Tangent Gallery
715 Milwaukee

Detroit, MI 48202
313-873-2955

Thurs, Fri 12-7pm; Sat 11-5pm.
Nov 23 through Dec 21.


Tangent Gallery presents an exhibition of up and coming Detroit painters.





“Rebellious Silence”


Iranian born, Wayne State graduate student Shiva Ahmadi represents the women of her culture in two installations here. Silent women, beautifully rendered by Ahmadi stare out at viewers, sharing their inner expression through an outer blank gaze. In the installation “Rebellious Silence” various sized heads cascade down the wall like drops of rain. These women can only express themselves through their eyes, and Ahmadi’s assemblage thus becomes a cacophony of voices held together by silent protest.





Piece from “Public, Private, Nowhere.”


In the more recent “Public, Private, Nowhere” Ahmadi moves beyond two-dimensions and constructs same sized, head-shaped objects that allow for a greater depth of expression. While in some of these her emotive brushwork continues to convey meaning, Ahmadi also is displaying a great deal of skill in a wide range of mediums and methods that make up this new work. The forms run along the floor and up the wall like stepping stones on a river or a string of pearls, confronting viewers with both engaging imagery and a lasting dialogue with the culture Ahmadi has assembled. We learn in her native tongue that Shiva means “good speaker” and perhaps she is becoming that. Not through words, but through imagery, she has become the voice for a people who have had none.








“Ice Princess”


Peter Mallo shows off only a single piece here, but it is a strong offering. While his previous exhibition at Detroit Contemporary was quite interesting and inventive, he perhaps accomplishes something more meaningful through simplicity. “Ice Princess” is a white rectangular painting, inset with further white paintings. The outer region is perfectly smooth in contrast to the inner region’s rough, stormy finish which surrounds the final inset’s tiny depiction of an ice-encrusted field. Each region builds towards the central feeling of the piece. As in his other works Mallo continues to employ new media painting techniques. In “Ice Princess” none of this comes off as experiment, but as a means to facilitate a greater depth of meaning.





“Beets and Bread.”


Matt Huffman offers two delightfully simple paintings of food left behind at a table. As if the eater has suddenly left, the plates sit alone at an otherwise empty table. The perspective and lighting set the mood of a lone diner. With essentially the barest of still lifes, Huffman is able to portray a deepness of emotion. Long after leaving the gallery, viewers are likely to continue wondering about the diner’s absence.





“Repetitious”


Jennifer Maiseloff takes on interior architecture with her oil paintings on particle board. The roughness of the particle board speaks to the decrepitness of the urban interiors Maiseloff brings to life. A smooth, polished finish might betray the very essence of what she is portraying here. Her use of black cuts up the space creating for a series of strong, engaging compositions. In some strange way, this might be likened to Ahmadi’s work in that she gives a voice to the silent, in this case the spaces we as a society have abandoned and forgotten.





“Where You Park Your Rear.”


The colorful, whimsical little installations of Caryn Millard hung throughout the gallery, our best represented by her most engaging piece nestled behind the Tangent desk. This assemblage is a series of 8 little paintings entitled, “Where you park your rear.” Besides the humor, the pieces hold together well as a refreshing commentary. Given how much of our time we spend sitting, Millard presents a nice perspective on something otherwise taken for granted.


The Fall line is here – offering some voices you may not have heard yet, but are sure to hear more of in the future.