Painting Detroit

**johnkuhnphoto** · February-14-11, 05:03 AM

The Painting Detroit series will be shown at the location and time below. The show is called Focally Grown. It is a show for us seniors at the College for Creative Studies [[CCS)!

Time
Friday, February 25 · 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Location
Valade Family Gallery, Taubman Center
485 W. Milwaukee
Detroit, MI

**Kathleen** · February-14-11, 06:22 AM

I'm mot sure how I feel about your project. From a visual perspective, I find it interesting and appealing. However, I'm not happy about the use of the abandoned and tagged sites.

It might be OK on the interior of abandoned buildings, but when it goes outdoors on public property, then it bothers me.

For example, the doorway of the abandoned building....I hate to see further destruction of the property, not to mention that there is now paint on the sidewalk. Although you might see it as artistic expression, I think it invites more tagging and destruction by others.

**Lowell** · February-14-11, 10:30 PM

Originally Posted by Kathleen

I'm mot sure how I feel about your project. From a visual perspective, I find it interesting and appealing. However, I'm not happy about the use of the abandoned and tagged sites.

It might be OK on the interior of abandoned buildings, but when it goes outdoors on public property, then it bothers me.

For example, the doorway of the abandoned building....I hate to see further destruction of the property, not to mention that there is now paint on the sidewalk. Although you might see it as artistic expression, I think it invites more tagging and destruction by others.

I share this critique, particularly with exposed public and private property.

My personal ethic is the that nothing gets broken into, nothing gets altered, nothing gets removed. Think of it like entering the Parthenon or the Coliseum. Would you splash paint on them, if you could? I know some may argue that there is a big difference in historical significance between them and the Packard Plant or MCD but is there, really?

There is plenty of magic to be found if you look in the right direction at the right time and leave things undisturbed.

**johnkuhnphoto** · February-15-11, 07:30 PM

Originally Posted by Lowell

I share this critique, particularly with exposed public and private property.

My personal ethic is the that nothing gets broken into, nothing gets altered, nothing gets removed. Think of it like entering the Parthenon or the Coliseum. Would you splash paint on them, if you could? I know some may argue that there is a big difference in historical significance between them and the Packard Plant or MCD but is there, really?

There is plenty of magic to be found if you look in the right direction at the right time and leave things undisturbed.

For the most part, nothing is broken into. The buildings are just sitting there. Open. Everything in every building that I have personally been into is altered, with just about everything removed. Its just the way it is.

The Parthenon and Coliseum are landmarks of the area. So, whats Detroit's landmark? I would probably not be stepping too far out of line by saying the Train Station? Because the Train Station is almost highly regarded as a landmark of the city, I didn't paint it. There are hundreds of people that have seen this work at its first showing. Not one negative comment. Maybe they were just afraid to say something negative about me or my work. And thats their choice. But I felt that if I did paint the Train Station, it would probably turn most the people that love the work away. They would hate it because of that one image.
I believe that when we have something in abundance, such as these buildings, people should use them for something. I don't agree with people that go in there to destroy the building by breaking things or setting fires.
I know a lot of people will not like what I do. I cannot change that. I love the buildings. I really think putting paint on something is on a completely different page from the ones who try and break things in the buildings and set fires and so on. I figure I would use the buildings for something. So I used them as a canvas for my work

**Gistok** · February-16-11, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by Kathleen

I'm mot sure how I feel about your project. From a visual perspective, I find it interesting and appealing. However, I'm not happy about the use of the abandoned and tagged sites.

It might be OK on the interior of abandoned buildings, but when it goes outdoors on public property, then it bothers me.

For example, the doorway of the abandoned building....I hate to see further destruction of the property, not to mention that there is now paint on the sidewalk. Although you might see it as artistic expression, I think it invites more tagging and destruction by others.

I guess my feelings exactly mirror Kathleen's... there is much visual interest in the painted car, the boat, the vehicle... and perhaps even the painted human figure [[or whatever it is). But just splashed about randomly it adds to the destruction, and detracts from the merit of the work.

I too was upset to see all the paint splattered on a public sidewalk in front of the corner doorway. And I hope that wasn't a Cass Tech High School room all splattered with paint. That one was disturbing.

I'm sure the OP now wishes he hadn't posted this thread...

At least the OP has stated that he is now focusing on painting objects in their environment [[like the the cart, boat, car, and hopefully mannequin). But even there try not to further muck up the area around your "object" with splattered paint... and do leave the buildings alone!

**detroiturbex** · February-16-11, 09:54 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

I too was upset to see all the paint splattered on a public sidewalk in front of the corner doorway. And I hope that wasn't a Cass Tech High School room all splattered with paint. That one was disturbing.

It was. I was walking around that floor with a Cass Alum who was explaining the difficulties in rehabbing a building like Cass. We came to that room, and he didn't understand why paint had been thrown everywhere. When I told him it was probably someone's idea of "art," he had a lot to say about how this sort of thing negatively impacts the rehabilitation prospects of a building.

Not like it was going to be a deal-breaker with Cass, but you get the idea.

**johnkuhnphoto** · February-17-11, 03:02 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

I guess my feelings exactly mirror Kathleen's... there is much visual interest in the painted car, the boat, the vehicle... and perhaps even the painted human figure [[or whatever it is). But just splashed about randomly it adds to the destruction, and detracts from the merit of the work.

I too was upset to see all the paint splattered on a public sidewalk in front of the corner doorway. And I hope that wasn't a Cass Tech High School room all splattered with paint. That one was disturbing.

I'm sure the OP now wishes he hadn't posted this thread...

At least the OP has stated that he is now focusing on painting objects in their environment [[like the the cart, boat, car, and hopefully mannequin). But even there try not to further muck up the area around your "object" with splattered paint... and do leave the buildings alone!

The point of posting this was to see how OTHER people in the city feel about it. not just ones that come to art shows and so on . I am painting mainly objects now. And yes, it was a real person. BTW isnt cass tech being torn down this year?

**Det_ard** · February-18-11, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by johnkuhnphoto

The Painting Detroit series will be shown at the location and time below. The show is called Focally Grown. It is a show for us seniors at the College for Creative Studies [[CCS)!

Time
Friday, February 25 · 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Location
Valade Family Gallery, Taubman Center
485 W. Milwaukee
Detroit, MI

It's not just John Kuhn that's stepped over the line. CCS is literally promoting this. Surely someone at CCS has prior knowledge of his activities. Apparently the leadership of CCS is OK with what he's doing. That's disturbing. CCS is on balance a positive force in the city [[despite the segment of their students who are knuckleheads) but condoning this kind of art project is not something CCS ought to be doing.

**johnkuhnphoto** · February-19-11, 12:39 AM

Originally Posted by Det_ard

It's not just John Kuhn that's stepped over the line. CCS is literally promoting this. Surely someone at CCS has prior knowledge of his activities. Apparently the leadership of CCS is OK with what he's doing. That's disturbing. CCS is on balance a positive force in the city [[despite the segment of their students who are knuckleheads) but condoning this kind of art project is not something CCS ought to be doing.

ccs has nothing to do with the project.