Friday, November 11th the Oregon born band Blind Pilot is expected to land in Ann Arbor, MI. Tickets cost $15-20, so why not spend a few shekels on what will be the perfect hybrid of folk-inspired music mixed with west coast indie pop, especially for fans of The Shins, Iron and Wine, Coconut Records, and Fleet Foxes. Scheduled to take off at 9pm, Blind Pilot’s performance will take center stage at local downtown Ann Arbor venue The Blind Pig, located at 208 South 1st Street.
Amongst the hustle and bustle of a busy college life, it seems as though there’s hardly time to breathe. So, when the moment strikes and there’s a minute to spare, why not venture to the University of Michigan Museum of Art? Certain places on campus such as the art museum and graduate stacks provide the perfect temporary escape. Environments such as these enable students to loose themselves and to momentarily disconnect from the whirlwind of academics. The UMMA encourages students to engage in something cultural, but proves to be more energizing than mind draining. Who knows how many times a day students pass the art museum on their way to class, glance into the glass box that is The UMMA Projects, and wonder what in the world is in there. After a long day of back-to-back classes, a sudden calm awaits by simply wandering the gallery stalls and taking a few minutes sitting down, or rather standing around, Mark Di Suvero’s current exhibit: Tabletops.
Perhaps Suvero’s work is unfamiliar, but chances are readers know more about the American artist than they imagine. The mammoth red-painted steel sculpture outside the art museum is in fact a Suvero sculpture, as is the smaller, rusted swing structure nestled between the new and old wings of the museum. Rumor has it, if you look at the red beams from any direction the word “art” appears. Similarly, many of the structures within the exhibit express hidden symbols.
In his youth, Suvero worked in construction but after a close encounter with a crippling injury, Suvero was unable to work construction and turned to welding. With time, Suvero became a skilled sculptor and his art became well known in the realm of Abstract Expressionism. Suvero’s work employees recycled materials and salvaged industrial metals, synonymous with public art. Surely many communities outside of Ann Arbor have noticed an increase in the number of modern art popping up around town.
Tabletops is a caprice of Suvero’s work, varying in year of creation and materials. Suvero’s pallet includes various materials such as steel, wood, titanium, and treated metals married together to create something unrecognizable. Suvero’s sculptures thoughtfully consider physics, music, balance, and play with shape, proportion, and movement. Perhaps the boldest works of Suvero’s artistic expression are the vibrant, large-scale, abstract paintings positioned on two of the four walls of the glass box. In the center of the gallery lies a multilevel platform with a multitude of sculptures, each displaying a unique arrangement of angles, amorphous shapes, lines, and curves. Many of the sculptures look antiquated, either tarnished with time or covered in rust. 
Some materials appear to be ‘found objects’ that Suvero discovered and morphed into something new. Certain facets of the metal structures are comprised of familiar objects like an old mechanical wheel or a rusted nail. Items such as the steel beams and rusted gears bring to mind the increasing number of abandoned buildings and factories close to home, such as the Packard Plant in Detroit. Historical landmarks such as these once housed the machinery and workers that built Industrial America. However, the nuts and bolts that once held our country together continue to crumble. Today, the architectural units America built itself around are relics, or ruins, of history standing still.
Tabletops is on exhibit at the University of Michigan Museum of Art until February 26th, allotting plenty of time to plan a visit or to stop by when it’s least expected. At some point between now and February make a promise to visit, break through the glass walls, and investigate. Most importantly, continue to search for hideouts on campus. Maybe you’ll love the UMMA, maybe you’ll hate it, but I promise you will appreciate the time you give yourself to consider it.
Woken up by my mom’s incessant cries, I launched out of bed to see what was wrong. “How appropriate. The one day I have off this week and what do you know? It’s raining,” she said. Still half asleep, I reassured her that the skies might clear up. It was a classic case of bad luck but rather than letting the rain spoil our morning I remained hopeful; the storm clouds could rain on our parade but our spirits couldn’t be dampened.
“That’s Pure Michigan for you,” I interjected with as smile as she continued to sulk in disappointment. “Even if it’s raining and we’re knee-high in mud we’ll be sure to have a good time,” I said reassuringly. With a little more persuasion and a steaming cup of press coffee to calm the nerves, mom agreed to set off to Blake’s Farm in Armada Michigan where the annual Lavender Festival awaited. Knowing the state of Michigan’s unpredictability, the forecast is always susceptible to change.
