Exploring Brighton’s Sculpture: Winter ’05 and Steel

Patch continues its tour of Brighton’s art with sculptures by Doug Gruizenga and Adam Genei.

Last week on our tour of Brighton’s public art, we looked at two sculptures by Israel Nordin, co-owner of the Detroit Design Center. This week, we’re viewing two more pieces. Both sculptures, though completed by different artists, have homes on North Street. "Winter ‘05" Installed in 2006 as part of the original Brighton Biennial Sculpture Exhibit, "Winter ’05" is one of the most familiar works in the display. Over the years, it has received heavy traffic thanks to its location near the entrance of the parking lot on North Street. That attention has been both good and bad. To the delight of the artist, Dough Gruizenga, the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) purchased the work for $9,600 a few months after its installation. Soon afterward…

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Exploring Brighton’s Sculpture: 'Untitled Hand' and 'Conscious of Her Shores'

Patch continues its tour of Brighton’s art with sculpture by Stephanie Buer and Jayson Lowery.

Last week on our tour of Brighton’s public art, we stopped to view "Three Fish (in the Mill Pond)," a concrete sculpture submerged just below the surface of Mill Pond. This week, we’re headed to St. Paul Street to see two sculptures: Stephanie Buer’s "Untitled Hand" and Jayson Lowery’s "Conscious of Her Shores." 'Untitled Hand' One of the original Brighton Biennial pieces, "Untitled Hand" has been on display in Brighton since 2006. Back then, it marked the entrance to the walkway between Fabuless Jewelry & Thingz and Brighton Bar & Grill. After Brighton City Manager Dana Foster purchased the sculpture and donated it to the city in 2007, the work was relocated to a pedestal in front of St. Paul’s Church. It was moved again in July 2010 to …

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Exploring Brighton’s Sculpture: Three Fish (in the Mill Pond)

Patch continues its tour of Brighton’s art with sculpture by Tom Rudd.

Last week, we looked at Bring Your Chalk and Draw on Me, Adnan Charara’s kid-friendly, interactive piece. This week, we’re headed to “the tridge” at Mill Pond Park, where we’ll view Three Fish (in the Mill Pond). As its title suggests, the work is composed of three separate fish sculptures. On first glance, the fish appear to be swimming upstream. But the movement is an illusion created by the water’s undulating surface. Claudia Roblee, Brighton Arts and Culture Commission member, said she likes Three Fish because people who walk by seem to be delighted by it. “They end up doing double takes and then stop to look more intently. I think they are trying to figure out if they’re real or not,” she said. Installed in 2006 as part of the …

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Exploring Brighton’s Sculpture: 'Bring Your Chalk and Draw on Me'

Patch continues its tour of Brighton’s art with sculpture by Adnan Charara.

On last week’s tour of Brighton’s public art, we viewed two semi-abstract figurative bronzes created by Lansing-based artist Jeffrey Bohl. This week, we’re taking in "Bring Your Chalk and Draw on Me," a piece created by artist Adnan Charara. Charara spent his childhood in Lebanon and Sierra Leone. Passionate about art, Charara came to the U.S. to study architecture and urban planning. After spending a decade working for the state of Massachusetts, Charara decided to pursue his creative impulse full time. He currently lives and makes art in Dearborn, a city that he is happy to call home. Located just outside the Imagination Station, "Bring Your Chalk and Draw on Me" is one of the most visited works in the Brighton Biennial Sculpture Exhibit…

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Exploring Brighton’s Sculpture: 'Welcome' and 'Vested with Authority'

Patch continues its tour of Brighton’s art with sculpture by Mason artist Jeffrey Bohl.

Last week, we looked at three sculptures whose time in the Brighton Biennial is up. The BACC’s contracts with James Lawton (Landscape Sunset), Todd Erickson (American Beauty), and Robert Sestock (I-275) expire at the end of May. Their work will be replaced by three new sculptures. The artists and titles of the new works haven’t been announced. This week, on our tour of Brighton’s public art, we’re taking in two works by Jeffrey Bohl. All of Bohl’s works can be categorized as semi-abstract figurative bronzes. Bohl’s creative process begins with sheets of wax. He breaks, scratches, melts, and sculpts the wax until it takes on an interesting shape. From these shapes, Bohl creates impressions of the human form. After making molds of the forms…

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Exploring Brighton’s Sculpture: Landscape Sunset, American Beauty and I-275

Patch continues its tour of Brighton’s art with sculpture by Jim Lawton, Todd Erickson, and Robert Sestock.

