Let's get this out of the way first, it appears that we will get the cherished desire of the masses, a RoboCop statue. The people have spoken. Very specifically, some guy who owns an energy drink company in San Francisco named after Omni Consumer Products (they would be the giant corporation that built Robocop in the movie) kicked in $25,000, which pushed the project over the funding level.
Thanks to everyone who commented on the previous post. There are really some great thoughts in there and I encourage everyone to take a moment to glance over them.
This has been a really fascinating debate. And I do want to emphasize that - at least for those of us here in Detroit - it's been a discussion, not a battle. Some of you in the comments section there really got a little carried away, and I think you should have a drink (nothing involving energy drinks though). Maybe a valium. Maybe both. I had a long chat with Jerry Paffendorf of the Imagination Station the other day that was fully casual and friendly, and what I really got out of it is that - at least from my perspective - this is about different priorities.
First off, at the end of the day it's just a Robocop statue. It's not going to save Detroit and it's not going to ruin Detroit. I still personally feel it is one of the dumbest ideas I've heard in a long time, but that's just me. I will be annoyed when I see it and that's the extent of it.
The things that rankle me the most are the permanence and the placement. A cast metal statue isn't easily removed when people get tired of the joke (unless it it scrapped, of course). And there is something about taking a joke to a $50,000 extreme that really speaks to the question of priorities. I am aware that the Imagination Station folks are open to placing the statue someplace else but as of this moment, the proposed location is still on the edge of Roosevelt Park. I have a very hard time with the idea that any neighborhood in Detroit should have to be home to a RoboCop statue. I guess that's what you get when you let in hipsters. Cue gentrification arguments in three ... two ... one ...
And other issues lay where they always have with this blog - about lowered standards, and trying to raise expectations. I think the "it's art" argument is spurious, it is at best a monument to a Hollywood movie, and quite frankly for a much more appropriate location consider the Hard Rock Cafe or a shopping mall. You can call me an elitist but I've been called worse.
From Jerry's perspective, however, this is a fantastic way to put crowd funding on the map. They have worked very hard to raise money for local projects in the past, and they feel with the success of the RoboCop statue project they will be able to firmly establish this method of fundraising as legitimate, and it will hopefully lead to more and easier success in the future.
I am actually very pleased for them on their success in this regard. It's hard to make something go in this town. I just wish the vehicle for this success hadn't been something quite as polarizing as RoboCop. What's next, Kwame?
And I wish it hadn't been driven almost entirely by people outside the Detroit area.
There is no way for me to precisely track where the money is coming from, but I took a look at the list of backers this morning to do a little math. Some people have their location listed with their names, and I do know a reasonable number of people here in Detroit. What I discovered was that out of 1500 backers, there were 10 whose location was listed as Detroit, MI. Additionally there were 10 people whose names I recognized, including folks affiliated with Imagination Station. And while I didn't count specifically, there were maybe 10 others from the metro Detroit area. So that's 2%. Even if you take into account that many people have no location listed, what could we possibly be talking about, 10% of the backers were from the Detroit area? I think that says a lot, and not just that we are poor.
So the question remains, will this lead to success in future projects that are not tied to some national enthusiasm over a joke? Most Detroiters I know are not fans of this idea, will they support future Imagination Station projects? Or has IS sacrificed some local goodwill in an effort to put themselves on the national map?
We can really only wait and see. A lot will pivot on the execution of the statue, but at the end of the day Detroit just got a present from the rest of America, and it's a gag gift.
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
10 Reasons Why a Robocop Statue is a Bad Idea
Someone Tweeted Mayor Bing, his office replied, and a sensation was born. In case you haven't caught wind of it yet, a movement is afoot to build a statue of Robocop in Detroit. Primarily growing through social media, there seems to be a lot of support for this “awesome” idea. All I can say is, wow.
I don't have strong feelings about the film "Robocop," and I was as charmed as anyone when Sweet Juniper posted the pics of his son's Robocop Halloween costume. I am sure for younger folks, most of whom are newer residents to the city, a statue of this film icon from their youth seems like a really fun idea.
But building a monument to this particular character in Detroit stirs up a very deep well. So before everyone gets carried away, I just want to share with you my 10 reasons why I think the Robocop statue is a bad idea.
1. It is insulting to Detroit and to Detroiters who have lived here through the worst. The reason Detroit is the setting for Robocop is because the city is considered a hellhole. Robocop may be a man/machine who overcomes injustice, but the Detroit in that movie is no compliment. The statue would serve as a perpetual reminder that Detroit holds the distinction of being the most believable dystopia in America.
2. It's disrespectful to the police. As if there is any better symbol of a dysfunctional police force than Robocop. Good luck with your 911 response times with that statue in your front yard.
3. It's hypocritical. A major plot point in the movie is that the new “Delta City” would be built over the crime-ridden “Old Detroit.” The movie's plot does pivot on the actions of corrupt corporate overlords, but Robocop remains a tool of the corporate powers at the end. The need for a new Delta City is never in doubt.
The fact that the Imagination Station is involved is of particular interest, since co-founder and president Jeff DeBruyn has been so very vocal in the recent gentrification fear-mongering in the Corktown area (a notion that was nicely debunked by the Free Press editorial page and mlive.com's Jeff Wattrick last month). Apparently it's ok to celebrate a movie that takes for granted the need for a most severe kind of gentrification in Detroit, but it's problematic when middle-class people move into a middle-class neighborhood.
Incidentally, the Detroit Works project posted “Love that Robocop trended out yesterday” on their Facebook fan page. They need to think really hard about the decision to enter into this discussion, since they are teetering on the perception of being Omni Consumer Products, the corporation responsible for making the New Detroit in the movie, themselves.
4. It proves Martha Reeves was right. When she was elected to office a major part of her agenda was to have statues of Motown stars placed around town. She said it would make people feel good. She was rightly ridiculed for this, because what Detroit needs is substantive change, not feel-good gestures, even if it is statues of actual Detroiters who made significant cultural contributions.
Of course a statue of a fictional character, conceived and created 2000 miles away from Detroit, is a great idea and if you don't like it then you should prepare yourself to be labeled a buzzkill.
5. It's the outsider's answer to the Joe Louis fist. There is a vocal group of people who can never move past the notion that the Joe Louis fist statue is a defiant gesture aimed at the suburbs, a constant reminder in the heart of downtown that they think they were told to “hit 8 Mile Road” by a Detroit mayor.
A Robocop statue, with money that will no doubt be raised primarily from outside the city limits, can be seen as the constant reminder (potentially right in the middle of one of our more vibrant neighborhoods) that Detroit will never move past its reputation as hopelessly corrupt and crime-ridden. And will be celebrated by many more non-residents than residents, for sure. Way to put a city in its place.
6. It's derivative. Public art can be hit or miss, but even when it doesn't quite work it demonstrates the creativity of a community and the openness of a population to those creative endeavors.
Placing a statue of a movie character shows little creativity, and it actually flagrantly uses somebody else's intellectual property, whether or not this particular use is legally copyrighted. It may be clever, or even ironic, in its placement, but at the end of the day it's not art.
7. It's a waste of money and manpower. The Kickstarter project seeks to raise $50,000 to make this statue. I don't doubt that is a reasonable estimate of costs for materials and manpower, and possibly administrative costs. But in a city like Detroit where $50k can make such a difference, is this really the best way to use that kind of cash? And doesn't it really squander the talents of people who could be involved in better, more creative pursuits?
Or what about projects to help the destitute in Corktown so they can get real help instead of feeling displaced from a public park?
