Untitled (Merry Christmas Jim)
Artist
John Egner
(American, M.F.A. Yale; B.F.A. Philadelphia Museum College of Art, 1940 - 2021)
Date1972
MediumOil on masonite
Dimensions31 × 11 in. (78.7 × 27.9 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineGift of James Pearson Duffy, 2008
Object numberUAC3586
DescriptionThe title of John Egner’s “Untitled (Merry Christmas Jim)” most certainly references the donor and original recipient of this work, Jim Duffy, a great patron of the arts to the Cass Corridor artists of Detroit in the late 20th century. This oversized oblong medallion resembles a deconstructed waterscape, the waves of the abstracted loch mirroring the grain of its masonite bedrock falling forward in a calm, rhythmic pattern below a crown of a bright yellow ovular form which seemingly acts as cosmic lightsource in this loose conceptualization of a body of water basking in the rising sun. Or does this bright patch, a golden splotch erupting at the zenith of the composition serve as a metaphorical skipping stone, the ripples radiating out from the source in measured increments, the chaotic intervention of the water’s placid surface felt in each subsequent wrinkle? With all these abstract allusions to a waterscape, however placid or tempestuous the liquid’s surface may be, a question rises to the surface; did the teardrop shape of the masonite inform the composition or was the wood cut to reinforce the potential metaphor? And how would an inversion of the piece, which would make the alleged waves feel like an improbable referent, affect the feeling and readability of the work? This openness to curiosities and inquisitions feels paradigmatic of the Cass Corridor style created by a crew of thrifty creatives working to make sense of a turbulent time in a culturally thorny city. 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
Collections
