To continue the Detroit series, I decided to work with a material that has triggered endless controversy – the abandoned building. Several years ago at the Whitney Biennial, I viewed a sculptural work that was composed of fragments from one of Detroit’s abandoned buildings. The artist, intending to shed light on the city’s plight, used pieces of insulation, roof siding, and drywall as the materials for the piece.
My reaction to the work produced conflicting sentiments. Initially, it presented thoughtful discourse about the conditions within Detroit’s urban landscape. Upon further reflection, I felt as if the museum setting diminished the intentions of this gesture. Why install a work of revolutionary scope within the privileged confines of the art industry elite?
In order to augment the progressive range of this concept, I decided to create sculptural works within the location where they were most relevant. With Abandoned Building Sculptures: Motown, I completed 10 sculptural works within the city of Detroit. First, I entered buildings that did not contain occupants. Once inside, I used a variety of sculptural techniques to make the home appear elegant within its abandonment. Using various tools, objects of nature, wires, scrap wood, corrugated metal, fire, water, and trash, I redefined the aesthetics of abandonment.
As you’ll notice in the documentation, what emerged was an existential quality within the exhibition environment. The influence of the artist framed the work within a more appropriate setting. Rather than stooping to the privileged art intelligentsia, the buildings were now at the service of the abandoned Detroit art scene.