8. It's low culture. Sure, Philadelphia has a statue of Rocky, and Milwaukee has the Bronze Fonz. But honestly, is that what we are going for? Stupid tourist attractions that appeal to connoisseurs of lowest culture? I'd argue that this is one “us too!” moment we can live without.
9. It's opportunist. The initial Tweet to the Mayor's office was a joke, and possibly the biggest error in this whole thing was the fact that someone in the Mayor's office actually deigned to reply to it (props again to Jeff Wattrick for that observation). But now it's become the movement of the moment, and it just seems a bit opportunist to take ownership of the idea.
It certainly will be plenty of publicity for the Imagination Station whether this gets funded or not – heck, they're already on Detroit Public Radio today to talk about it. Then again, maybe that's the idea? In which case Jerry Paffendorf (whom I like very much personally, by the way) continues to prove himself one of the savviest marketers in the Detroit area.
10. It will add an entirely new dimension to train station ruin porn. Tired of pictures of the Michigan Central Station? If this goes up in front of the Imagination Station, located across the street from the train station, you can expect to be seeing a lot more MCS ruin porn in the years to come.
At the end of the day, if this project gets funded, it's a private project on private property and of course people will do what they want. And that's their right. I just think that this particular idea is too rife with negative connotations.
I guess all I can say is I gave to the Kickstarter Hygienic Dress League “No Vacancy” Project, and I gave to the Save the Downtown Synagogue project, but I'm hanging on to my money for this one. I think we are better than this.
I don't have strong feelings about the film "Robocop," and I was as charmed as anyone when Sweet Juniper posted the pics of his son's Robocop Halloween costume. I am sure for younger folks, most of whom are newer residents to the city, a statue of this film icon from their youth seems like a really fun idea.
But building a monument to this particular character in Detroit stirs up a very deep well. So before everyone gets carried away, I just want to share with you my 10 reasons why I think the Robocop statue is a bad idea.
1. It is insulting to Detroit and to Detroiters who have lived here through the worst. The reason Detroit is the setting for Robocop is because the city is considered a hellhole. Robocop may be a man/machine who overcomes injustice, but the Detroit in that movie is no compliment. The statue would serve as a perpetual reminder that Detroit holds the distinction of being the most believable dystopia in America.
2. It's disrespectful to the police. As if there is any better symbol of a dysfunctional police force than Robocop. Good luck with your 911 response times with that statue in your front yard.
 |
| A vision of the future. |
The fact that the Imagination Station is involved is of particular interest, since co-founder and president Jeff DeBruyn has been so very vocal in the recent gentrification fear-mongering in the Corktown area (a notion that was nicely debunked by the Free Press editorial page and mlive.com's Jeff Wattrick last month). Apparently it's ok to celebrate a movie that takes for granted the need for a most severe kind of gentrification in Detroit, but it's problematic when middle-class people move into a middle-class neighborhood.
Incidentally, the Detroit Works project posted “Love that Robocop trended out yesterday” on their Facebook fan page. They need to think really hard about the decision to enter into this discussion, since they are teetering on the perception of being Omni Consumer Products, the corporation responsible for making the New Detroit in the movie, themselves.
4. It proves Martha Reeves was right. When she was elected to office a major part of her agenda was to have statues of Motown stars placed around town. She said it would make people feel good. She was rightly ridiculed for this, because what Detroit needs is substantive change, not feel-good gestures, even if it is statues of actual Detroiters who made significant cultural contributions.
Of course a statue of a fictional character, conceived and created 2000 miles away from Detroit, is a great idea and if you don't like it then you should prepare yourself to be labeled a buzzkill.
5. It's the outsider's answer to the Joe Louis fist. There is a vocal group of people who can never move past the notion that the Joe Louis fist statue is a defiant gesture aimed at the suburbs, a constant reminder in the heart of downtown that they think they were told to “hit 8 Mile Road” by a Detroit mayor.
A Robocop statue, with money that will no doubt be raised primarily from outside the city limits, can be seen as the constant reminder (potentially right in the middle of one of our more vibrant neighborhoods) that Detroit will never move past its reputation as hopelessly corrupt and crime-ridden. And will be celebrated by many more non-residents than residents, for sure. Way to put a city in its place.
6. It's derivative. Public art can be hit or miss, but even when it doesn't quite work it demonstrates the creativity of a community and the openness of a population to those creative endeavors.
Placing a statue of a movie character shows little creativity, and it actually flagrantly uses somebody else's intellectual property, whether or not this particular use is legally copyrighted. It may be clever, or even ironic, in its placement, but at the end of the day it's not art.
7. It's a waste of money and manpower. The Kickstarter project seeks to raise $50,000 to make this statue. I don't doubt that is a reasonable estimate of costs for materials and manpower, and possibly administrative costs. But in a city like Detroit where $50k can make such a difference, is this really the best way to use that kind of cash? And doesn't it really squander the talents of people who could be involved in better, more creative pursuits?
Or what about projects to help the destitute in Corktown so they can get real help instead of feeling displaced from a public park?
8. It's low culture. Sure, Philadelphia has a statue of Rocky, and Milwaukee has the Bronze Fonz. But honestly, is that what we are going for? Stupid tourist attractions that appeal to connoisseurs of lowest culture? I'd argue that this is one “us too!” moment we can live without.
9. It's opportunist. The initial Tweet to the Mayor's office was a joke, and possibly the biggest error in this whole thing was the fact that someone in the Mayor's office actually deigned to reply to it (props again to Jeff Wattrick for that observation). But now it's become the movement of the moment, and it just seems a bit opportunist to take ownership of the idea.
It certainly will be plenty of publicity for the Imagination Station whether this gets funded or not – heck, they're already on Detroit Public Radio today to talk about it. Then again, maybe that's the idea? In which case Jerry Paffendorf (whom I like very much personally, by the way) continues to prove himself one of the savviest marketers in the Detroit area.
10. It will add an entirely new dimension to train station ruin porn. Tired of pictures of the Michigan Central Station? If this goes up in front of the Imagination Station, located across the street from the train station, you can expect to be seeing a lot more MCS ruin porn in the years to come.
At the end of the day, if this project gets funded, it's a private project on private property and of course people will do what they want. And that's their right. I just think that this particular idea is too rife with negative connotations.
I guess all I can say is I gave to the Kickstarter Hygienic Dress League “No Vacancy” Project, and I gave to the Save the Downtown Synagogue project, but I'm hanging on to my money for this one. I think we are better than this.
Monday, December 6, 2010
We need a little Christmas, right this very minute
And we got it! Did you read about the Smithsonian pulling the video installation "Fire In My Belly" from the LGBT exhibit "Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture" at the Smithsonian?
And then did you read how two activists got banned because they showed up and showed the video on their iPads at the entrance to the exhibit?
Man this makes me feel good. It reminds me of the old Queer Nation days. I remember being in college walking past the Boston MCA while the Mappelthorpe exhibit was there (back when it was small and on Boylston Street downtown) and a bunch of QN protesters were outside chanting "We're here, we're queer, we're FABulous get used to it!"
If there is a return to the old style of community activism in the works, then I am all for it. Detroit could use a lot of that.
And then did you read how two activists got banned because they showed up and showed the video on their iPads at the entrance to the exhibit?
If there is a return to the old style of community activism in the works, then I am all for it. Detroit could use a lot of that.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
I couldn't have said it better myself. And I didn't.
