Book Building
1227 Washington Blvd

Downtown Detroit
www.detroitmona.com/ARTCORE_1.htm

248-210-7560
detroitart@aol.com


Beneath MONA, on the ground floor of the Book Building are a whole collective of interesting, quirky and engaging galleries. Truth be told it is not always clear where one gallery space ends and another begins as visitors wind through the somewhat labyrinthine assemblage.


The galleries are the result of the vision of former MONA director, now ARTCORE head Jef Bourgeau. The concept is great: artists are given free storefronts to exhibit in exchange for working to clean up these sites. Not only does the artist get this free space, the building is getting use, making it more vital and more attractive to potential renters.


When the space is eventually rented, the artists move on to another space. This has already happened in several of Bourgeau’s spaces. In the meantime, artists get the chance to exhibit cheap in funky locales, and building owners get free renovation. It’s a good partnership that can only make the city a healthier place to live.


In the entrance space, Jane Speaks Modern Art, is a diverse body of work entitled Consumption. The show consists of 14 works by MSU graduate students all dealing with some interpretation of the word consumption. It’s a truly imaginative, thoughtful exhibition to spend time with.


Somewhere behind Jane Speaks, in the Flux Gallery, Sung-Eun Lee presents “The Layers of Wind.” Hundreds of spot-painted pieces of paper hang from the walls, creatively hung and making a truly unique division of space.


Upstairs in the Girlee Detroit Collective space, the women that make up the show tackle the subject of white and winter and cold in “Snow White". It’s an all too appropriate theme for this time of year and brings out a lot interesting takes on the subject.


All in all, this consortium of galleries is a pretty interesting place to find oneself. Together they open up new avenues for thought and exploration in the city people should be sure to check out. (Those interested in providing an empty space or running a gallery send email to: detroitart@aol.com)

Between the Lines: Propaganda in Contemporary Illustration
College for Creative Studies: Center Galleries.

301 Frederick Douglass.
Detroit MI 48202.

313-664-7800
CCS Galleries

Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Jan 18 through Feb 15


Whether detailing instructions on how to survive an airplane crash, bringing a children’s story to life or visualizing a political ideology, the illustrator is the marriage of images and idea. The line between illustration and fine art is often a bit blurred, thus a simplified distinction might be in order. A piece of art stands as its own thing with its own life, while an illustration serves to provide depth to an external concept. In CCS’ current show, removed from their original context, the illustrations assembled hang as fine pieces of artwork indeed.


This show provides a truly comprehensive examination of the art form that is illustration. Curated by CCS Illustration Department Chair Gil Ashby, the show features works by 32 nationally renowned illustrators. Ashby does an exemplary job bringing together a wide range of all the possible types of illustration. Everything is represented here from the storybook to the political poster. (Sorry though, no Hibachi instructions.)





Anita King “Fat Cat”





Cathleen Toeker “Faith and the Good Thing.”


In the tradition of storybook illustration, Anita King’s “Fat Cat” is a caricatured creature of humor and subtle commentary. Without words this funny looking creature dressed in rings and smoking a cigar tells a story. In that same vein Cathleen Toeker’s “Faith and the Good Thing” depicts a woman carefully opening a locked book, to let loose a burst of magic into the air. A modern fairy tale seems set to unfold.





Alexander Bostic “Construction Worker.”





Alexander Bostic “The Hanging.”


Alexander Bostic presents two quite different images, that of “Construction Worker” and “The Hanging.” The first conveys a sense of hope and pride befitting the development of a new world, while the latter is an intense emotional confrontation with the terrors of the past. Bostic’s use of perspective and composition to create mood is quite effective. Whitney Sherman’s “Ant Mentality”is a joy of a cartoon to behold. It is at once an ultra-simple image of tiny ants defining the lines that make up a person’s face, yet simultaneously this humorous image provides a deep commentary into the hive mentality that modern living has brought about.





