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Inner State Gallery Presents Tyree Guyton's "SPIRIT"
A Revived Body of Work from the Creative Force & Founder of the Heidelberg Project
Opening to the public Friday, October 17th from 7-10pm, Inner State Gallery is proud to welcome Tyree Guyton for his first Detroit solo exhibition in five years. "Spirit", is an exhibition showcasing Guyton's Faces In The Hood collection from the iconic Faces of God series. Each work in this collection was originally salvaged from the 1999 demolition, then stored in the War Room House which was set ablaze after the 5th arson attack on his public installation, the Heidelberg Project. From the disrupted canvas resulting from the fire, Guyton painstakingly reimagined, reworked and renewed each piece, infusing new life and new energy. In addition to Faces In The Hood, Guyton will debut his latest collection of Faces of God, new original works on paper that were created during his year-long residency in Basel, Switzerland.
"As an artist, I felt my job was to take that which was meant to be an act of harm and destruction and create magic—new possibilities! A work that demonstrates that you CANNOT kill spirit," Guyton said in his studio space in Midtown Detroit. "I have risen to another level of consciousness where I can see the mighty hands of Yahweh (God) in everything."
The recent fires are not the first time that Guyton's has dealt with adversity. Throughout the 90's, the Detroit city government battled Guyton on his larger-than-life public art installation that spans two city blocks on Detroit's east side. Despite two demolitions, and eleven separate arson attacks over the past year and a half, Guyton proves again and again that he will not be stopped. Coined, "Detroit's own Ghetto Guggenheim", the Heidelberg Project draws over 275,000 people annually from over 140 countries and is recognized as a pioneer of Creative Placemaking.
"I believe that you must become the alchemist. You come to see that all things can become new again because of the spirit in you. Spirit lives in all of us to animate, to move, think, do and be," said Guyton. "This show is my way of creating, once again, something out of nothing, but nothing is something, too! I hear it, and what I hear is what I want you, the viewer, to see in this show: Spirit!"
Though Guyton has been a leader in the Detroit art community for 30 plus years, his reach has stretched around the globe, as evidenced by the number of documentaries, books, museum exhibitions and speaking engagements regarding his work. When asked why he chose the crew at Inner State Gallery, Guyton replied, "Because they chose me, from the right place at the right time."
"Long before 'Street Art' was a buzz word in the current parlance of our times, Tyree Guyton was Detroit's true Street Artist, working primarily in the public domain," explains Inner State Gallery co-founder, Jesse Cory. "There is an immeasurable amount of influence that Tyree's work has cast on our community and today's art world. As Detroiter's, we could not be more excited to be participate in this journey with Tyree."
This exhibition is free and open to the public. The welcoming artist reception will begin Friday October 17th at 7pm and will end at 10pm. The exhibition will be on view in its entirety from October 17th - November 15th 2014.
For an advanced collector preview, interview opportunities, media inquiries and high resolution photos, contact gallery director Jesse Cory at jesse@innerstategallery.com
About Tyree Guyton:
Primarily a painter and sculptor, Tyree Guyton has also been described as an urban environmental artist. He has waged a personal war on urban blight on Detroit's East Side, transforming his neighborhood into a living indoor/outdoor art gallery. Through his art, Guyton has drawn attention to the plight of Detroit's forgotten neighborhoods and spurred discussion and action.
About Inner State:
Inner State Gallery is Detroit's premier art gallery for established and emerging artists, from Detroit and across the globe. Relocating to Eastern Market in 2013, Inner State Gallery has exhibited the work of local artists Glenn Barr, Camilo Pardo and Ron Zakrin as well as international street artists Nychos, Askew, Ben Frost and Meggs. The 10,000 square foot building is home to two exhibition spaces, an artist residency program, a print studio and the gallery's publishing company 1xRUN.
More information can be found at
http://www.tyreeguyton.com
http://www.heidelberg.org
http://www.innerstategallery.com
Inner State Gallery
1410 Gratiot Avenue
Detroit, MI. 48207
313-744-6505 ### | 
