Robert Onnes, owner of 333 Midland, has big dreams for the art scene in Detroit. Building on the success of 333 Midland (where I appear working in my studio at the beginning of the video), here Robert shares his vision for the recently acquired space at 14333 Woodrow Wilson.
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Local Clothing Studio
I recently modeled for Melissa Day Clothing Studio in Ypsilanti, MI. Be sure to check out her unique brand of upcycled, minimalist fashion!
Figure Drawing with Procreate /
I had a great time doing some in-person figure drawing sessions recently. I have always loved the challenge of quickly capturing the gesture, structure and emotion of a pose. For these sessions I decided to work digitally using Procreate on an iPad Pro.
Souls of Black Folk /
I recently had a great conversation with Stephen Henderson on American Black Journal about my piece “Black and White Thinking” that is currently on display in the Souls of Black Folk exhibit at the Scarab Club. Due to popular demand, the show has been extended to March 20!
Artist Spotlight /
333 Midland regularly features one it’s many talented resident in an artist spotlight.. this month it’s my turn!
Photo by Mike Ross
Detroit Figure Club /
I’ve been getting together once a week with a group of artists who enjoy sculpting the figure. We work from a live model and for this 5-week session the goal was to create an approx. 16” standing figure. I’ll post update shots as we go along as well as the finished sculpture at the end. I plan on making a plaster cast from the clay model in the coming months, so stay tuned!
PLUS ONE at Annex Gallery /
Studio residents at 333 Midland each invited one artist to show along with them in this group exhibit at the Annex Gallery. My plus one is the talented Christine Lujan. I will be unveiling my “The Panther in Me” series. This is sure to be a fantastic show!
DISTRESS:DISTRUST at Little D Gallery in OKC /
My painting, “Frankenmulatto” was accepted into an open call at the Little D Gallery in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The exhibit features artwork that is politically inspired, with a focus on omen’s rights, racial/ gender inequality, immigration, healthcare and the inner weavings of the political system. The exhibit opened Sept. 4th, 2020 and runs through October.
My statement for this painting:
Frankenmulatto is about America's attempts to piece together racial equality within a system that was never designed for it. The figure on the gurney references Frankenstein’s monster- a tragic figure pieced together from the remains of several dead men, however in this case the monster is a make-shift mulatto, an antiquated term for the offspring of one black and one white parent. The great bird descending on the figure has the body of an American eagle and the head of a vulture, at once evoking the patriotic urgency to defend American democratic values while at the same time feeding on the casualties of that system.
