click to enlarge photos by Joe Gall

Detroit's Top Ten
On Permanent Display

When artists (and underpaid critics) refer to the permanence of art they’re usually touching upon certain abstract qualities like the creative spirit, the power of memory, emotive response, and everything else that falls under that ambiguous “Beauty is truth, truth beauty” catechism. The physical permanence of art, however, is a different matter and generally ties in with such mundane factors as size, weight, location, entropy, and the proprietary instinct. King Tut’s slumber room, the Mona Lisa, the Pieta and various other objects are moveable feasts of beauty. The Sphinx, the Last Supper, a certain ceiling inside St. Peter’s ... perhaps less so. As for the timeless impulse to keep what you have (or get back what you lost), just ask the Greeks if they’re still pissed about the Elgin Marbles.

click to enlarge photos by Joe Gall

Detroit has quite a number of works that are on “permanent display” and here are several of our favorites. Some are old, some are relatively new — the common denominator is that they’re ours, we love ‘em, and they’ll have to pry them from our cold dead fingers before we ever give’ em up.

The Rivera Murals at the DIA
"Detroit Industry," the actual title of the Diego Rivera masterpiece that graces an interior court within the DIA, is the unofficial Sistine Chapel of Detroit. Completed in 1933, it was considered Rivera’s signature work for many years and is rivaled only by a similar project he undertook in his native Mexico City. A series of 27 panels depicting the blast furnace energy that was then the Ford Motor Company, it was intended by the artist to be a comprehensive picture of all the disparate elements that went into and arose from the creation of an automobile — the raw sources taken from nature, the vision of the inventor and the engineer, the harnessing of power and space to bring that vision to life and (most importantly) the sweat-bathed labor that made it all possible in the end. It was that last visual motif that caused the most fuss. Rivera’s sympathies at the time were left-leaning, and conservative voices in Detroit were taken aback by what they perceived as communist shorthand and religious “blasphemies” in several of the panels. There was a serious hue-and-cry at the time to whitewash or destroy them — a fate which subsequently befell another Rivera mural at Rockefeller Center in 1934 — but cooler heads prevailed and the work is now a civic jewel proudly embraced by everyone. Heck, even capitalists like it.

click to enlarge photos by Joe Gall

James Scott Memorial Fountain
In his day James Scott (1831-1910) was warmly described by his friends as an irascible and crooked SOB. His enemies were even more candid — and less charitable. But this colorful Detroiter had the last laugh in the end by bequeathing a cool half-million to the city for a fountain on Belle Isle — provided, of course, that a dignified statue of the benefactor be added to the finished product. It was suggested by some that a marble outhouse would be a more fitting tribute to the guy, but after heated debate work commenced in 1914. And when the thing was finally finished in 1925 even Scott’s foes admitted that the cash had been well spent. Architect Cass Gilbert designed a veritable wedding cake of charming detail, with dolphins, turtles, mythological figures, and lions decorating the reflecting pool. The central column still manages to shoot an impressive burst of water and the Pewabic pottery tiles look as fresh as the day they were installed.

click to enlarge photos by Joe Gall

Van Gogh’s Self Portrait  at the DIA
There are works by Van Gogh that appear at first glance to be on fire. The colors ascend to the top of the canvas like flames and the subjects “burn” with a fierce radiance that belies even the most peaceful of scenes or landscapes. Perhaps that’s why Vinnie’s self-portrait is the most haunting visage inside the DIA. Not only a priceless example of post-impressionism, it is also a vivid glimpse into the human condition — a glimpse made even more striking when one recalls the tortured history of the demon-driven genius who painted it. And it is a striking summation of everything art should aspire to be — a shout of defiance in the face of a cruel and blind world. Small wonder Detroiters love it.

Memorial to Joe Louis
Do not be deceived — that clenched fist means business and is ready to connect with anything or anyone in order to achieve final victory in the ring. Strength of purpose is the chief quality that sculptors try to capture in life-size or monumental works, and the late Robert Graham deserves credit for infusing this tribute to the Brown Bomber with more than just muscle and taut sinew. What is even more remarkable is the “grace” that this large (and quite heavy!) piece communicates to the eye. A boxer’s fist, like an artist’s hand, is the expressive instrument of both his soul and his craft. The canvases that Joe Louis labored upon with determined energy were left blank in the end — except for the sweat and blood of his undefeated spirit.

