Kelly Darke - Fine Art: March 2011

Thursday, March 31, 2011

The Detroit Institute of Arts - Contemporary Art

I visited the Detroit Institute of Arts recently and saw some amazing work that was new to me - not sure if the pieces have been at the DIA for a while, but this was the first time I saw them.

a very interesting collage type work by Raymond Johnson called "January/February"
- I love the use of multiples - lots and lots of little pieces - layers of painted wood and paper on board - grouped together to create a whole. The small painted pieces are arranged like a puzzle but remind me of a building or group of buildings - crowded but colorful and comfortable.

From 6:00 to 6:45 A.M.
Ross Bleckner
I was really excited when I saw this painting - it's beautiful and simple. It looks like the entire painting (it's huge 90 x 72 inches) was painted with a relatively small brush. The texture shows every brushstroke and the movement of the artist as he worked. The glow of the center is just beautiful.

Black Absence
Ghada Amer
fiber and paint is the most amazing combination. I was intrigued by this piece from a distance and when I got close I was overwhelmed with emotion - not sure what emotion, but there is something so strong about fiber work - sewing, hand-stitching, all of it - that thrills me - seriously. I searched for more images by Ghada Amer online and wasn't too excited by what I found and disappointed that I could not find any more information about this piece at the DIA - maybe I'll email the museum to see if someone could help with that...

... now to get ready for my personal art tour of chicago...