Rather quickly I want to bring to your attention something wonderful written about Detroit. It appeared in the New York Times last Thursday and seems to have escaped proper attention, despite the fact it's about the greatest thing anyone has said about Detroit in recent memory.
In a glowing review of the Detroit Institute of Arts' new exhibit "Through African Eyes: the European in African Art, 1500 to Present," Holland Cotter writes about the exciting new approach to looking at art this show represents, ending with:
"Enough to say that if you get a thrill from seeing things you’ve never seen and thinking thoughts you’ve never thought, Detroit is a good place to be these days."
This same day Facebook was abuzz with the fact that Campus Martius was named the top urban park, and everyone is all worked up about whether Dateline's Detroit story was good or bad, but I felt like this line about a relatively small show captured much more precisely one of the greatest things about Detroit today. At least for me.
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Monday, February 8, 2010
Good Hygiene
While we are on the topic of art and derelict properties, I thought I'd post something purely for fun.
If you get out and about in downtown Detroit you've probably seen the handiwork of the Hygienic Dress League. We look out the windows of the Park Bar every Doggy Style Tuesday at their mural on the Hotel Charlevoix, which I enjoy mucho.
They also have improved the Grand Army of the Republic Building over at Cass & Grand River.
I came across this video a couple weeks ago, I showed it at Doggy Style last week, and I thought I'd share it with you. (And to defuse concerns like those in the comments of my last post - that I am a PR shill for my friends or something - yes I do know them, but I am posting this because I think their work is cool and the video is fab. Although I will say Dorota is also pretty fab. And Steve's mustache is, like, wow.)
Friday, February 5, 2010
Everyone's a Critic
If you read the Time Magazine Detroit Blog, you know there are a couple different voices there. There's Darrell Dawsey, who's like the real Detroiter voice who tackles the more intellectually challenging issues we face. Then there is Steven Gray, the embedded Time reporter who gives the "outsider" perspective and is good to follow if you want to see how long it takes someone to start to "get" Detroit (which unfortunately for Time is longer than a year). And then there is Karen Dybis, who is basically the Detroit Synergy of bloggers with her wide-eyed suburbanite discovery of Detroit and reluctance to say anything at all negative about the city.
So of course it is a post by Karen Dybis that has irritated me today.
Karen has been, in her words, obsessing over the Ice House project. She's super concerned over the "is it art" question, but apparently also the social implications. So she goes to visit it. She is horrified at the "frightening" state of the block, but finds the house beautiful. And while the artists have been working concurrently to help the neighborhood, she ultimately decides that if she were a neighbor she would want them run out of town. She would never want to live next to an Ice House.
Seriously? A burned out block is ok to live near, but God forbid someone create something beautiful or interesting or noteworthy on that block. What a fucked up perspective.
Karen asks, "Sure, the dazzling ice makes for some fantastic photographs. But who wants to buy a picture that symbolizes the sickest side of Detroit?" You know who does? A ton of Oakland County art buyers, that's who. Just ask the Object Orange folks, they sold a ton of photographs of their Tiggerific Orange abandoned houses at the Paul Kotula Gallery in Ferndale.
I guess it's patronizing to create an art project out of a burned out abandoned home. I hope nobody tells Tyree Guyton or the Object Orange people.
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Friday, April 24, 2009
Do it in denim.
Well in keeping with the theme of leather & levis for the weekend, there is one more event I want to give you a heads-up about! It is Design for Life: Denim, a benefit for the Michigan AIDS Coalition Saturday night at MoCAD.
"Design for Life: Denim, what's that about?" I can hear you asking. Well, the Michigan AIDS Coalition has put together an event that is a fashion and art experience. 100 creative individuals (designers, chefs, artists, architects, musicians ... you get the idea) were given Carhartt denim jackets as raw material and instructed to make custom designs with them. It could be fashion. It could be art. It could be fashionable art. It could be artistic fashion.
It might just be easier to post some images that will give you an idea of the evening. It looks actually tremendously fabulous!
"Design for Life: Denim, what's that about?" I can hear you asking. Well, the Michigan AIDS Coalition has put together an event that is a fashion and art experience. 100 creative individuals (designers, chefs, artists, architects, musicians ... you get the idea) were given Carhartt denim jackets as raw material and instructed to make custom designs with them. It could be fashion. It could be art. It could be fashionable art. It could be artistic fashion.
It might just be easier to post some images that will give you an idea of the evening. It looks actually tremendously fabulous!
Your emcee: Ongina from RuPaul's Drag Race!
Aural ambience provided by DethLab.
Detroit Flyhouse might drop in.
Jacket design by David McNight of Emerald City Designs.
Jacket design by graffiti artiste Tony "Shades" Agee.
Weathered red denim bag by Barrett Streu.
Popart Monkey Pillow by Megan Oxley.
FIERCE ART #1: Rusty Bird Cage with Wings, by Bill Bowen of Octane Design.
FIERCE ART #2: Reliquary of C. Hartt. It contains the ashes of the jacket. Awesome.
The event will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 25, 2009 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MoCAD). Hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar are involved. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased by contacting Robert Thomas, 248-545-1435, ext. 105 or rthomas@aidsprevention.org. Still waiting to hear if they can be purchased at the door, although I can't imagine you'd be turned away!Friday, April 17, 2009
Get Patti LuPWNed
Did you have any idea that Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin are in town puttin' on a show? Neither did I! But when I found out on Wednesday evening (at a particularly zesty "Latitude," the gay night at Atlas Global Bistro) I made damn sure I was going to get to that show!
I'm not exactly a theater maven but I do enjoy the theatahhhhh, and I REALLY enjoy showtune queens and their esoteric knowledge of variations in productions of The Music Man and bootleg soundtracks to Carrie: The Musical. I also like to be present for important pop culture moments, especially if they are the slightest bit highbrow. So An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin was right up my alley.
La LuPone and Mr. Patinkin are in town as recipients of the Seventh Annual Apple Award, an award presented by the Wayne State University College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts and the Nederlander Company. They had a public Q&A and taught a master class at WSU campus this week, and then apparently decided to bring their self-produced show along with them. I'm pretty sure the big incentive to come to Detroit involves cash as well as the prestige of winning an Apple Award, but I say who cares what got them here?
[Oh, as a great aside, apparently the posters for the Q&A at Wayne State spelled Patti LuPone's name wrong, and she went around all afternoon correcting the spelling with a Sharpie she had in her purse. Awesome.]
The show was fabulous, of course, and the more you know about showtunes the more you're going to love it. In particular Sondheim and Rodgers & Hammerstein. Which, maybe, I wasn't as up-to-speed on as I could have been. But you didn't have to know the context for every song to appreciate the way everything is woven together - in particular a powerful sequence of numbers in the second act from Carousel.
There are the showstoppers you want too, of course, and I think at this point you would weep if you didn't get some Evita or Mama Rose from LuPone (although here's a theater-going tip: if you want to avoid withering glares from a group of queens, don't be morbidly obese and open cellophane candy wrappers during a Patti LuPone performance of "Everything's Coming Up Roses." I hate to be a total dick but SERIOUSLY, there is a time and a place, and that ain't it.)
All in all a wonderful evening, seeing two theater legends at the over-the-top fabulously Valley-of-the-Dolls Fisher Theater (it's a Lincoln Center-esque 1960's glamorous time warp, if you haven't been.) Upgrade your gay credentials and go!
Of course, if you go please remember the debacle from Gypsy earlier this year and do NOT take any photographs! They did announce this about five times during the performance, and watch the video below to see why!
