One man’s trash is truly another man’s treasure.
There are artists among us who see a goldmine of resources and possibilities in the mountain of stuff discarded every day. Objects and materials that have acquired the patina of time carry an emotional weight that is not present in new materials. Some believe that objects that have been owned and used and handled accumulate and store energy from those who have used them, something akin to a charged battery. The best found-object work goes well beyond surface appearance and achieves an elegance or internal logic that transcends nostalgia. For this exhibit, we have sought out artists and musicians who use cast-offs to create works that resonate with poetry that is rooted in the history of the materials from which they’re made.
This show is co-curated by Teresa Petersen, a Detroit resident well known for her magical works made with found objects and ephemera. Teresa worked with PCCA exhibition staff to find Michigan artists working with scavenged materials in new and unusual ways. We broadened our search to include musicians incorporating cast-off objects in their arsenal of instruments. Participating artists include:
Suzanne Andersen
Dan Blades http://digitalidentity.biz/blog/
Carol Cameron, www.woodbisonstudio.com
Clem Fortuna, www.fortunapiano.com
John Gutoskey, www.johngutoskeystudio.com
Ann Harrington Hughes,
www.aarontimlin.com/detroitcontemporary/ahh/
Amy Kelly, Hamtramck, Michigan;
Robert Mirek, www.lmstudio.com/mirek.htm
Scott Northrup, www.mytapeimage.blogspot.com
Frank Pahl, http://www.frankpahl.net
Terri Sarris, www.personal.umich.edu/~tsarris/
and Graceann Warn, www.graceannwarn.com
We’ll spend an afternoon with artists from the show for a materials swap and found-object workshop on Saturday, September 19, 12:00 pm. The workshop will be suitable for young kids accompanied by their parents, as well as teens and adults. Bring along some objects and materials to trade with others, and see what inspires you to make an artwork to take home. We’ll provide some basic hand tools and adhesives.
The mission of Paint Creek Center for the Arts is to enhance life in the region by promoting, encouraging and creating opportunities to participate in and appreciate the arts. Paint Creek Center for the Arts is open Monday through Thursday, 9:00am to 9:00pm, Friday 9:00am – 7:00pm, and Saturday, 10:00am to 4:00pm. Exhibits are free and open to the public.
PCCA exhibitions are supported by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts.