A stunning retrospective exhibition of artwork by Mary Ann Aitken was so large in Detroit that it took two galleries to house it. As a child of Detroit but also a graduate of Wayne State University with advanced degrees including a Bachelors of Fine Arts and a Masters in Art Therapy, she always considered the D her home even after relocating to Brooklyn, NY.
Sadly, in 2012, the artist who had captured the imaginations of so many was gone, having battled breast cancer during many of her last years of life.
Her paintings bring a real clarity to the capturing of our time -- not in a Monet, let's sit-back-and-be-calm fashion, but rather via a real world, use what you have been dealt vividness in every way possible. Aitken's style is evident from her choices of color to the intentionally bold brushstrokes set on making her mark with her work, much as we do in our lives.
In this work she affirms this flash point of time and in her passing reminds us to be alive, fully awake life in all areas of our lives…even the mundane. Her work on display in the Mary Ann Aitken: A Retrospective 1983 – 2011 at UICA until February 16 reflects this energy so beautifully.
On Friday Aitken's friend, Detroiter and artist Ed Fraga, will be joined by art collector Burt Aaron, who will be speaking at UICA and providing insights into this wonderful exhibition.
"What I think is so special about this event is that it represents a furthering of dialogue between the creative communities of Detroit and Grand Rapids," says UICA's Exhibitions Curator Alexander Paschka. "This exhibition of Aitken’s work also led UICA to meeting collector Burt Aaron, who brings a unique viewpoint to the collection with his history as a founding trustee at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit in addition to working with Independent Curators International, MCA Chicago, and the Art Institute of Chicago."
Paschka believes this night's talk will provide a wonderful layer of thoughtful and unique insight to Aitken's work.
The Mary Ann Aitken: A Retrospective 1983 – 2011 has been realized with the help of Aitken’s family and Fraga.
Admission: Free
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