No. 12
Artist
John Egner
(American, M.F.A. Yale; B.F.A. Philadelphia Museum College of Art, 1940 - 2021)
Date1972
MediumEnamel on canvas
Dimensions72 × 28 1/4 in. (182.9 × 71.8 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineGift of James Pearson Duffy, 1992
Object numberUAC712
DescriptionFor a work comprised wholly of swatches of various colors, John Egner’s “No. 12” contains a palpable frenzy of activity deriving from the interaction of the hues as they come together, overlapping, erupting, climbing the vertices of the canvas, making allusions to tropical birds in flight or vibrant flowers in bloom as they open themselves up towards the sun. This activity is evidence of the artist’s hand working, layer by layer, building from the bottom up, the frantic diagonals slicing upward, finding resolution in the upper recesses of the work. A narrow crimson peak and crescent of soft orange interrupted at varying integers by bands of pale green emerge victorious from the cacophony of clashing colors down below against the softer albeit competing backdrops of “No. 12;” the punchy limes and electric Mellow Yellows of the right of the composition arguably fall to the bottom layer of the work’s background, followed closely by the softly curved layer on the left, rendered with a sherbert sunset colorscape. Though the energetic chaos of “No. 12” is mostly rectified in the uppermost registers of the piece, remnants of the dynamic vitality witnessed below is made manifest in the subtle sprays of red and green that shoot up like the glittering projectiles that emanate from a sparkler on the 4th of July from the tip of the crimson spear, continuing its upward momentum, interrupting the peace of the pastel backdrop. Though this work deviates from the urban aesthetic synonymous with the Cass Corridor style, Egner still captures the raw, vivacious energy that is even more characteristic of the Detroit based movement, creating an active composition full of an unrefined wildness that illuminates the ingenuitive thriftiness of this young collective: left unframed, and therefore unbounded, “No. 12” feels potentially unfinished as it is left quite literally “a little rough around the edges.”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.
Written by Kat Goffnett
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