At the beginning of the summer I created a list of things to do before the summer’s end. The list included hosting a three-course dinner party, venturing on a spontaneous road trip, starting an herb garden, going to a drive-in movie theater, flying a kite, riding the People Mover, and other mini goals within Michigan boundaries. The list continues to grow as I cross off older items, marked with the date of completion, and then add new items to stand in its place. One day while editing the list I recalled receiving a pretty postcard advertising some sort of lavender festival. The postcard was long lost, shuffled away in a mountain of mail somewhere. Starting an herb garden had been crossed off the list months ago and since it’s completion, I’ve fallen in love with fresh herbs and cooking. Lavender, I thought, would be a nice addition.
In an effort to research the plant, I researched ‘lavender festivals’ in Michigan and stumbled upon Blake Farm’s website, which described the event as “symphony for the senses.” The event promised the perfect mid-summer getaway with only a short drive from the hustle and bustle of city life. The drive was truly an escape, passing acres of orchards, old Victorian-style houses, and abandoned barns that took on a charm of their own. Unfortunately, the website notified visitors that the Lavender harvest was postponed until next summer do to cold, wet spring. That’s the “murder mitten” for you I suppose. Saddened by the news, I regretted that we were unable to pick our own lavender; however, Blake Farms offered an orchard full of fresh raspberries and tart cherries to gather. I’ve decided to save the U-pick orchard for a later date when blueberries are in season, enabling me to knock two additional items off the list: canning and picking.
Although handpicked lavender would have been a nice addition to the day’s events, the Michigan Lavender festival commemorated the purple plant in other ways. The festival knit together groups of local vendors and artists who are passionate about the multi-purpose plant as well as Michigan-made products. Booths catered to the medicinal and culinary benefits of lavender. Drawn to the sweet words of ‘free sample,’ I circled the tents, tasting lavender infused baked goods and treats. Fortunately, mom and I arrived at the crack of dawn in order to escape the heat and crowd; therefore, we were among the first to snag limited samples of lavender shortbread and scones. To my mom’s satisfaction and amusement, the sun made an unexpected appearance. Unfortunately, we could only avoid the sun’s rays for so long and by ten o’clock the sun was beating down hard. Michigan had pulled a complete three-sixty and judging by the brilliant blue skies, no one would have guessed it was raining earlier. “See, you never know what the day has is store,” I said while trying to hold in a laugh.
Ladies dressed in shades of lilac strolled the grounds, sipping on lavender ice tea and sampling spoonfuls of lavender sugar and lavender infused honey. In hopes of cooling off ourselves, mom and I decided to indulge in a scoop of homemade lavender ice cream under a shaded picnic table. There, we revealed our purchases. We exchanges stories and shared our newly found treasures. A sashay of dried lavender, two lavender plants, and a bar of lavender soap for mom and a pouch of loose lavender lemonade tea and a tiny tin of culinary lavender for me. Needless to say, we both fell in love with lavender.
Days like these last forever. The drive alone reminded me Michigan’s raw beauty and that you don’t have to travel far to find it. Meeting the face behind the product rooted a new understanding of “supporting local:” a term we are often encouraged to use but frequently forget. There are plenty of places to go to celebrate Michigan farmers and entrepreneurs who are working to bring local Michigan to our tables and those men and women should never go without recognition. Michigan farmer’s markets, flea markets, and farms are among many places agriculture, art, and culture are connected. There, priceless treasures can be found and even though up north is among every Michigander’s favorite place to visit, the gems hidden along the way are perhaps the most valuable.
While driving home we passed endless fields of baby green apple trees and I thought about the upcoming season of fall. Autumn promises walks through pumpkin patches, the scent of garden harvest bread baking in the oven, and frequent trips to the Franklin Cider Mill where brown paper bags dipped in grease are vied as if they were gold. No matter how much I may anticipate the arrival of autumn, it’s important to remember the beauty each season Michigan harvests. After fall comes old man winter and that’s something I’d like to postpone for as long as possible. In the meantime, average days can be turned into memories by discovering what surrounds you: friendly neighbors, delicious food, and “pure” adventure. Enjoy summer days even if the weather is grey- it may surprise you.
Visit www.blakefarms.com to check out upcoming events or to check up on what produce is in season.
