Kindred Spirits
Eastern Michigan University Art Faculty Invitational
Barry
Avedon, drawings
John De Hoog, constructions
Richard Washington, sculptures
Photo
(by James Sandall) of, left to right:
Richard Washington, John
DeHoog, and Barry Avedon
December 6, 2005 - February 5, 2006
Opening Reception:
Friday, December 9, 7 - 9
To celebrate
the end of WSG Gallery's third successful year on E. Liberty in downtown
Ann Arbor and the beginning of the New Year 2006, WSG has, by special
invitation, chosen to exhibit the works of three distinguished professors
from Eastern Michigan University’s Department of Art. In the
exhibit, Kindred Spirits, sculptures
by Richard Washington, drawings by Barry Avedon and constructions by John
DeHoog will be featured in the main gallery from December 6 through
February 5. There will be a reception to meet the artists on Friday evening,
December 9, from 7-9 pm.
The title of the exhibit reflects the friendship and the shared
commitment of these three extremely creative artists who, though
of different ages, different backgrounds, from different parts of the
country, and with very different approaches to their own art, find
a strong bond of kinship in their roles as educators of a new
generation of artists.
In creating his mixed media sculptures of such diverse elements
as bones, wood, found objects and turtles' tails,
Professor Washington says, "The work
is paradoxical in nature. I make objects for multilevel
contemplation and observation, putting together provocative elements of
human experience and ethnic tradition. The resulting personal vision
beckons the viewer to look…and share the intense physical relationship
with recycled materials. Some may find my work confrontational,
while others may struggle with social and moral issues."
Washington has been on the faculty at EMU for thirty-five years, since
shortly after receiving both his B.A. and M.A. in Fine Arts degrees there.
Newer on the faculty is Professor John DeHoog, who came
to EMU in 2000 after receiving his Master of Fine Arts in Furniture
Design from the Rhode Island School of Design. Carefully
balanced and smoothly surfaced, DeHoog’s wooden constructions
reflect his strong sense of design and love of the material.
DeHoog has received awards and scholarships from Northern Michigan University,
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, the Midland Center for the Arts, Niche
Magazine, and the Samuel Gragg Award for Technique and Imagination,
among many others.
Barry Avedon has been a Professor of Drawing
and Painting at Eastern Michigan University since 1966.
Working in colored pencils his fragile drawings have a deceptively
childlike quality combined with a highly sophisticated sense of design.
Using colors of the imagination rather than the real world his works harken
back to the freedom of color choice often found in German and Neo-Expressionism.
Avedon says about his new works, "The subjects
I choose allow me the freedom to abstract and interpret. I enjoy
expressing complex thoughts and complicated ideas with the extreme honesty
of children."