I'm not exactly a theater maven but I do enjoy the theatahhhhh, and I REALLY enjoy showtune queens and their esoteric knowledge of variations in productions of The Music Man and bootleg soundtracks to Carrie: The Musical. I also like to be present for important pop culture moments, especially if they are the slightest bit highbrow. So An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin was right up my alley.
La LuPone and Mr. Patinkin are in town as recipients of the Seventh Annual Apple Award, an award presented by the Wayne State University College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts and the Nederlander Company. They had a public Q&A and taught a master class at WSU campus this week, and then apparently decided to bring their self-produced show along with them. I'm pretty sure the big incentive to come to Detroit involves cash as well as the prestige of winning an Apple Award, but I say who cares what got them here?
[Oh, as a great aside, apparently the posters for the Q&A at Wayne State spelled Patti LuPone's name wrong, and she went around all afternoon correcting the spelling with a Sharpie she had in her purse. Awesome.]
The show was fabulous, of course, and the more you know about showtunes the more you're going to love it. In particular Sondheim and Rodgers & Hammerstein. Which, maybe, I wasn't as up-to-speed on as I could have been. But you didn't have to know the context for every song to appreciate the way everything is woven together - in particular a powerful sequence of numbers in the second act from Carousel.
There are the showstoppers you want too, of course, and I think at this point you would weep if you didn't get some Evita or Mama Rose from LuPone (although here's a theater-going tip: if you want to avoid withering glares from a group of queens, don't be morbidly obese and open cellophane candy wrappers during a Patti LuPone performance of "Everything's Coming Up Roses." I hate to be a total dick but SERIOUSLY, there is a time and a place, and that ain't it.)
All in all a wonderful evening, seeing two theater legends at the over-the-top fabulously Valley-of-the-Dolls Fisher Theater (it's a Lincoln Center-esque 1960's glamorous time warp, if you haven't been.) Upgrade your gay credentials and go!
Of course, if you go please remember the debacle from Gypsy earlier this year and do NOT take any photographs! They did announce this about five times during the performance, and watch the video below to see why!
She kept her promise, but I still kept my distance.
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Monday, February 9, 2009
Well Hello!
Hey what's going on?
Listen, I'm still completely swamped with real world work. It will be four weeks without a day off by the time things (hopefully) let up. I hate a down economy, you have to work so hard.
In the meantime there are a few random things I would enjoy addressing with you, things that could be addressed in bigger, more comprehensive posts. But sometimes it's just good to clear out the backlog.
The Terrorists Won
I got my car back from its latest repair and I got a Club.
Gayer Than Ever Before
The Dirty Show is going on right now and it has a ton of gay stuff in it this year. Like, super high calibre gay erotic art. Here's an excerpt from the email I got from Jerry Vile, the creator of the Dirty Show.
[We have] the the lovely work of Michael Breyette, funny and clever work spins by Harald Seiwart, gone too far imagination of Marc DeBauch, the disturbing hardcore of Bruce LaBruce and the premiere of Clive Barker's erotic photos (I think he has pretty much redefined beefcake, and has taken the male nude to some place we have not seen before). There are a few local artists as well -- we have more gay art than ever before in our history .... So if your readers like cock, you may let them know we have plenty of sweet juicy cocks all over the place - we aren't a few talking inches here - you'll need a yardstick.
Now I missed the boat on telling you about this before the opening last Friday, but the show is still on this Friday and Saturday. A few years ago I went with my friend Laurita Guarita Los Angeles Jara Perez and we had a filthy charicature drawn of me banging her (what else?) doggy style, which she kept on her fridge for an uncomfortably long time.
So if you want to see yards and yards of cock (plus some great people watching) I definitely recommend a stop by the Dirty Show. It's at Bert's Warehouse Theater in Eastern Market this Friday and Saturday.
Closings
So Zaccaro's Market in Midtown announced their closing today. Even though they were a bit expensive they were a convenient stop for some nicer grocery-type items, and I will miss them. After I take advantage of their 20% off clearance sale.
Business As Usual
Cutting up to Cafe 1923 on McDougall today I passed some kind of resale/fencing operation and saw somebody loading one of those Grosse Pointe art frogs into their car. It's not so much the weirdness of seeing a questionable operation on the near East Side, but the fact that someone actually swiped one of those stupid frogs, and that someone else wanted one.
Of course it could have been a fully legit repair operation too. Surrounded by burned-out houses.
I Love the Theatahhhh!
University of Detroit-Mercy's Theater Company is putting on a show! "Speech and Debate" is a play is about misfit teens, two dealing with their sexuality through the speech and debate club they are trying to form - all the while exploring the drama of a scandal in their high school.
This touching comedy runs through this weekend, so check it out early and often! Shows are Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 and $13, with students only $9 and UDM and Marygrove students only $5. The performances are held at the Marygrove College Theatre, 8425 W. McNichols Rd, Detroit, MI 48221.
It's great to see some gay-themed work being presented at our fine Catholic institutions of higher learning. A good turnout can insure more creative gay-friendly content in the future!
Gotta Nickel?
So I have been obsessed with the gay mustache for a while now, ever since wallowing in 70s nostalgia early last summer. Not the hipster handlebar mustache, but the gay stays-on-the-upper-lip mustache.
When Milk was released with James Franco looking sexy with a 'stache I became even more obsessed. And then the New York Times weighed in in the Thursday Styles a few weeks ago, ironically right at the time I had started growing my beard just so I could save the mustache for a bit when I shaved it off to see how it looks.
Well anyway, during the growing-in period I decided that I wanted to help bring back the gay mustache, so for late winter/spring I am sporting one proudly. I have to say so far the reception has been mostly positive, it's about 75/25 wants-to-make-out vs. shave-that-off-now. We'll see how it goes.
Listen, I'm still completely swamped with real world work. It will be four weeks without a day off by the time things (hopefully) let up. I hate a down economy, you have to work so hard.
In the meantime there are a few random things I would enjoy addressing with you, things that could be addressed in bigger, more comprehensive posts. But sometimes it's just good to clear out the backlog.
The Terrorists Won
I got my car back from its latest repair and I got a Club.
Gayer Than Ever Before
The Dirty Show is going on right now and it has a ton of gay stuff in it this year. Like, super high calibre gay erotic art. Here's an excerpt from the email I got from Jerry Vile, the creator of the Dirty Show.
[We have] the the lovely work of Michael Breyette, funny and clever work spins by Harald Seiwart, gone too far imagination of Marc DeBauch, the disturbing hardcore of Bruce LaBruce and the premiere of Clive Barker's erotic photos (I think he has pretty much redefined beefcake, and has taken the male nude to some place we have not seen before). There are a few local artists as well -- we have more gay art than ever before in our history .... So if your readers like cock, you may let them know we have plenty of sweet juicy cocks all over the place - we aren't a few talking inches here - you'll need a yardstick.
Now I missed the boat on telling you about this before the opening last Friday, but the show is still on this Friday and Saturday. A few years ago I went with my friend Laurita Guarita Los Angeles Jara Perez and we had a filthy charicature drawn of me banging her (what else?) doggy style, which she kept on her fridge for an uncomfortably long time.
So if you want to see yards and yards of cock (plus some great people watching) I definitely recommend a stop by the Dirty Show. It's at Bert's Warehouse Theater in Eastern Market this Friday and Saturday.
Closings
So Zaccaro's Market in Midtown announced their closing today. Even though they were a bit expensive they were a convenient stop for some nicer grocery-type items, and I will miss them. After I take advantage of their 20% off clearance sale.
