collected detroit and metropolitan museum of design detroit
Modditties: Cabinets of Curiosities
With a sideshow style pitch, I can almost hear Barnum and Bailey’s Circus Theme Song playing in the background. This showcase contains an overwhelming amount of work so tightly arranged a metaphorical chair and whip is required to tame the visual cacophony. The layout reads more curiosity shoppe than art gallery, which appears the intention.
A notable highlight is this sculpture by Charles McGee that hasn’t been seen since 1989. An unusual piece, it carries distinguishable elements that echo the celebrated artist’s recognizable style. As a precursor to later works, several of which are installed around the city, Sphinx provides insight to McGee’s thematic journey.
James Kaye is more famously known as one of the Detroit Brothers, Inc., builders of custom motorcycles, one handcrafted part at a time, as in this showstopping bike. Floating demonstrates an appreciation for naturally occurring marks and fissures which lend interest and composition to an otherwise sleek form.
This intricately spun tree inspires investigation through texture and dimension. Fibers wound around an armature construct the trunk and branches which culminate in thin, multi-colored wires germinating from its crown. Threads thicken toward the wooden base where loose strands read like roots seeking firmer footing like the tree growing atop Chapel Rock on Michigan’s Pictured Rocks Lakeshore.
Chuck Duquet is a long-established presence in Detroit art and his launch of Collected Detroit several years ago was an instant smash. Observing regular double billing, I admit some confusion over the connection between Collected Detroit and Leslie Ann Pilling’s Metropolitan Museum of Design Detroit, of which I was completely in the dark 😳. As in any city experiencing gentrification, rents can become prohibitive generating collaborations where needed. This shared space partnership translates into a blend of fine art with other genres of craftsmanship like furniture, as in this found object bar cart. The offerings are a bit cramped for my taste but if one is a purveyor of out-of-the-box commodities, or merely redecorating, it offers one-stop shopping for unique, finely executed collectibles.
On view through July 8th at Collected Detroit MMoDD 905 Henry, 3rd floor, Detroit
*images are mine
SHOWS OPEN THIS WEEKEND