This year’s 11th annual sculpture exhibition brought ten new pieces of public art made of steel, concrete, wood, aluminum and metal to my hometown.
The annual public art display on Ford Road in Canton Township, Michigan features beautiful sculptures created by Midwest artists.
Each piece is sponsored by a local business and is installed near the front or side of that business for a year.
I was fascinated by the Ancient Nobility sculpture installed near Kohls. It seemed familiar to me when I first saw it, and then I remembered why.
But let me tell you a bit about the sculpture and artist first.
Ancient Nobility
Made of welded aluminum, Ancient Nobility was created by Douglas M. Gruizenga, a sculptor with a gallery and studio in Interlochen, Michigan.
From his Facebook page:
The sculptures that I produce are an attempt to study the absolutes and variables of form and function. Each piece has a basis in actual objects that I have found to be visually stimulating.
I then vary the composition, and the relationship between design elements, in an effort to understand the universal truths and variables of composition and function.
Here’s a closeup of the ears in the sculpture:
Gruizenga has many sculptures installed throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama.
He participates regularly in ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he submitted entries for 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2016.
Déjà Vu
If you’ve been a reader of my blog for a while, you might recognize his sculpture style.
And remember that Gruizenga previously had another installation in Canton, which I wrote about in 2014: Vincent’s Passion.
