M Contemporary Art presents an exhibition of four artists who participated in the TEAD One Artist In Residence: Freddy Diaz, MALT, BEARLOBOS, and Rick Brown. The TEAD One Artist in Residence program is organized by the family of Jordan Vaughn, also known as TEAD One, in partnership with the Dearborn Community Fund, and hosted by Fishnet Artist Studios in Dearborn. Works in this exhibition were created by the artist while attending the residency and curated by gallery owner Melannie Chard.
Freddie Diaz hails from a first generation family whose parents immigrated to and settled in Southwest Detroit. Confianza Eterna—Eternal Trust—uses images from the celebration of Dia de los Muertos—Day of the Dead—to reference his culture and heritage. The skull represents people who have passed, the color orange is said to draw in souls while the butterflies might remind the viewer of the fragility of life.
Malt explores themes of nature across a broad body of work. From large scale murals and installations to intimate studio work, his style is instantly recognizable. He has pieces all over the city from the Dequindre Cut to Eastern Market. For those who don’t have a wall readily available, these pieces bring that flavor indoors.
Roberto Villalobos, aka BEARLOBOS, learned graffiti from mentors like Fel 3000 Ft and immersing himself in the music and dance of not only his Mexican roots but also hip hop culture. His bold style translates well from wall to canvas, retaining a raw feel through use of aerosol and intense color.
Because Rick Brown is a self-taught oil painter with a history of writing graffiti in his youth, it makes this series of work astonishing. These paintings call back to Caravaggio with their use of shadow and dramatic imagery. He even uses the people he hangs out with as models, making the ordinary extraordinary. This painter has some serious skills and once he gets a handle on what are new materials for him—stretching his own canvas for quality presentation—he’s someone to watch.
I have an ongoing romance with street art. From a quick tag dangling on an freeway overpass to Murals in the Market bringing monumentally large and sophisticated pieces to Eastern Market, to just now blown away by Brown’s jump to art world hyperdrive, I won’t be breaking up with this genre any time soon.
On view through 9/11 at M Contemporary Art 205 E 9 Mile, Ferndale
*The TEAD One Memorial Fund is a non-profit 501(c)(3) founded in January 2021 by the family of Jordan Vaughn, aka TEAD One, to honor his memory and continue his artistic legacy.
**images courtesy of M Contemporary Art except TEAD One by Sal Rodriguez
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