An unseasonabley warm October Friday night found me with friends at the Ann Arbor Art Center for the opening reception o
f the Annual All Media Exhibition. This art show was established in 1922, making this its 85th year. Can you believe that? Amazing.Artists from all over the area submit works for this juried show, and “Filling Shoes” by my friend Libby earned a spot. I’ve been on a high heel kick lately (emboldened by increased balance from tango lessons, perhaps?), so the specimen depicted in her work spoke to me.
“Casualties,” by Gloria Pritschet, was awarded Best in Show by Juror Michelle Perron. This large, printed piece hangs in the front window of the Art Center, and is comprised of 
a list of the casualties from the war in Iraq, with burn holes and scorches. The names are listed in a way that is evocative of the Vietnam and USS Arizona Memorials, and individual scorch marks are like punctuation points.Leaving the Art Center, we strolled down the street to the Washington Street Gallery, which oddly is NOT on Washington Street. This cooperatively-run gallery was hosting the opening for an exhibition titled “The Secrets of Modern Art,” by artist Alvey Jones.
Jones assembles wonderful shadow boxes that have layers and layers of bits and pieces that reference art, history, and life. His pieces, like “To Hell with Metaphor. Let’s See a Literal Depiction of the History of Modern Art,” are whimsical without being twee. “This guy is the most prolific artist,” my friend Jill (an artist herself) told me. “I don’t know how he does it.”
It addition to Jones’ work, the gallery displays the pieces of several other artists, including “Diana at Bath” by Dee Ann Segula. While in Russia earlier this year, I learned to appreciate iconography with its ornate giltwork. And I saw some wonderful Modigliani nudes at the Pushkin Museum while I was there, too. This work seem
ed to me to combine a bit of both, with a dash of Rousseau thrown in for good measure. Tres charmant.Friday evening was a lovely “appetizer” for the upcoming 8th Annual Ann Arbor Art Walk, October 19 and 20, when art studios and galleries all over town will be open for self-guided “art tours.”
1 comment:
Alvey Jones - A living national treasure. I've never seen one of his works that didn't thrill me and make me think. His skills are as polished as his concepts. I was overcome with envy a few years ago when I attended a wedding where he and his wife were also guests. The blissful couple received an Alvey painting for a wedding present. It was one of the few times I contemplated art theft. The karmic burden would have been too much to bear. Anyway, any time his work is on display, one should view it if humanly possible. An incredible talent whose modesty prevents him from becoming famous.
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