Blake Farm Events
Arts and Crafts Show Sunday and Monday September 4th -5th (10am-5pm)
Fall Festival Show on Saturday and Sunday September 10th-11th (10am-5pm)
Interested in brewing your own cup of Lavender Lemonade Tea? Visit www.HerbalSereniTea.com
Bake your own Lavender Shortbread Cookies by following the recipe at http://www.jessicasdinnerparty.com/2009/12/lavender-shortbread-cookies/
For years, my interest in Detroit’s ruins and restructuring has drawn me into an unparalleled world. In an attempt to preserve the much forgotten history and culture of the equally elapsed metropolis, I explore the city with fresh eyes and an open mind. Especially drawn to the city’s underground art scene, trips downtown provide an escape from an uninteresting, middleclass suburbia.
Eastern Market, Belle Isle, and antique stores like John K. King Books are among my favorite places to explore; nonetheless, downtown adventures produce more excitement when letting the city find you and not the other way around.
Last week, while driving to help a friend hang artwork in a gallery space downtown, I came across a woman, surrounded by people, who had collapsed in the middle of Woodward Avenue. It’s unforeseen as to what you may find in Detroit. Unusual? Yes, but surprising? Not particularly. The same day, I stumbled upon a colorful roadblock, scattered with “lost soles”. The style of shoes ranged in scuba flippers, baby slippers, high heels, snow boots, and sandals galore. It had Tyree Guyton’s name all over it. The street was drowning in a sea of shoes, which Guyton encouraged spectators to walk through as long as long as the installation remained undisturbed.
Although caught off guard, the content and medium of the installation proved redundant. Some call Guyton the founder of Detroit’s ‘street art’ movement, but recently, Guyton has fallen off the radar. Guyton and his grandfather constructed The Heidelberg Project in 1985. In its heyday, The Heidelberg Project was a controversial topic in the art world. Mixed reviews ridiculed Guyton for turning trash into sculpture, while others praised him for challenging viewer’s expectations of what art actually is.
Today, The Heiedelberg Project is wearing with age, and Detroit’s expanding art scene is making room for new artists. Last Thursday proved Guyton is back; however, not only is his work reinstituting recycled materials, but his ideas are reused as well.
Walking through the spray painted jumble of shoes was nothing less than eerie. I couldn’t help but wonder whom the abandoned shoes once belonged to, how long it took Guyton to collected such bulk, and whether the previous owners were alive. Each pair was displaced, representing the homeless of Detroit. Many of the shoes reflected trends from the past (platforms, jellies, and light up sneakers),which only widened the gap between where I stood and the empty slots in front of me. Like Guyton, who’s living in the past, the project resurfaces unsettling feelings of time.
Guyton’s obscure “modern art” attempts to stir social debate; however, delivering the pressing issue in old packaging is like beating a dead horse, hopeless. Perhaps Guyton is nostalgic for his glory days, and I can’t deny that his work once proved that beauty can come from decay. The Heidelberg Project originally produced a greater message for the city of Detroit by transmitting the idea that: amidst the city’s ruins, reconstruction is viable.
Peculiarities like the woman in the street and the road block-mixed with adrenaline-make downtown adventures unlike anything else. Unexpected turns and twists catch you by surprise but equally lure you in. Art produces a similar effect. Today, Detroit artists ought to produce works of art that play an active role in the rebuilding of Detroit. Newness is needed and the medium of art can reconfigure old distortions of the city. Detroit is often misrepresented but art and new vision can reshape the city’s broken image.
Living on Central Campus has it perks. Yes, it means waking up at 8:59am and still making it to 9am class ten minutes later. It means short walks to the library and quick jaunts downtown, where it’s almost impossible to settle on one good place to eat. Living on Central makes running errands a lot easier, but perhaps Central Campus students are biased when talking about the ever so illusive “North” Campus.
I admit, for a while I was North weary. I fed into the social stigma attached to living on North by believing rumors about “depressingly boxy rooms” and “crummy dining halls”-all surrounded by a sea of nothingness. Given the chance to visit my Bursley/Baites friends, whose North antics only reinforced these speculations, I often declined the invitation.
Looking back, I imagine I grew accustom to my life on Central and simply couldn’t stand the thought of venturing from my bubble. I avoided North at all costs in hopes of saving myself long waits at the bus stop and getting lost. A semester later, realizing the “Nothing on North” myth to be false, I came to the conclusion that the “other” University Campus holds gems of its own.
