“Updates” Faculty Exhibition runs through Oct. 3

In celebration of HFC’s 80th Anniversary, the Sisson Art Gallery (Building F) is exhibiting the artwork of 17 HFC Art and Design faculty members until Wednesday, Oct. 3, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Building on the concept of “Inside Information” – the title of the last faculty exhibition in 2014 – this exhibition has been named “Updates.”

Each artist works in distinctly different styles

Near the entrance to the Sisson Gallery, three large pieces, painted still-life, immediately catch the viewer’s attention. None of these are typical still-life pieces. Two are by Kevin Ewing. His paintings, including “Heavy Chevy,” an almost life-size picture of a Chevrolet Camaro, are depictions of tiny Matchbox toys. The other large painting is Nemanja Rosic’s “New Paradigm,” which is actually a painting of a circuit board from the interior of an old phone.

On the other end of the scale, there are three whimsical-looking collages by Narine Kchikian. Upon close examination, one notices a hot air balloon, decorated like an American flag, flying by a group of jewels in front of a red curtain in “Taking Off.”

Whimsical in an entirely different way are the abstract sculptures of Mariam Ezzat, which bring to mind remnants of a wedding gown of yesteryear. While the sculptures appear to be made of pieces of material, parts of broken jewelry and old, broken hangers, no story is identifiable about who may have worn the particular gown and when it was worn.

“Beauty exists in both the abstract formal qualities of the pieces and as one ponders the event the artist is addressing,” said HFC ceramics instructor Steve Glazer, the curator of this exhibition.

Fine Craft as an art form

Even smaller in scale are the delicate ceramic earrings created by Patricia Goodell. Meant to be worn, these present an extremely personal touch to the making of fine craft as an art form. This also applies to the mugs and tumbler by Centurium Frost. In fact, two of his mugs are adorned with the Detroit Pistons logo. These two mugs were trial runs of a large commission Frost received from the Detroit Pistons as giveaways to VIP season ticket-holders in their new home, Little Caesars Arena.

The fine art of painting is alive in the work of Anne Garavaglia and Betty Brownlee. In both of Garavaglia’s pieces, the figure appears to come to life in front of the viewer.

“How would we react if the veiled, crouching figure in ‘Shh’ were to jump to her feet? Or the figure in the portrait ‘Cole’ were to start talking to us? They both appear ready to do just that,” said Glazer.

Sherry Moore illustrated two realistic drawings of animals in black and white. Equally amazing are the line drawings of Joshua Mulligan, whose panoramic view of “Detroit” gives the impression that he’s presenting the viewer with everything Motown that is important for everyone to see.

Margaret Kelly illustrated close-ups of tree bark – one in black-and-white and one in color. Both appear to be abstractions of the world around us, and both are strikingly beautiful. Leisia Duskin’s contribution to “Updates” is the cover she drew for an award-winning book of poems called Three Birds Deep, along with a travel poster and a portrait of her daughter.

Different Approaches to Photography

The story of paradoxes does not end as depicted with the two completely different approaches to photography. Vicki Shepherd’s eye for design is ever present in her pieces, especially “Spirals.”

One the other hand, there are conceptual photographs by Karen Larson-Voltz (including one done in tandem with her husband and metalsmith artist Evan Larson-Voltz.) In “Drain,” a circular composition, the viewer ponders the thoughts of an individual standing in front of a waterfall, overshadowed by a folded paper piece that represents water about to flow down a drain.

“Is the waterfall going down the drain? Is the spectator in the photograph being pulled down the drain? Are we all about to flow down the drain together? With the questions left unanswered, is the artist asking if contemporary society as we know is going down the drain?” said Glazer.

Cultural identity

Cultural identity plays a part in the work of Hashim Al-Tawil and Jennifer Lickers. Al-Tawil combines Middle Eastern and Western, Arabic calligraphy in paintings that appear monumental in presence. While “Eulogy for Ibn Hamdis (12th Century Sicilian Poet) #1” is approximately three feet tall, it would just as easily translate as a Middle Eastern monument that stands three stories tall.

Whereas Al-Tawil draws upon his Middle-Eastern roots for inspiration, Lickers draws upon her First Nation roots. In Lickers’ “Untitled,” the viewer is confronted by signage that states “Good Faith Notice” and that he or she is no longer in Canada, but on the sovereign land of the Mohawk nation.

“Each of these artists takes the viewer out of their safety zone,” said Glazer. “While residents of Dearborn are used to seeing Arabic writing around town, first-time visitors often have no idea what to make of it. Equally discerning to many would be the first time you are no longer within the safe space of one’s homeland, but suddenly under unfamiliar laws.”

Molded in Clay

Glazer’s work bridges two vastly different approaches to clay, the medium he has worked in for more than 45 years. Glazer’s stoneware mugs are part of 1,000 mugs he has pledged to make, with all proceeds going to a potential Sisson remodeling and a scholarship fund for the new Associate in Fine Arts in Studio Art degree that went into effect the Fall 2018 Semester at HFC.

While the mugs are embedded in the arena of fine craft, Glazer’s two groupings of masks entitled “Recent Inductees to the Motor City Griot Society” are part of a series of more than 100 masks that present the concepts of a West African Griot character as the shaman that will bring forth the rebirth of post-industrial Detroit.

Throughout the exhibit, “Updates” puts forth the notion – and rightly so – that those who teach art classes at HFC are not only great educators who are willing to do all they can to help, educate, and mentor their students, but are also remarkable artists in their own right.

The “Updates” exhibition ends with a reception that is free and open to the public on Wednesday, Oct. 3, from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m.

The Sisson Gallery hours are:
• Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Tuesday: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Friday: Closed
• It will be open Saturday, Sept. 29, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

For more information, contact Glazer at (313) 845-6485 or sglazer@hfcc.edu.