Last week, our tour of Brighton’s public art took us to the corner of N. First St. and Cedar St. in downtown Brighton. Stopping just outside Lynn’s Café, we took a quick look at The Bird. One of the most appreciated and recognizable pieces in the Brighton Biennial Sculpture Exhibit, The Bird was created by architect and Brighton resident Piet Lindhout. This week, we’re doing something a little different. In a few weeks, three of Brighton Biennial’s current works will be removed from display due to expired contracts. It’s those three sculptures that are our focus today. Landscape Sunset by James Lawton Perhaps the boldest sculpture of the Brighton Biennial bunch, Landscape Sunset is large, heavy-looking, and bright orange. Its location in …

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Exploring Brighton’s Sculpture: 'Dancer Two'

Patch continues its tour of Brighton’s art with a sculpture by John Piet.

Last week, we took a look at Kegham Tazian’s Elegant Lady, a bronze bust that marks the entrance to Brighton City Hall. This week, we’re focusing on Dancer Two, a piece that stands on the grounds of Brighton City Hall, just around the corner from Elegant Lady. Dancer Two was installed in 2009 as part of the second Brighton Biennial. Angular, dark and severe, its composition seems to contradict its title. But, as the sculpture’s artist explained, Dancer Two represents a dancer’s focus and precision of movement. John Piet III, a Southfield-based artist whose work has garnered national and international attention, said he conceived the piece while he was studying art at Wayne State University. While completing his master’s degree at WSU, he …

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Exploring Brighton's Sculpture: 'Spiral the Gate'

Patch continues its tour of Brighton's art with a sculpture by Ray Katz.

Last week on our tour of Brighton's public art, we took in two literary-themed sculptures created by former furniture maker Steve Cannaert. This week, we'll be looking at Spiral the Gate, one of the priciest pieces in the Brighton Biennial Sculpture Exhibit. Located in the pocket park just off Main Street near Grand River Avenue, Spiral the Gate is visible to pedestrians and drivers alike. One of the largest works in the exhibit, the 10-foot by 9-foot by 4-foot welded and fabricated aluminum sculpture consists of a series of horizontal, vertical and diagonal beams. A single spiral weaves among the beams, interrupting the sculpture's sharp angles and straight lines. In his artist statement, sculptor Ray Katz said Spiral the Gate “…

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Exploring Brighton's Sculpture: The Children

Patch continues its tour of Brighton's art with a sculpture by Brighton resident Marie Davis.

Back in December, Patch embarked on a tour of Brighton Biennial, the city's public art display. We started our walk near the entrance to Mill Pond Park with Brighton's most-talked about sculpture: Decision Pending a.k.a. Ugly Naked Guy. Since that first week, we've stopped to consider Rusty the Octopus, Siphon, Hot Landing, City With a Halo, Broom and Collaborative Transformation. Last week, we looked at Dreieinigkeit by John Sauvé, the artist who developed Brighton Biennial. Along the way, we've run into city residents and visitors who've shared their views on the sculptures and the exhibit in general. We've heard from some of the artists as well. Each of the pieces we've covered so far is within earshot of Imagination Station, but it's …

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Exploring Brighton's Sculpture: 'Dreieinigkeit'

Patch continues its tour of Brighton's art with a sculpture by John Sauvé.

Last week, on Patch's tour of the Brighton Biennial sculpture display, we stopped outside City Hall to view Kegham Tazian's sculpture Collaborative Transformation. This week, we're taking a closer look at Dreieinigkeit, a work created by Brighton resident John Sauvé. Sauvé's sculpture features five identical black armor plate silhouettes of a male figure gazing into the distance. The figure, who appears to have his hands clasped behind his back, is wearing a suit and fedora. Three of the silhouettes, grouped in the foreground, appear to be standing on the ground. The other two, set back a few feet, stand on springboard pedestals. The groups seem to gaze in opposite directions. Installed on the edge of Mill Pond between City Hall and the …

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Wensdy Von Buskirk

8:44 pm on Tuesday, February 8, 2011

I love the sculpture throughout the city too. I am always noticing pieces in the most unexpected places. They add a lot of character to downtown Brighton.   more ›