After Blood
Artist
John Egner
(American, M.F.A. Yale; B.F.A. Philadelphia Museum College of Art, 1940 - 2021)
Date1985
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions106 × 148 in. (269.2 × 375.9 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineGift of the artist, 2008
Object numberUAC3108
DescriptionCreated while the artist was on a sabbatical in his New York studio, “After Blood” “came out of a ‘desperation’ and longing for access to his old methods of wood-working and painting that he had done in Detroit(1)."This work also draws visual parallels between itself and works of other Cass Corridor artists such as Gordon Newton, specifically his work “Wheel of Fortune.” Displaying these two works next to each other would create the effect of a conversation; a roaring dialogue between two whirring circular saws echoing one anothers narrative of Detroit’s rough and tumble lifestyle experienced by the city’s young artists in the late 20th century. On its own, “After Blood” still communicates the energy of city life, utilizing a base of varying hues and abstracted forms, cut into precisely by exacting geometric forms. An electric spray of paint droplets surge across the majority of the composition, aiding in the illusion that the static stringent geometric lines and curves possess a kinetic capacity perpetuating the energetic ecosystem of the work.
Another compelling component of “After Blood” can be seen its lower right section. Below the ordered arrangement of horizontal red lines that dominate the right side of the composition lies an abstract form in flamingo pinks, sherbet yellows and electric teals smoothly drafted with an ease and fluidity reminiscent of a gas station squeegee gliding across the pane of a windshield, a mundane act of the everyday with potentially artful repercussions as Egner’s color palette for this form is evocative of soap bubbles in the sunlight. This organic, shape is contrasted sharply by the solid vertical swatch to its right which overlaps the slight red lines that overtake much of this section. Though it appears to have been composed in much the same smooth style of the more amorphous form to its left, this gray and yellow stripe stands out like load bearing pillar that aids the eye in exploring the verticalities of Egner’s work.
Philadelphia native John Egner studied painting at the Philadelphia Museum College of Art, , obtaining a B.F.A in 1963 followed by a stint at the Brooklyn Museum Art School where he was awarded the Max Bechmann Scholarship. Next he moved on to Yale University, graduating with a M.F.A. in 1966. It was after these educational endeavors that Egner found his way to Detroit, taking on the role of Professor of Undergraduate and Graduate Painting at Wayne State University. This relocation to downtown Detroit connected him with its burgeoning art scene, introducing him to other artists that that would become affiliated with the Cass Corridor movement. As an instructor, Egner arguably influenced those under his tutelage, shaping later manifestations of the Detroit bred style and facilitating exhibitions for the work of his contemporaries, assisting in the founding of the Willis Gallery. A current resident of New York state, the seminal Cass Corridor artist Egner continues to create and exhibit his art.
Written by Kat Goffnett
(1)Borden, Emily. “Wayne State University.” Egner & Koutroulis - University Art Collection - Wayne State University, Wayne State University, artcollection.wayne.edu/exhibitions/egnerandkoutroulis.
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