Business As Usual
Cutting up to Cafe 1923 on McDougall today I passed some kind of resale/fencing operation and saw somebody loading one of those Grosse Pointe art frogs into their car. It's not so much the weirdness of seeing a questionable operation on the near East Side, but the fact that someone actually swiped one of those stupid frogs, and that someone else wanted one.
Of course it could have been a fully legit repair operation too. Surrounded by burned-out houses.
I Love the Theatahhhh!
University of Detroit-Mercy's Theater Company is putting on a show! "Speech and Debate" is a play is about misfit teens, two dealing with their sexuality through the speech and debate club they are trying to form - all the while exploring the drama of a scandal in their high school.
This touching comedy runs through this weekend, so check it out early and often! Shows are Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 and $13, with students only $9 and UDM and Marygrove students only $5. The performances are held at the Marygrove College Theatre, 8425 W. McNichols Rd, Detroit, MI 48221.
It's great to see some gay-themed work being presented at our fine Catholic institutions of higher learning. A good turnout can insure more creative gay-friendly content in the future!
Gotta Nickel?
So I have been obsessed with the gay mustache for a while now, ever since wallowing in 70s nostalgia early last summer. Not the hipster handlebar mustache, but the gay stays-on-the-upper-lip mustache.
When Milk was released with James Franco looking sexy with a 'stache I became even more obsessed. And then the New York Times weighed in in the Thursday Styles a few weeks ago, ironically right at the time I had started growing my beard just so I could save the mustache for a bit when I shaved it off to see how it looks.
Well anyway, during the growing-in period I decided that I wanted to help bring back the gay mustache, so for late winter/spring I am sporting one proudly. I have to say so far the reception has been mostly positive, it's about 75/25 wants-to-make-out vs. shave-that-off-now. We'll see how it goes.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Art Imitates Life
The excellent and astounding Supergay Detroit Gay Bar Blight Tour has inspired many reactions - from amazement to dismay to disbelief - but in a Supergay Detroit first it has now inspired art!
Blog reader Michael Conboy was inspired by the tour and created a series of drawings of gay bars "by the dozen." Detroit was the first treatment, and a later treatment of LA gay bars and bath houses was part of a gallery show recently!
A Dozen Gay Bars, 2008
With the no-holds-barred frontier of the internet and an ever increasing acceptance by mainstream society, the neighborhood gay bar holds less importance every day. But with acceptance comes the loss of camaraderie that people sharing a common secret develop. And complete acceptance must not only be legislated, it must be believed. So, while the entertainment might be less fabulous, the crowds less “cutting edge” and the atmosphere less charged, these homely structures survive as safe spaces for a group still having doubts that it’s all okay out there. In presenting these places “by the dozen” I play off the very ordinariness of their exteriors which belies the importance they have as spaces sacred to a minority who thrive behind their walls.
Blog reader Michael Conboy was inspired by the tour and created a series of drawings of gay bars "by the dozen." Detroit was the first treatment, and a later treatment of LA gay bars and bath houses was part of a gallery show recently!
A Dozen Gay Bars, 2008
With the no-holds-barred frontier of the internet and an ever increasing acceptance by mainstream society, the neighborhood gay bar holds less importance every day. But with acceptance comes the loss of camaraderie that people sharing a common secret develop. And complete acceptance must not only be legislated, it must be believed. So, while the entertainment might be less fabulous, the crowds less “cutting edge” and the atmosphere less charged, these homely structures survive as safe spaces for a group still having doubts that it’s all okay out there. In presenting these places “by the dozen” I play off the very ordinariness of their exteriors which belies the importance they have as spaces sacred to a minority who thrive behind their walls.
.
Monday, June 23, 2008
My current obsession ...
I'm obsessed with Severed Unicorn Heads. I don't know why or, really, what they mean, but they have resonated somewhere deep inside me. So much so, tonight I even drove out to the opening of the Severed Unicorn Head Painfully Beautiful Art Show in Ypsi (another current obsession).
(And for a really great blog that, in part, covers goings on with the cooler aspects of Ypsi, check out Mark Maynard's blog www.markmaynard.com.)
(And for a really great blog that, in part, covers goings on with the cooler aspects of Ypsi, check out Mark Maynard's blog www.markmaynard.com.)
Monday, March 31, 2008
Gold, retold
You are a naive fool if you think you can go to a MOCAD event knowing what to expect, and the Gold party this weekend was no exception. What, in the hands of another cultural institution, might have just been a standard gala affair was an evening of highs and lows and defied every expectation, both highbrow and lowbrow.
I was forced to go VIP because that’s how I roll. Just to get the basics out of the way – those valet guys were cute and hyper-efficient, check-in was quick and easy, and the décor was great. Those are all important basics.
Notably, the decorations committee did a great job with that big space and really gave the space an overdose of hipster glam: enormous gold mylar balloons all over the ceiling in the main room and these freaking awesome dead trees that had been painted gold and planted in cement blocks all over the VIP room. I was hoping that we were allowed to take the trees home like centerpieces from a wedding but sadly, that was not the case.
So the VIP experience … well the way I look at it, if I get dinner and my drinks all night it is probably worth the extra 60 bucks. And it was. The food was for the most part very good and they had a lot of participating restaurants, although I am not a huge fan of the program where a bunch of restaurants get little stations to ply their wares. It’s a little too State Fair for me. But you know, get your donations where you can! And the VIP bar had great bartenders and great vodka so that was sufficient to distract me.
Lest we forget we are at a MOCAD event, there was a video and audio experience that made every effort to remind us this is a contemporary art museum. And by that, I mean it made you want to go fetal.
While the video displays overall were really cool, the one showing in the VIP room was this weird Osama Bin Laden-meets-Wizard of Oz thing that was a little violent and a lot disturbing to this Friend of Dorothy. And the music. Oh. My. God. I know it’s like an art expression but please just drive a screwdriver into my ear. For twenty minutes, I can get into this. But two hours of the sound of nails on a chalkboard, well, that’s not my definition of aural pleasure, mbien?
I was worried that maybe they forgot these things are supposed to be fun, but when the live music started things made a quick about-face. I’m not typically a big fan of live music myself, so I wasn’t expecting much. And at first that fear was somewhat borne out: I never thought of “Eyes Without a Face” by Billy Idol as a very fun song. But somehow one group performing managed to find what little fun was actually there, suck it right out, and perform a perfectly joyless cover. Very postmodern, no?
But then something clicked and all of it started to really work. I’m not sure how it happened but once it did, it was amazing. Maybe it was the cool campy performance by Esquire. Maybe it was the weirdly homoerotic video installation playing in the background. Maybe it was the crowd reaching previously unseen levels of eclecticism. Maybe it was the Sisters Lucas covering the Go Go’s “We Got the Beat” (finally, some music for my people!) Maybe someone put something in my drink. Whatever it was, once it got there it stayed fresh and fun and interesting all night long.
I was forced to go VIP because that’s how I roll. Just to get the basics out of the way – those valet guys were cute and hyper-efficient, check-in was quick and easy, and the décor was great. Those are all important basics.
Notably, the decorations committee did a great job with that big space and really gave the space an overdose of hipster glam: enormous gold mylar balloons all over the ceiling in the main room and these freaking awesome dead trees that had been painted gold and planted in cement blocks all over the VIP room. I was hoping that we were allowed to take the trees home like centerpieces from a wedding but sadly, that was not the case.