Cathie Bleck





Murray Tinkelman “Ecology”


With clean and dynamic marks, Cathie Bleck’s scratchboard works are filled with fanciful, lighthearted, yet complex imagery. She reveals stylistic strength that can grace illustrated books as well as corporate logos. In “Ecology” Murray Tinkelman through amazingly meticulous linework, giving the illusion of texture and shading, creates a surreal image that is both a case of superb draftsmanship and a strong environmental message. Glenn Barr provides an entrance to his twisted and always wickedly unique realm in “Descension Hotel.”





Milton Glaser “Peace Works.”





Andy Warhol “Vote McGovern.”


Several posters by legendary designer and illustrator Milton Glaser are on hand. In “Peace Works” he illustrates a multitude of hands, signing peace and posed resemble doves. The piece is a nice conflation of symbols and a reminder that the prospects of peace lie in our own hands. Andy Warhol took a shot against Nixon, with a colorful, nonetheless unflattering depiction of the then president entitled “Vote McGovern”.


This show celebrates the impact illustration has had on shaping our culture. And by looking back, offers insight on how in the hands of these fine creators and those to come after, it will continue to leave its mark on our future.

The Tangent Gallery
715 E. Milwaukee

313-873-2955
Wed-Fri 12 –6:30; Sat 12-5.

January 11 through February 22, 2003





One step inside the door of Tangent Gallery one gets an immediate impression of the sterility found at a hospital. This is not so much an exhibition of the past three years worth of artist Brian Nelson’s work, as much as it is an installation transforming the environment within the gallery. The ceiling fans even get into the act, providing that low electrical hum found in institutional buildings, accompanied by institutional like dim lighting intended to allow for the viewing of the projected imagery.


The craftsmanship of the individual pieces is truly impressive. Nelson utilizes a wide range of media including stainless steel, video, transparency film, and salt. He seems masterfully adept in all of them. By doing so, Nelson is able to create a seamless bridge between the conceptual and the finished works.





“Dig(gene therapy)”


The pieces he has created all appear to have been taken straight from a hospital or a biochemistry research lab. Stainless steel gurneys, drain openings, test tubes and oxygen canisters serve somewhat as pedestals to showcase Nelson’s ideas. (One question might be raised, if hospitals put up pictures of flowers, where does imagery of hospitals go?) Sculptures of chromosomes labeled with “son”, “mom”, “dad” and more sit on one gurney entitled “Dig (gene therapy).” Projected onto the table surface, images of the real things make the sculptures appear to float on this sea of genetic soup. Perhaps Nelson suggests that we are all adrift in the sea of probability that our genes carry.





The subject of sickness and health runs throughout the work. Pills, medical and research equipment all point to a cure for what ails us. Inset images (lit from behind) reveal x-ray looks at what goes on inside our cells. By putting an on/off switch on the side one has the ability to make the image go dark. One such lit image reveals not biology, but perhaps a more metaphorical image of a wind swept sky. In the midst of images of sterility, there is a deep-seated feeling of pathos. In the cold steel finish of the works, he gives us a sense of what is left behind, what is lost.





At the core of Nelson’s work lies the search to uncover the age-old philosophical questions of meaning behind life. Modern science has allowed an ever-deeper glimpse into how we work. Even the building blocks behind our construction have been laid bare. Yet this reductionist – approach for all that it offers – has left much unanswered. The human being is to be sure much more than a coagulation of cells and chemicals. We possess emergent behavior unanticipated by analyzing the sum of our constituent parts. The factors behind sickness may be better know today, but what of the source of our feelings of pain, loss and love? Where does art come from?


By constructing these works using this sterile iconography, Nelson lays bare the inadequacies in reducing everything to genetics. Simultaneously he provides evidence for how important art is in helping to search for answers of feeling. Nelson tackles these questions, as we all do, by taking his mastery of craft, technology, and creating a body of work that leaves the viewer with a lot to reflect upon afterwards. Nelson has been a successful artist and instructor in the Detroit area for a long time now and this is a great showcase of his talents and thoughtful inquiries. Check out the show and prepare to be engaged in deep thoughts for some time to follow.

Museum for New Art (MONA)1249 Washington Boulevard
Second Floor, Suite 200

Detroit, MI 48226
313-961-2845

www.detroitmona.com
Fri through Sun 1pm - 6pm

Jan 11 through Feb 23.


