

About Camilo Pardo:

The art that Camilo Pardo created over the years is all over Detroit. Indeed, a considerable amount of it is present on our freeways at any given moment of the day. Most recognized for the design of the Ford GT, Camilo put verve in the steel curves and reminded us that a car’s first internal combustion takes place in an artist’s mind. It’s external beauty is born there as well. That mind has not ceased from creative labors, even if they’re no longer entirely devoted to Motor City mojo.

Camilo’s paintings and drawings bespeak both his love for linear perfection and his fascination for the manner in which those “lines” deliver aesthetic satisfaction to the viewer. His works genuinely seem to move – and they are energized by what is obviously a rich understanding and respect for popular culture and traditional disciplines. In less talented hands, such a seeming contradiction of forces would negate the best efforts. Camilo makes them reconcile, complement each other, and dance together.

About 323East —

323 East is a collection of creative energy materialized in a mashup of art, culture, lifestyle, and creativity. Located 15 minutes north of downtown Detroit in Royal Oak, MI; 323East is home to over 100 artists with rotating works in a variety of mediums. Recent exhibitions include local and international artists: Glenn Barr, Ron Zakrin, Audrey Pongracz, Thom Thewes, Matt Eaton, Jeff Soto, William Wray, Miss April, Gary Taxali, Yumiko Kayukawa, Megan Frau, Charmaine Olivia, Netherland, Mark Heggie, Bethany Shorb, Tony Roko, Denial, Kathie Olivas, David Foox, Kobie Solomon and many more.

More information can be found at www.323east.com

Walking into “The Quiet Life,” a solo exhibition of Canadian artist David R. Harper’s multimedia work that opened last week at The Butcher’s Daughter Gallery in Ferndale, feels like entering the home of an eccentric 19th Century biology enthusiast. The color is predominantly white, not cold, antiseptic white, but the white of god-light, the kind you imagine existing in parlors where Enlightenment values and ideas volleyed back and forth, and even the teapots and doilies seemed to be working toward something greater than themselves.

Harper’s chosen media in “The Quiet Life” are embroidery, taxidermy, and ceramics; genteel and requiring great delicacy of hand to accomplish, painstakingly slow in their execution. The result is a collection of two and three dimensional still-lives, as Harper designates them. He pointed out to me that taxidermy is a method of “stilling life” for us to examine and gain understanding. It’s a human practice with a long and complex history often unexamined by artists who use it in their work for novel or ironic reasons. Stuffed animals function as trophies, specimens of study and home décor. The very oddity of this practice finds a home in Harper’s work. The Megalos, one of Harper’s three dimensional still-lives, arranges a group of dainty ceramic urns around the sprawling form of a snow-white sloth-like creature (really made from cowhide). Delicately hued stuffed birds are placed atop stacks of thick books with seemingly random lists of words printed on their covers in The Bblio I-IV. Though the stuffed animals are, by definition, morbid, there is nothing grim or depressing about them. Rather, these assemblages have a light touch about them, a weird mixture of scientific and spiritual reverence respects the life these forms once housed, and what the remains still have to teach us. It’s an approach to death that doesn’t exist anymore, from back when people lived much closer to it in their daily lives, when hair lockets and other memento mori weren’t creepy. It’s new light shed on a frame of mind that might help us today.

Harper’s embroidered pieces carry the same sense of enlightened death. When Sickness Came, We Learned A Lot About Ourselves and Equal Amounts About One Another, a white skull covered in decorative swirls of blues from the heart of a glacier and whose title might best sum up what Harper is exploring, is the best example of his light touch with death. Using media with long traditions of refined, domestic exploration of the greater mysteries, he ushers a little pre-modern light into this neon-seared world.

(All of the photos are courtesy of the Butcher’s Daughter)

Rich Branstrom - Deer

Rick Kolb – Harbor Town

Rich Branstrom – Duck

In producing a voyage to the unique beauty of Up North, the Detroit Artists Market’s latest show falls short. Perhaps because of its limited scope (a showcase of northern Michigan artists), co-curators John F. Korachis and Rebecca Glotfelty failed to produce (as promised) a coherent artistic statement that reflects the charm of northern Michigan. And I am okay with that.