The campus houses creative minds alike. The School of Art & Design, Architecture + Urban Planning, Music, Theater, & Dance, and the School of engineering produce artists and lofty works of art, music, acting, dance, and ingenuity. Great artwork, no matter the medium, takes people by surprise. To avoid recycled ideas, University students raise the bar take their creations to new heights, literally.
A mystery student recreated a scene from Disney’s “UP” Monday. Attached to the pinnacle of the North Bell Tower were thousands of multicolored balloons faceted together with string. It was every kid’s childhood dream come true.
Yesterday was one of those crazy days where everything was due: seventeen pages of writing for a Creative Writing portfolio, an exam in The History of Photography, and after being locked away in the Bursley basement of the Living Arts room for a four hour critique, I scurried to catch a bus back to Central. Walking to the stop, I noted a giant bundle of balloons from the corner of my eye. All I could think was “what on earth is that?” With my camera in hand, I ventured off the beaten path for a closer look. Drawn to the bright colors and pure size of the installation, all I could do was look UP.
Getting lost in the hustle and bustle of college life is inevitable. It’s easy to forget the importance of taking notice of life’s little joys and discovering new places. Beauty comes in unexpected packages and at unexpected times. Mystery artist, I’ll call them “Mr. or Mrs. Fredricksen,” delivered an unforgettable gift. Whether the project is a random act of kindness or deliberate, the project colored what would have otherwise been an ugly day. Like North Campus, life can be understated and unappreciated. I encourage readers, especially those who’ve never been, to make the journey and see North for themselves. The so-called abyss unexpectedly taught me to appreciate the little things in life. I’d hate to burst anyone’s bubble but FYI, these balloons prove North to be one giant thumbs UP.
Using the prompt symmetry, I drafted an idea to find uniqueness in sameness. I sought everyday, symmetrical spaces in hopes of proving character exists in monotony. My search ended when I discovered my living space provided the ideal subject.
Residence halls are boxes that contain hundreds of cell-like spaces, each casted from a parent mold. The dorm experience enables residents to reconstruct an empty, symmetrical space by filling the off-white walls and blank spaces with personal belongings. Every room holds individual possessions, making an ordinary space unique. Hundreds of students living on campus reside in one, giant shell.
North, East, South, and West Quad are divided into compartments, forcing strangers to co-habitate with each other. Roommates partition the room to create a functional living space that best reflects their personality and lifestyle. Subjecting oneself to living in a shared space, where private becomes public, is uninviting. Thanks to the residents who opened their doors to my camera and me, I documented a small portion of the mass material contained within the Quads. Occasionally there is a repeated object, like a shiny Happy Birthday banner, but there’s a dominant contrast of homogenous boxes-seemingly identical- and the process of differentiation, which is brought about through the introduction of student’s personal belongings, both from home as well as the standard college supply store.
The format of the quad camera mimics the fixed structure of the dorms. The print is symmetrical, however each frame is unique. Each print contains four images that best represent the photographed room owners. The uniqueness of each photograph is enhanced by the snapshot aesthetic, which guarantees an original shot with each advancement of the shutter. Toy cameras, which are boxy themselves, are fun to experiment with. They provide a beautiful quality to the print and incorporate an element of surprise, a common theme of dorm living. Never knowing what you may find within the dorms, The Quad Project consists of familiar and estranging images that uncover dorm culture. The project fuses bright colors and faded tones. The repeated pattern reflects the continuous recirculation of tenants and belongings within the building. Unlike the spaces, the images are static and frozen in time.
The original goal of The Quad Project was to understand the word symmetrical in an unexpected way, to showcase differentiation in regularity, but the medium of photography preserved the essence of the dorms and the individuals it houses. In creating The Quad Project, I hope to keep the spaces and memories each room holds alive. Symmetry can be viewed from multiple perspectives; however, symmetry looked through a personal lens captures balanced proportions, a state of invariance, and the property of sameness in a new light.
*The Final Project is printed on 4 x 4ft poster paper (I plan to hang it in my dorm room next year appropriately enough). Check out The Quad Project and dozens more final CP projects in person at the Creative Process Exhibition, Monday April 25th from 5-7pm, at the School of Art and Design.
