Untitled
Artist
John Egner
(American, M.F.A. Yale; B.F.A. Philadelphia Museum College of Art, 1940 - 2021)
Datec. 1972
MediumEnamel on canvas
Dimensions71 × 28 1/4 in. (180.3 × 71.8 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineGift of James Pearson Duffy, 1992
Object numberUAC1320
DescriptionJohn Egner can be understood as an explorer on the high-art seas of vibrant, textural mark making. In “Untitled,” the artist moves through the vertically oriented landscape of the composition, hypnotically slashing and swirling vivacious pigments one on top of the other in an tapestry of dynamic forms. The work battles against the flatness of the surface through the inclusion of richly dark swatches. This illusory cast shadows create a believably traversable depth within Egner’s playful abstract scenery. “Untitled” is constructed through the employment of a balance between the energetic, “seemingly unrefined” improvisational style of the Cass Corridor Movement artists and Egner’s own preoccupation with studied structure and geometric form.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
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