The Videofest makes its way to MONA again this year, showcasing over 250 videos from 30 countries. The 45 videos that made up the best of the show were on display for the opening reception, but all 250 videos are available for viewing throughout the exhibition’s run.


With the plummeting price of video equipment these days, almost anyone can assemble a movie of some sort. This by itself is a good thing – a once exclusive art medium is nearly as available to people as drawing. The downside of this democratization process is that not everything everyone makes is terribly interesting to see.


And so this show has its high points mixed in with its low points. Which in a typical group art show is no big thing, as one could walk or skip past something found to be less interesting in favor of the next piece. The videofest is not like that - at least on opening night, all the monitors are cued to the same show, so everyone is a captive audience. This means if you are trapped in a particularly sophomoric, ill-conceived video, it may seem an eternity until that next video comes along. There are two ways to look at this means of putting on a show. On the one hand, by displaying the videos in such a way an audience necessarily is exposed to things they might have missed otherwise. A radio DJ works on this principle. Conversely, by displaying the videos in such a way an audience is exposed to things they would like to have missed otherwise. This might be comparable to a jukebox where one only picks what they already know and like.


MONA’s continued commitment to bringing in such diverse offerings to Detroit is definitely to be applauded. Like the alternative radio DJ, regular attendees end up being exposed to things they would never have seen otherwise. Sometimes this disappoints, but sometimes something new blows the audience away. The videofest offers such a range of possibilities and hopefully will continue to grow, improve and be a vital part of Detroit’s art landscape.

Detroit Artists Market
4719 Woodward Ave.

Detroit, MI 48201
313-832-8540

www.detroitartistsmarket.org
Jan 10-Feb 2, 2003


While the North American International Auto Show is drawing crowds to see how much bigger this year’s SUVs are compared to last year, the Detroit Artists Market is showcasing something other than car designers. The people who design how we dress and the furnishings we live with get the Market’s spotlight and a well deserved one at that. The show curated by Monica Sklar and Nicole Barbour showcases the works of furniture designers, fashion designers and fashion photographers all up and coming, and here to stay in their fields.


The Detroit creative innovation has a lot more to offer than new cup holders and larger road clearance. Check it out and feel good about designs by people and for people.

CPOP
4160 Woodward Ave.

Detroit, Mi 48201
313-833-9901

www.cpop.com
Jan 4 through Jan 30.


In a world dominated by the automobile, in a town that spawned it, and at a time that people are gathered to celebrate Detroit’s so-called “gift to the world”, CPOP’s current showing should come as no surprise. Past eras had the landscape as their main genre, for today’s artists that landscape is shaped by the car, and this show reflects that source of inspiration.





Charles J. Maher “Hot Summer Night (Whup Ass)”


Over 25 artists create a show filled with celebratory images of car and car culture. There are meticulously painted and lovingly detailed images of antiques and classics, at once an homage to these old vehicles and the people that restore and maintain them today. The bright colors, and high energy of racecar art receive a lot of wallspace in this exhibit, displaying not only the blur of speed but the highly detailed cigarette sponsors that decorate these souped-up roadsters. Along with other images of car-related nostalgia, there is of course one image of the car of cars – the Batmobile.





Kyle Raetz “Barris Batmobile”


Other aspects of car culture make it into the show as well. Scantily clad women drape over immaculately polished automobiles, tying the idea of having a nice automobile and a great sex together. The show has a few pieces devoted to the curious elements introduced into our culture by the fact that we spend increasingly more time in our automobiles – this would obviously include things like the roadside diner.





Glenn Barr “Bullets”


Besides a little bit of humor exhibited by Glenn Barr and a few others, there seems to be a surprising lack of any work about some of the downsides of car culture. Really there is very little commentary in the work at all. The show is entirely devoted to the automobile as subject matter.



If you came to this show hoping to see nice work that commemorates the automobile in great detail and beautiful handling this is the show for you. If you are looking for something a little more thought provoking about the impact of the auto on our culture this is not that show.