The Heidelberg Project
What the Watts Towers in LA are to the vertical, the Heidelberg Project here in the D is to the horizontal — an incredible vista of found art, urban detritus, “plastic philosophy,” aesthetic chutzpah, and definition-defying wonder. Begun in 1986 by CCS alum Tyree Guyton, the Heidelberg was intended to revitalize a blighted inner-city landscape with a powerful and whimsical engine of recycled objects — trousers, vacuum cleaners, stuffed animals, suitcases and other discarded materials. Polka dots on walls, trees and other spaces “nail” the cumulative elements together. Naturally not everyone was caught up in the vision — city authorities demolished parts of the Project during the '90s and several people expressed dismay about an “outdoor community museum” in (or near) their backyards. Nevertheless this mixed-media masterpiece is now recognized internationally and has prompted similar endeavors in cities across the nation. Hey, wait a sec — are those OUR trousers over there?!

The Spirit of Detroit
There has always been a strong sense of identification with that big meditative lug sitting in front of the Municipal Center downtown. Probably explains all the sports jerseys. The Spirit of Detroit was intended by sculptor Marshall Fredericks to be charged throughout with pertinent symbolism for the masses. The figure itself is muscled and healthy — as every American city should be; the bronze sphere with emanating rays is God (or a convenient and acceptable stand-in for Him); that’s supposed to be you, mom, and dad in the right hand; and in case the “message” still hasn’t come across, there’s a nice Biblical passage on a “Symbol Wall” to bring it all home. Perfection. Except for the guy’s hair, which (frankly) could use a little work.

Guardian Building Lobby and Interior Mural
Next chance you get, step inside the Guardian Building and stop for a moment to appreciate that stunning glass mosaic in the lobby. Now stroll up the stairs on your left to that expansive area that leads to a bank lobby. Gaze up — and be dazzled! Both the mosaic and that beautiful mural depicting the myriad splendors of our great state were fashioned by Ezra Winter, a criminally underrated artist who hailed from Traverse City and ended his own life in 1949 when a tragic accident robbed him of the power to paint. A noted critic once described these pieces as “two perpetually overlooked gems in a city that has hundreds of pieces less worthy of attention.” Make time to look — and soon.

The Horace E. Dodge and Son Memorial Fountain
Never heard of it? Well, you know that “metal donut thing” that saved you from heat prostration during a summer concert at Hart Plaza last year? Bingo! Anna Thomson Dodge supplied the cash and Isamu Noguchi mixed the proverbial stainless steel dough. Thirty-feet high with a pair of strong inwardly canted supports to hold it up, the fountain is an example of “monumental minimalism” — academic shorthand for function following form with a detour here and there to remind you that what you’re looking at is a work of art and not a public bathing facility. Nevertheless there’s a lot to be said in the end for a work that prompts many an unreadable monograph and also manages to make a 10-year-old kid smile from ear to ear.

The Millennium Bell
Commissioned by the city to “ring in” the new millennium, this bell in Grand Circus Park now serves as a poignant memorial to one of its creators. Matthew Blake and Chris Turner both worked in Detroit, were both enthralled by the endless possibilities of metal casting and (after winning the commission) had but six months to bring their winning design to light. They turned to steel as the principal medium and conceived the piece as a simple folding of two circular discs into a triangle with the bell itself suspended above ground by graceful arches. Today the bell remarkably evokes the city’s industrial persona and history. Nearly a decade after its completion Matthew Blake died in May of 2008. A public remembrance in his honor was held in Grand Circus Park — and yes, the bell was rung.

The River Of Knowledge
It comes as a great surprise to many that the Main Branch of the Detroit Public Library is a treasure trove of artistic wonders. In our opinion, however, the most beautiful (and most frequently overlooked) feature is outside facing Cass Avenue. "The River of Knowledge" is a colored glass mosaic in five sections with each section celebrating the accumulated wisdom of the centuries and the many quoted individuals who brought vision, strength, and harmony to man's quest for knowledge. Created by Millard Sheets in 1963, this painstakingly detailed "river" still flows with dignity.  | RDW  



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