John and Rebecca showcased 20 northern Michigan artists whose work ranges from delicate, detail rich watercolor paintings to comical, readymade-esque sculptures. The show starts and ends with pieces that have the strongest points of view. Namely, the first few paintings (the paintings by Meredith Krell and Rick Kolb) have vivid colors (straight out of the tube primary colors) that depict postcard scenes of northern Michigan. The last few items are sculptures of a dog, a duck, and a deer’s head that Douglas Racich crafted out of found objects (the dog’s head is a boot). While an entire show of crafted sculptures would not resonate with me, I think that these pieces are a nice stopping point in the show. The show has quiet moments, funny moments, and confusing moments – like all worthwhile voyages should have.

One piece that I particularly liked was Steve Toornman’s Lake News. This is a serene painting that captures a stolen moment on a magnificent lake. I am glad that the show did not cling on to easily recognizable images from northern Michigan, but I am equally glad that the show does highlight some of the great imagery of northern Michigan. (Fun Fact: two of the most successful pieces (in my view) were painted by two artists who are married—Meredith Krell and Steve Toornman from Charlevoix.)

Douglas Racich – Lightning Rod

Pat Custer Denison – Bird of Many Legends

Please make a point to journey to the Northern Lights, which closes on Friday, May 27, 2011. DAM is open from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays, and is located at 4719 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, www.detroitartistsmarket.org.

- Colin Darke

So we asked the same 3 questions to 4 different people: A local artist (Andrew Thompson), someone new and curious about Detroit (Tunde Wey), a teacher at Wayne State University (Mame Jackson) and a student (Crystal Palmer). Feel free to add your own thoughts to the comments section at the bottom!

What was your favorite element of Art X Detroit? (Or what panels, performances or pieces stuck out to you?)

Frank Pahl performs live accompanied by guest musicians, including Joel Peterson, amidst his kinetic sound installation, ”The Rube Goldberg Variations” @ The Scarab Club

Tunde Wey:

“I saw Monica Blaire’s performance and she was wonderful. I especially liked the diversity in the audience. People who I would normally not imagine hanging out together were all present having a good time.”

Mame Jackson:

“Much sticks in my mind – Marcus Belgrave at the Charles Wright Museum, Invincible in the Planetarium, Frank Pahl and his array of bells and gongs at the historic Scarab Club, Tyree Guyton’s installation of shoes on Edmond Street, Shawn Nethercot moderating panel of emerging young artists at MOCAD, Lynn Crawford and Steve Hughes reading new works at Leopold’s, Chido Johnson’s wire push cars, etc. etc. – but perhaps most exciting to me was the energy of the community itself, the excitement and responsiveness of the truly supportive Detroit community, that came out in such numbers that events were filled to overflowing.”

Andrew Thompson:

“Favorite Moment of Art X was being locked out of the Science Center with two of the Kresge winners, Cedric Tai and Sengor Reid, with about a dozen other people just hanging out enjoying the evening air in the parking lot with everyone else who couldn’t get into Invicible’s showcase performance.”

Crystal Palmer:

“So, my favorite part was Steve Hughes reading “Stupor”. I loved that everyone was jammed in Leopold’s new location and how Steve was able to capture everyone’s attention reading the hilarious stories from his brilliant book. I personally was crying because I was laughing so hard in response to a story of a guy shitting himself in bed next to his girlfriend. Amazing.
Next, Valeria Montes was pretty much the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. In the ambiance of the Rivera murals, wonderfully talented singers and guitarist… Valeria was spectacular!!”

With Kresge in mind, what advice would you give them for the next go around?

