The Fredösphere

At last, I understand the case for unrestricted immigration:  we'll need a hefty surplus population for the time, about 20 years hence, when Europeans beg us to invade and colonize them.  (Hat tip Blowhards.)

Lunchtime on Friday found me near campus, so I stopped by the South University Art Fair (one of four separate entities that make up the full Ann Arbor art fair package) for a whirlwind tour.  Free of companions, I was able to breeze past that which did not catch my eye, thus avoiding art fatigue.

The winner of the coveted Umie the Umlaut Memorial Grand Prize for Achievement in the Field of Excellence in Art and Design Award goes to Bill Secunda Studios.  Boy, would I love to have one of his metal sculptures of animals in my yard.  (Memo to the wifeösphere:  see what you can do for my birthday, okay?) 

Deserving honorable mention:  the pottery of Zeber-Martell, and (of course) Detroit's famous Motawi Tileworks.  I will also mention Jerry Berta's ceramics, although I feel like I'm being manipulated in doing so.  I suspect these things are not sculpted or fired in the usual method, but rather spring whole from the forehead of James Lileks.

Why do I not include any painters?  Maybe its because people like me see much more wall art, have learned all the clichés, and are harder to fool in those media.  In any event, I saw a lot of ordinary paintings, and a lot of gimmicky paintings, but none that really grabbed me.