So the VIP experience … well the way I look at it, if I get dinner and my drinks all night it is probably worth the extra 60 bucks. And it was. The food was for the most part very good and they had a lot of participating restaurants, although I am not a huge fan of the program where a bunch of restaurants get little stations to ply their wares. It’s a little too State Fair for me. But you know, get your donations where you can! And the VIP bar had great bartenders and great vodka so that was sufficient to distract me.
Lest we forget we are at a MOCAD event, there was a video and audio experience that made every effort to remind us this is a contemporary art museum. And by that, I mean it made you want to go fetal.
While the video displays overall were really cool, the one showing in the VIP room was this weird Osama Bin Laden-meets-Wizard of Oz thing that was a little violent and a lot disturbing to this Friend of Dorothy. And the music. Oh. My. God. I know it’s like an art expression but please just drive a screwdriver into my ear. For twenty minutes, I can get into this. But two hours of the sound of nails on a chalkboard, well, that’s not my definition of aural pleasure, mbien?
I was worried that maybe they forgot these things are supposed to be fun, but when the live music started things made a quick about-face. I’m not typically a big fan of live music myself, so I wasn’t expecting much. And at first that fear was somewhat borne out: I never thought of “Eyes Without a Face” by Billy Idol as a very fun song. But somehow one group performing managed to find what little fun was actually there, suck it right out, and perform a perfectly joyless cover. Very postmodern, no?
But then something clicked and all of it started to really work. I’m not sure how it happened but once it did, it was amazing. Maybe it was the cool campy performance by Esquire. Maybe it was the weirdly homoerotic video installation playing in the background. Maybe it was the crowd reaching previously unseen levels of eclecticism. Maybe it was the Sisters Lucas covering the Go Go’s “We Got the Beat” (finally, some music for my people!) Maybe someone put something in my drink. Whatever it was, once it got there it stayed fresh and fun and interesting all night long.
Here are few quick video clips I took with my really bad cellphone camera, which I apparently somehow set to record in sepia tone. Huh. The volume is really loud on these, I recommend just hitting mute or turning the volume way down.
The homoerotic video art portion of the program.
This was actually a cool performance of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World."
They got the beat!
Like other experiences that feel a little uncomfortable and strange at first, Gold took a little getting used to. But once the strangeness and discomfort passes, you find yourself wanting more more more. MOCAD’s New Wave group seems to have a winning concept on their hands here – I hope they made a lot of money! I’m looking forward to next year’s party already.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
You are ... Gold
If you haven't discovered it yet, MOCAD events are always a good time for a fun-lovin' gay guy or gal.
Their opening party back in the fall of '06 was possibly one of the best parties I've been to in Detroit - definitely Top Five. It drew a crowd that was eclectic and cool from all over SE Michigan - moneyed Oakland County types, Ann Arbor intelligencia, Detroit hipsters. You had your techno undergrounders, your junior achievers, your party scenesters and of course, lots and lots of gays.
Subsequent events have been smaller but equally diverse and always entertaining. There was a performance art gig by Pat Oleszko there one night that was NUTS and ended with an "Emperor's New Clothes" piece ripping on Bush with Ms. Oleszko spraying red, white and blue paint out of her mouth onto a naked man marching in place wearing W mask. It was a little heavy-handed in that old school New York performance art way, but RIVETING, and not just because some dude's schwantz was flapping around for ten minutes.
The greatest thing about MOCAD is that they exist to push boundaries and they aren't afraid to apply that to their events. They also appeal to an edgier crowd than someplace like the DIA might, and their overhead isn't crazy high so they can have a much more affordable ticket price for events.
This Saturday they are hosting Gold, their first event thrown by the New Wave group, "a MOCAD committee designed to share a common dedication to the arts in Detroit with new audiences." So sort of their young professionals group, although maybe young UNprofessionals group is a better way to put it since there are a lot of hip Detroit entrepreneurial types involved who probably would resent being tagged yuppies. Anyway, lots of hip in that group, and notably some gay representation in there as well!
There's no way this event won't be great and there's no way it won't be swarming with homosexualists. I highly recommend you check it out. Seriously, the entertainment will be local bands covering pop songs from the '80's, how can you go wrong? Show up early because these things can get packed and noisy by later in the evening.
For your enjoyment today, I present the one song they would be crazy to exclude from their playlist: "Gold" by Spandau Ballet. It was the first thing you thought of when you found out they were playing 80's covers too, right?
Their opening party back in the fall of '06 was possibly one of the best parties I've been to in Detroit - definitely Top Five. It drew a crowd that was eclectic and cool from all over SE Michigan - moneyed Oakland County types, Ann Arbor intelligencia, Detroit hipsters. You had your techno undergrounders, your junior achievers, your party scenesters and of course, lots and lots of gays.
Subsequent events have been smaller but equally diverse and always entertaining. There was a performance art gig by Pat Oleszko there one night that was NUTS and ended with an "Emperor's New Clothes" piece ripping on Bush with Ms. Oleszko spraying red, white and blue paint out of her mouth onto a naked man marching in place wearing W mask. It was a little heavy-handed in that old school New York performance art way, but RIVETING, and not just because some dude's schwantz was flapping around for ten minutes.
The greatest thing about MOCAD is that they exist to push boundaries and they aren't afraid to apply that to their events. They also appeal to an edgier crowd than someplace like the DIA might, and their overhead isn't crazy high so they can have a much more affordable ticket price for events.
This Saturday they are hosting Gold, their first event thrown by the New Wave group, "a MOCAD committee designed to share a common dedication to the arts in Detroit with new audiences." So sort of their young professionals group, although maybe young UNprofessionals group is a better way to put it since there are a lot of hip Detroit entrepreneurial types involved who probably would resent being tagged yuppies. Anyway, lots of hip in that group, and notably some gay representation in there as well!
There's no way this event won't be great and there's no way it won't be swarming with homosexualists. I highly recommend you check it out. Seriously, the entertainment will be local bands covering pop songs from the '80's, how can you go wrong? Show up early because these things can get packed and noisy by later in the evening.
For your enjoyment today, I present the one song they would be crazy to exclude from their playlist: "Gold" by Spandau Ballet. It was the first thing you thought of when you found out they were playing 80's covers too, right?
Monday, January 14, 2008
Hawkins Ferry: The Original A-Gay
In the grand pantheon of Supergay Heroes, one stands higher than the others. W. Hawkins Ferry, who died twenty years ago this month, was born to Detroit royalty and lived a life that was not only seventeen kinds of fabulous, it left a legacy that is felt widely through the area to this day. He was the original Detroit A-Gay.
The appropriately-named Ferry is best known for writing the definitive book on Detroit architecture, The Buildings of Detroit. Long out of print (it was published in 1968 with an update done in 1980), this book throws local architecture buffs and Detroit lovers into a frenzy. Some consider finding a copy of this book a Detroit rite of passage, although it really only usually takes a trip to John King books.
While “the book” is his claim to fame among the hoi polloi, the cognoscenti know he is a major figure in Detroit’s cultural history. An heir to the Ferry Seed Company fortune, he came from a long family tradition of arts appreciation and philanthropy - his grandfather, Dexter M. Ferry, was one of the founding fathers of the Detroit Institute of Arts. Hawkins himself was a trustee of the DIA from 1960 to his death, and sat on the Collector’s Committee, the group that decides on art acquisitions for the museum. He was also president of the Friends of Modern Art for years. He attended Cranbrook and was a Harvard-trained architect and architectural historian who studied under the Bauhaus greats Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer.