”Jit” techniques taught by dancer/choreographer Haleem “Stringz” Ar-Rasheed of Hardcore Detroit hip hop dance company @ George N’Namdi

Mame Jackson:

I loved the big yellow X’s – made midtown festive!  The schedule was a bit too tight with some events ending just as others began at distant venues – making it impossible to get from one to another on time.  How about adding a day (or more) to the program and lengthening breaks between events – perhaps even extended Art X Detroit over a month instead of a weekend – eg., Art X Detroit: a Month of Sundays.
Also, how about artist-designed, painted shuttle buses (perhaps with big yellow X’s as well) circulating around the city during Art X providing free transportation from the neighborhoods to midtown (maybe even with the added enticement of having an entertainer on board – eg., a musician, magician, juggler, ventriloquist, rap artist, etc) to extend the venue beyond midtown and bring the experience of the arts to the whole city.

Andrew Thompson:

“Assume that the people you are marketing to (an audience beyond just the artists’ posses) will actually show up and schedule in bigger venues, without any of the events overlapping. Or if you do need to overlap schedules go with the Frank Paul approach at the Scarab club with repeat performances at the same time same place for multiple days. I wanted to go to everything and I couldn’t, so ended up prioritizing my friends’ event vs seeing something new (which seems to be counter to the spirit of the event)”

Crystal Palmer:

“Advice, even though the Science Center was a creative choice to host a talk, I don’t think it was worth the hassle of walking through a crazy busy zoo on a saturday afternoon. Susan Campbell’s talk was great and it was fantastic to get intimate with her project, but it was really distracting when all the families were exiting the auditorium since they were expecting some sort of like 3D underwater show or something like that… It bothered me that they didn’t want to engage in something that was new and different to them…”

Tunde Wey:

“Keep doing it!”

Is there anything that excites you that you believe will continue past Art X Detroit?

(From left to right) Senghor Reid, Rachel Harkai, and Invincible define and discuss intersections between the community and the artist during ”Nine Artists Respond: Who are the Artists in Your Neighborhood and What is the Role of the Artist in the 21st Century?” @ The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit

Andrew Thompson:

“I believe both events helped put Midtown and New Center on the map for a lot of future audiences as a real arts district. A place that events can happen after 5pm on a week night. We need more of that.”

Tunde Wey:

“The conversations and connections made between people at both events, I believe will continue. Hopefully these exchanges will form the basis of something tangible and engaging…. ripples of conversation and action.”

Crystal Palmer:

“Lastly, I hope that the series of events will continue art appreciation past the Detroit club. Sometimes seeing all the same people at the same locations time after time makes the city and scene seem small and insular. I love that non-art people were enjoying all the free programming and able to experience culture without pretension.”

Mame Jackson:

What excited me most was the magical sense of community that developed during Art X.  People really talked to one another – the art and the artists and Kresge’s hospitality provided a stimulation and a context for discussion.  I hope we have energy, resources, and imagination to sustain and enlarge this discussion. A specific example of this, Cedric, is that I finally met you through Art-X, and I intend to keep in touch!

Kevin Tobin @ North End Studios from Cedric Tai on Vimeo.

This video is now private, please message Kevin Tobin for the password! In the meantime, please enjoy Gilda’s video of the same night.

Cranbrook Thesis Show 2011 from Cedric Tai on Vimeo.

Garage Sessions at Cranbrook Thesis Show 2011 from Cedric Tai on Vimeo.

Ian Swanson received his BFA from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. He works in a variety of media and through a number of methods; including painting, sound, sculpture, video, installation, and performance based projects. In 2009 he helped co-found the Detroit-based artist run gallery Org Contemporary. He has and continues to exhibit regularly regionally and nationally, and also performs with numerous experimental audio and musical projects in both individual and collaborative capacities. This summer he will be attending an artist residency at the Elsewhere Artist Collaborative in Greensboro, NC, as well as debuting his first public performance work at Re:View Contemporary Gallery in Detroit, MI. Starting in the fall of 2011 he will be attending Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY as a Fine Arts MFA Candidate. He is represented by Re:View Contemporary Gallery, and currently lives and works in the Metro Detroit area.

An opening reception will be held on May 6th from 6-9pm, and will remain on view through May 28th.

http://starkweatherarts.com/

http://iancswanson.com