Battlefield
Artist
Gordon Newton
(American, 1948-2019)
Date1982
MediumPaper, paint, wax on wood
Dimensions22 3/4 × 36 × 9 1/2 in. (57.8 × 91.4 × 24.1 cm)
ClassificationsWall Relief
Credit LineGift of John D. Hilberry, 2015.
Object numberUAC6444
DescriptionIn this chaotic composition crafted with a variety of found materials, “Battlefield” echoes the tumultuous landscape of its namesake. The thick of the black that dominates the composition is reminiscent of a viscous tar and possesses a “bubbling” quality as it consumes the varied topography of natural materials, rendering them arguable unrecognizable beneath the gloomy sludge. Our only relief from the noxious darkness comes in the form of the number “1982”, painted in a vibrant red. Though obvious allusions to war and its destructive nature can be inferred from studying this work, when considering the catalogue of Newton’s work, it is possible that “Battlefield” is commenting on a less literal definition of the term.This construction calls to mind another, visually similar Newton work, “Copernican Communication - Molecular Systems,” as both are comprised of a thicket of odds and ends, made predominantly with natural materials, enveloped in a foreboding, inky pigment. Therefore this work is arguably another comment on Newton’s preoccupation with technology’s ever increasing role in our daily lives, even beginning in the early 1980s. Newton approaches this topic with some apprehension, mingled with an apparent fascination.
Will technology’s rise lead to an inevitable destruction of the natural world? Is there beauty to be found in this cycle of entropy? These are just two such questions that Newton poses and attempts to work through in works such as “Battlefield” although, his position on technology can conceivably be deduced from the dark, chaos of his composition, not to mention the title itself, which summons scenes of turbulent violence to the forefront of viewer’s minds.
Often heralded as the reclusive genius, seminal to the Cass Corridor artistic style, Gordon Newton, a Detroit native born in 1948, spent his childhood moving about the midwest before returning to the Southeast Michigan, beginning his formal art education in Port Huron Community College. From there, Newton elected to return to downtown Detroit, enrolling in art school at the Society of Arts and Crafts (now College for Creative Studies) in 1969, transferring to Wayne State University a year later. Known for labored, deeply analytical work inspired by his surroundings both in downtown Detroit and the more naturalized landscape of Northern Michigan, Newton carved out a place for himself not only in the Cass Corridor, but found contextualization within a larger American Expressionist movement, combining various elements of established visual languages to create an almost neo-Expressionist style, speaking in his own, unique vernacular. Gordon Newton has continued to live and work in Detroit through to today. Though he remains an elusive figure in the art world, his work continues to be visible, not only due to the Wayne State Art Collection, but through exhibitions throughout the surrounding areas.
Written by Kat Goffnett
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