Hawkins Ferry was by all accounts a “confirmed bachelor,” and his sexual preference was generally known if not openly discussed. Genteel and well-mannered, he was a fixture in Grosse Pointe society, but notably did not marry and succumb to the phenomenon we now know as Grosse Pointe Gay. Snaps for Hawkins! From the 1940’s through the 1980’s he participated in the conservative worlds of philanthropy and society not just as a fringe character, but as a major player. Being gay was not super cool then like it is now, but he had money, education, pedigree (don’t pretend it doesn’t matter), taste, access, and drive.
As a patron of the arts, Ferry amassed an impressive collection of Surrealist and Abstract Expressionist art, which he bought for his own enjoyment and for the purpose of donating to the DIA. He bought all the great 20th century modern artists: Picasso, Calder, Arp, Maholy-Nagy, Leger, Miro, Giaocametti, and Rauschenberg, among others. In his New York Times obituary Jan van der Marck, the DIA’s curator of 20th century art at the time, said, “He bought more ambitiously than the curators dared to propose.” Over the years he donated an entire collection to the DIA - which was the subject of an exhibit in 1987 and a book by Wayne State University Press - with the rest of his personal collection given to the museum after his death. His gifts to the DIA form the core of their modern collection today.
He also left an architectural legacy, most notably bringing modernist master Marcel Breuer to Grosse Pointe to build their Central Library branch in the late 1940’s. (Once upon a time modern wasn’t a dirty word in the land of Lilly Pulitzer.) He even threw in a Calder mobile as a gift with purchase. This building was added to the endangered modernist building list last year when the GP library board announced plans to raze the building and construct a new building with more space. There is a great write-up about the effort to save the building and some additional pictures here, and it appears the building has been issued a reprieve. Grosse Pointers may not like modern, but they like being called cultural Neanderthals even less.
The appropriately-named Ferry is best known for writing the definitive book on Detroit architecture, The Buildings of Detroit. Long out of print (it was published in 1968 with an update done in 1980), this book throws local architecture buffs and Detroit lovers into a frenzy. Some consider finding a copy of this book a Detroit rite of passage, although it really only usually takes a trip to John King books.
While “the book” is his claim to fame among the hoi polloi, the cognoscenti know he is a major figure in Detroit’s cultural history. An heir to the Ferry Seed Company fortune, he came from a long family tradition of arts appreciation and philanthropy - his grandfather, Dexter M. Ferry, was one of the founding fathers of the Detroit Institute of Arts. Hawkins himself was a trustee of the DIA from 1960 to his death, and sat on the Collector’s Committee, the group that decides on art acquisitions for the museum. He was also president of the Friends of Modern Art for years. He attended Cranbrook and was a Harvard-trained architect and architectural historian who studied under the Bauhaus greats Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer.
Hawkins Ferry was by all accounts a “confirmed bachelor,” and his sexual preference was generally known if not openly discussed. Genteel and well-mannered, he was a fixture in Grosse Pointe society, but notably did not marry and succumb to the phenomenon we now know as Grosse Pointe Gay. Snaps for Hawkins! From the 1940’s through the 1980’s he participated in the conservative worlds of philanthropy and society not just as a fringe character, but as a major player. Being gay was not super cool then like it is now, but he had money, education, pedigree (don’t pretend it doesn’t matter), taste, access, and drive.
As a patron of the arts, Ferry amassed an impressive collection of Surrealist and Abstract Expressionist art, which he bought for his own enjoyment and for the purpose of donating to the DIA. He bought all the great 20th century modern artists: Picasso, Calder, Arp, Maholy-Nagy, Leger, Miro, Giaocametti, and Rauschenberg, among others. In his New York Times obituary Jan van der Marck, the DIA’s curator of 20th century art at the time, said, “He bought more ambitiously than the curators dared to propose.” Over the years he donated an entire collection to the DIA - which was the subject of an exhibit in 1987 and a book by Wayne State University Press - with the rest of his personal collection given to the museum after his death. His gifts to the DIA form the core of their modern collection today.
He also left an architectural legacy, most notably bringing modernist master Marcel Breuer to Grosse Pointe to build their Central Library branch in the late 1940’s. (Once upon a time modern wasn’t a dirty word in the land of Lilly Pulitzer.) He even threw in a Calder mobile as a gift with purchase. This building was added to the endangered modernist building list last year when the GP library board announced plans to raze the building and construct a new building with more space. There is a great write-up about the effort to save the building and some additional pictures here, and it appears the building has been issued a reprieve. Grosse Pointers may not like modern, but they like being called cultural Neanderthals even less.
A rare modernist moment in Grosse Pointe.
Ferry constructed the ultimate bachelor pad on the water in Grosse Pointe Shores. He hired William Kessler to build an International Style villa to use for entertaining and showcasing his art. One architecture expert and three martini lunch companion places it among Kessler’s best work, and attributes that to Ferry’s involvement, saying, “it affirms Hawkins Ferry as the Harvard-trained architect who was very much aware of the International Style as it was coming of age.” It actually might be for sale right now – in foreclosure maybe? – I can’t remember, but one person I was discussing it with said it really can only be the house of a rich gay man – it’s all parties and art and glamour. I’d look into it but it would put me just a bit too close to my parents. Not that I don’t love them to death.
A relatively unattractive photo of an extremely attractive staircase. See this and other photos
from the house's recent real estate listing by following the link in the comments section.
"Have a seat next to the Giacometti."
I do know that a large installation by Harry Bertoia that was left to the DIA but remained in situ under an agreement with a subsequent homeowner was recently removed for restoration and ultimate reinstallation in the DIA. Also, word is the house is starting to show some signs of its age. But man, talk about the ultimate gay fixer upper! And mere footfalls away from the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club for booze and food and tennis to boot! True urban living.
There are a few other bits of the Hawkins Ferry legacy that do not get their own paragraph but warrant mentioning. He endowed a position at the Wayne State University College of Fine, Performing & Communication Arts, the W. Hawkins Ferry Chair in Modern & Contemporary Art History. He was a major part of the “Art in the Stations” commission during the construction of the Detroit People Mover in the ‘80’s, and in fact the Pewabic Pottery mosaic in the Times Square station is dedicated to him. And finally you must know that while Hawkins was apparently not overtly gay acting in any way, his sister’s nickname was “Queenie.” Queenie Ferry! It’s too much.
In Honor of W. Hawkins Ferry: I guess it's the thought that counts.
I have no idea what his private social life was like, although surely he had his straight friends in GP (who doesn't?). I do know that later on in life he had other gay friends through his work at the DIA and with the arts in Michigan. Naturally I know absolutely nothing about his personal life except that if he had any kind of life partner thing going on nobody I talked to knew anything about it.
I always imagined Ferry would travel to see his gay friends in other cities around the world, and he’d have small exquisitely-appointed dinner parties at his house with the crème-de-la-crème of gay society and possibly a barefoot manservant like in “The Birdcage.” It was the fifties and sixties and seventies and there had to be this secret world of A-gays where a shopping weekend in Paris was always an option, as long as you weren’t busy escorting a Grosse Pointe blue hair to a charity gala. And then during the week it was meetings and planning and doing things to make the area just a little more amazing – at a time when there was money and growth and jobs and a touch more optimism.
Here is a man who had the best American education, met the world’s greatest modern architects, collected amazing art, built a gorgeous modern house, brought world-class architecture to his hometown, wrote the bible of local architectural history, was deeply involved with the area’s premiere cultural institution and had the means to inject more fabulous into his life anytime he wanted if somehow he found it lacking. Most importantly, he did not buy into a fully closeted life at a time when gay lib did not yet even exist. I think it’s funny I never picked up on the gay thing with him until someone told me, but it all makes so much sense.
