DetNews.Com
Friday, March 25, 2005

Painter Ed Sarkis examines the state of humanity.

Review

Museum of New Art combines the works of 4 solo shows

Exhibit captures the demise of Detroit, terrorism and war in
photographs, paintings.

By Joy Hakanson Colby / The Detroit News

Four Solos

GRADE: B+

Museum of New Art (MONA)

7 N. Saginaw St., Pontiac

12-6 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.

through April 3

Call (248) 210-7560

By any name, the Museum of New Art (MONA) is an art gallery known for
creative exhibits and a director who likes to tweak the public’s
sensibilities. The place lives up to its reputation on both counts
with the current offerings.

Four solo shows under the MONA umbrella are spread over two floors of
the Oakland Art Center. Photographers John Cynar and the mysterious
Stig Eklund share one second floor space. Painter Ed Sarkis holds
forth across the hall. Downstairs in a gallery earmarked for emerging
artists is an installation by Audra Wolowiec.

Although the exhibits have topical references, the artists deal with
them individually. For instance, in his series of black-and-white
digital images devoted to the demise of a central city, Cynar avoids
such obvious subjects as burned-out buildings to concentrate on
doorways and windows photographed in Detroit’s Woodward corridor after
midnight. Together, these pictures reflect the sadness and sense of
loss that many Detroiters feel these days.

Cynar, a sculptor turned photographer, also is showing a striking
series of two-part digital images of churches on one side and radio,
cell phone or TV towers on the other side. They are united by overlays
of color.

Sarkis takes on terrorism, war and other political and social
conflicts that mark our times. He works with a restless, probing line
and gestural brushwork to convey images of hooded prisoners in
Afghanistan, riot police in Seattle or the World Trade Center
bombing. The paintings have a universal quality and question the
meaning of humanity.

Now for Stig Eklund, who is billed as a Norwegian photographer; he
takes command of digital technology, creating haunting portraits,
shadowy figures and urban and country landscapes. Some of the
landscapes glow in the dark thanks to luminescent paper.

Eklund, as it turns out, is none other than MONA’s director Jef
Bourgeau, who also excels as a painter, a video artist and a maker of
constructions. By any name, Bourgeau is one terrific all-around
artist.

You can reach Joy Hakanson Colby at (313) 222-2276 or jcolby@detnews.com.