SHOW TO BRING BACK “REAL DETROIT”

River’s Edge Gallery is pleased to present “The Detroit Show” featuring new works by Jerome Ferretti, Niagara and SLAW.  These 3 artists are well known names in the history of Detroit art and span those important and often overlooked years from the late 70’s through the turn of the century when the Cass Corridor artists were coming to an end and before the graffiti artists took hold.  Some refer to these as the guerilla show years with art exhibits  popping up in every place from bowling alleys to just plain alleys.

In the late 70’s and early 80’sJerome Ferretti was part of the Detroit loop exhibiting at the top venues in the days when every week end a troop of art lovers would start at the historic Michigan Gallery on Michigan Avenue then travel to the Willis Gallery and on to the The Artists Market and more only to wind up back at the Michigan gallery bar to wind out the evening.  His painted bricks were rescues from his background as a master brick layer.  He was one of the last and younger Cass Corridor artists. Most recently he created a mural for the premiere Wholefoods store in Downtown. River’s Edge Gallery has several Ferretti palettes which were used in the creation of the Wholefoods mural, a must see for any lover of Detroit art. His work goes beyond murals, however, if you visit the neighborhood of Corktown in Detroit you will find his installation made of bricks titled “Monumental Kitty.”

Niagara came a few years later after having been the front singer for Destroy All Monsters and The Stooges when Iggy Pop was on a hiatus and created a firm identity as the Detroit Punk Princess.  Niagara had always been a visual artist as well as a performance artist.  Her works grace the Destoy All Monsters’ album covers and continued to grace many spaces when she exhibited in Greater Detroit.  She began her tour in the days when Greek Town Trappers Alley was an artist’s haven.  Her art went international from her base gallery CPOP which also carried the likes of Andy Warhol.

Niagara is working on her summer and fall clothing lines for Hysteric Glamour.  In Japan the big designer are Hysteric Glamour, Prada, Gucci and Chanel.  They are so big that they each tear down their own headquarters annually and rebuild a BIGGER HEADQUARTERS to out shine the competition.  Niagara’s ”Destroy All Monsters” rock & roll clothing is in it’s 10th year.  Very high end products….silk tee’s, scarfs, hoodies and jeans all done in silkand exotic fabrics.  A Niagara silk tee, hand bag and a pair of jeans (Kate Moss wears Niagara’s DAM fashions and featured her in Vogue Magazine last fall) will set you back about $5000.  The special piece that Niagara created justfor this show titled “Real Detroit” will be not only available for sale to the first 100 buyers but the original inking will also be for sale.  This is unheard of, according to her manager and partner, Colonel Galaxy,  as she covets theseoriginals for her own collection and only offered as a favor to the gallery founder Patt Slack.

SLAW started exhibiting a few years after that leaving a thriving design job in the advertising and auto industry.  His love for the 50’s led him to create images of the rat pack and martini parties with exact reproductions of themid-century décor.   These images grace the walls of many famous Metro Detroit establishments including The Roostertail and more recently a 4’ by 20’ painting installed In Ann Arbor at Kouzina’s Greek Street Food.  His image of the

Vernor’s sign with the little gnome pouring a glass of ginger ale has been selected as the official 150 year birthday celebration poster.  A version of that printed on water color paper and limited and signed will be available during the Detroit show.   Slaw is nostalgic for the bygone era but he admits he was only born in the late 60’s. To him, mid-century was the pinnacle of American refinement. “There’s a quality of life that seems to be missing from today’s culture,” he says. “There was more attention paid to detail”.   SLAW has been concentrating in Detroit nostalgia recreatting images that were a part of Detroit industry and culture.

Because of this diverse background and time difference, thepunk princess, advertising & auto designer and master bricklayer have very little else in common except that these 3 artists have been staples in Detroit art market andwere having thriving art careers long before Big Players were investing in Detroit.

Jeremy E Hansen, much newer on the Detroit scene than these 3 veteran artists and gallery director at the long standing River’s Edge Gallery in downtown Wyandotte,  has wanted to put these 3 artists together.  He was excited atthe idea of these artists who have shown at River’s Edge Gallery individually but never together and who personify an historic era of Detroit art.