Hawkins Ferry might not have been thrilled about a big Supergay writeup about his life, but we live in such different times now and I think it’s important to shed light on the contributions that gay people have made and continue to make to life in Detroit. It is fantastic that, in an area where there are few gay role models, we can point to a gay man who did so much, well, gay good stuff, and who did it right and did it with class. That’s a real gay hero.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
I love the thea-tah!!!
This was the weekend of live performances, and it made me realize I am a full lame-o about taking advantage of Detroit's cultural scene. I hit the Breathe production of "As Bees In Honey Drown" on Friday, as promised, and totally loved it.
Have you ever been to the Furniture Factory? (insert answer here) Me neither. That is one cool-ass black box theater, right over there on Third, the street you never end up driving down. The crowd was not really what I expected, but then when is it these days? I very probably was the only gay guy in the audience, although there was for sure a selection of lesbians to choose from.
There is a mandatory element of suspension of disbelief in attending live theater and being a total cynic, this presents a huge obstacle for me. But by intermission, I was doing fine. The play is really great. It's by Douglas Carter Beane, who wrote the screenplay for "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar" and the book for the new musical "Xanadu," not to mention winning a Tony Award this year for his play "The Little Dog Laughed." That's exceptionally gay. Anyway, the play is full of all the witty banter and gay pop cultural references you might expect, but it isn't really what I would call a "gay play" at all. It's just a plot point. Which is good because gay theater and cinema can be really irritating, as it so often falls in the trap of putting the emphasis on making a point instead of telling a story.
I was super impressed with the cast, and that lead role of Alexa Vere de Vere is like CRAZY full of rapid-fire dialogue, which the actress handled beautifully. The only way that could have been played better is if there were a drag queen in that role. The supporting cast was full of really surprisingly good actors too(I'll admit, I had my concerns going in).
My only small gripe - because this is my area of expertise - is that maybe the young feller playing the gay, Jewish, New York writer lead did not seem that ... gay? It can be a hard thing to nail, playing gay without playing flaming, but I just kind of thought the whole time that this guy is really straight. Wouldn't it be funny if the actor is gay in real life? Man, that's a problem, TOO straight-acting! Either way, he's cute so that mitigated things a lot.
And also there is the issue of the suit, the purchase of which is a somewhat significant plot point that is referenced several times through the play. The suit itself is fine (although costumer please note: if only one button on a three-button suit is to be buttoned, it should be the middle one, not the top one. I'd like to see the top two buttoned myself.) But the shirt. Oh Lord. It was just too big for a slim young man like our hero. It had the effect of making him seem less like an up-and-coming New York author caught in the whirlwind of celebrity and more like, well, a customer service specialist at Rock Financial in Livonia. I mean, a gay can only suspend his disbelief so much!
These minor quibbles aside (and please note, I have exactly zero qualifications to review theater), it was a really fun (and funny) play to see, and it was awesome to break out of the usual routine and see people creating something, just for my enjoyment. Regardless of gay audience content, I'm making an effort to incorporate live theater into my routine much more regularly. It's like a whole world of entertainment right under my nose that I've been ignoring. Go see this play, it will make you happy, and you will be supporting the creative economy that everyone is convinced needs to grow for Detroit to be a "world-class" city. Whatever that means. And you will still make it to the bar to meet your friends at the regular time.
Have you ever been to the Furniture Factory? (insert answer here) Me neither. That is one cool-ass black box theater, right over there on Third, the street you never end up driving down. The crowd was not really what I expected, but then when is it these days? I very probably was the only gay guy in the audience, although there was for sure a selection of lesbians to choose from.
There is a mandatory element of suspension of disbelief in attending live theater and being a total cynic, this presents a huge obstacle for me. But by intermission, I was doing fine. The play is really great. It's by Douglas Carter Beane, who wrote the screenplay for "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar" and the book for the new musical "Xanadu," not to mention winning a Tony Award this year for his play "The Little Dog Laughed." That's exceptionally gay. Anyway, the play is full of all the witty banter and gay pop cultural references you might expect, but it isn't really what I would call a "gay play" at all. It's just a plot point. Which is good because gay theater and cinema can be really irritating, as it so often falls in the trap of putting the emphasis on making a point instead of telling a story.
I was super impressed with the cast, and that lead role of Alexa Vere de Vere is like CRAZY full of rapid-fire dialogue, which the actress handled beautifully. The only way that could have been played better is if there were a drag queen in that role. The supporting cast was full of really surprisingly good actors too(I'll admit, I had my concerns going in).
My only small gripe - because this is my area of expertise - is that maybe the young feller playing the gay, Jewish, New York writer lead did not seem that ... gay? It can be a hard thing to nail, playing gay without playing flaming, but I just kind of thought the whole time that this guy is really straight. Wouldn't it be funny if the actor is gay in real life? Man, that's a problem, TOO straight-acting! Either way, he's cute so that mitigated things a lot.
And also there is the issue of the suit, the purchase of which is a somewhat significant plot point that is referenced several times through the play. The suit itself is fine (although costumer please note: if only one button on a three-button suit is to be buttoned, it should be the middle one, not the top one. I'd like to see the top two buttoned myself.) But the shirt. Oh Lord. It was just too big for a slim young man like our hero. It had the effect of making him seem less like an up-and-coming New York author caught in the whirlwind of celebrity and more like, well, a customer service specialist at Rock Financial in Livonia. I mean, a gay can only suspend his disbelief so much!
These minor quibbles aside (and please note, I have exactly zero qualifications to review theater), it was a really fun (and funny) play to see, and it was awesome to break out of the usual routine and see people creating something, just for my enjoyment. Regardless of gay audience content, I'm making an effort to incorporate live theater into my routine much more regularly. It's like a whole world of entertainment right under my nose that I've been ignoring. Go see this play, it will make you happy, and you will be supporting the creative economy that everyone is convinced needs to grow for Detroit to be a "world-class" city. Whatever that means. And you will still make it to the bar to meet your friends at the regular time.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Sunday, August 5, 2007
The Spirit of Detroit has a nice ass
Some guy who is doing restoration work on the Spirit of Detroit statue at Woodward and Jefferson apparently created some miniatures to test patinas (or something, I can't be bothered with the specifics). Now he is offering cast miniature models of the statue for the Detroit enthusiast you love. Love a lot, by the way, because they are $9,000 each, apparently.
(As an art-buying aside, $9,000 isn't necessarily a crazy amount for a 12" cast bronze piece. But it might be when you are talking about a relatively poor replica of a public statue vs. original art by an artist with a reputation).
That's neither here nor there as far as I'm concerned, because while this replica may have changed the very generic cute Anglo facial features of the real statue into something more Bel Ami Studios Eastern European porn ...
(As an art-buying aside, $9,000 isn't necessarily a crazy amount for a 12" cast bronze piece. But it might be when you are talking about a relatively poor replica of a public statue vs. original art by an artist with a reputation).
That's neither here nor there as far as I'm concerned, because while this replica may have changed the very generic cute Anglo facial features of the real statue into something more Bel Ami Studios Eastern European porn ...
The original's hair is cuter too.
... and while the mesomorphic body type of the original seems to have given way to a leaner ectomorphic body, I want to simply point out this:
What exactly is he squatting on?
Now THAT'S the spirit of MY Detroit.
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