Untitled
Artist
John Egner
(American, M.F.A. Yale; B.F.A. Philadelphia Museum College of Art, 1940 - 2021)
Date1998
MediumWatercolor, graphite on paper, collage
Dimensions9 × 6 in. (22.9 × 15.2 cm)
ClassificationsDrawing
Credit LineGift of James Pearson Duffy, 2008
Object numberUAC3833
DescriptionJohn Egner is well celebrated today as an artist who profoundly impacted the Detroit art scene. He was prominent in the original Cass Corridor movement of the 1960s and 70s, and was a founding member of the Willis Gallery. After graduating in 1966 with an M.F.A. from Yale University, where he studied with Jack Tworkov and Frank Stella, Egner moved to Detroit to teach painting at Wayne State. With his position at WSU and his involvement in the city’s art community, he undoubtedly became a mentor to many Detroit artists. Egner’s geometric arrangement here foreshadows the sculptural relief works he began making later in his career. This ‘98 design is partly titled For Jim, most likely referring to the famous Detroit art collector, Jim Duffy, better known as James F. Duffy Jr., whom Egner and many Cass Corridor artists had a close relationship with. Egner today lives and works in New York.
Danielle Cervera Bidigare
Picture of the Week, 04/03/2018
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