Christopher Crowder received his BFA from Wayne State University in 2007. His painting process is influenced by storytelling through images. He has found inspiration from animated Saturday-morning cartoons from his childhood, vintage postcards, 1960s and 1970s comic books, and roadside billboards. Crowder's childhood memories and everyday emotions are also revealed through partials, such as the pages torn out of comic books, high-speed glimpses at billboards, and perceptions of foreign postcards.
Erik Olson received his BA from Art Center College of Design in 1987, and was a freelance illustrator until 2001. He has exhibited his paintings in various group shows, including the Williamson gallery in Pasadena, CA, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Detroit, MI. Olsen is currently a full-time associate professor at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. His graduate paintings are a series of portraits and impressions of various structures in and around Detroit, caught in the dimensions and transitions between function and dysfunction, dreams and reality, and night and day.
Sean Renkert received his BFA from Wayne State University in 2004. His sculptures consist of organic, cloud-like forms using the language of everyday store-bought materials. He's interested in the idea of the subconscious. His forms and materials stand only for themselves. Unlike a painter who mixes colors, he's interested in ready-made colors and materials. Renkert works to counteract the tradition of sculptural mass and weight, and imbues his work with a sense of playfulness and lightness.
The exhibition's opening reception is on Friday, February 19, from 5:00 to 8 p.m. It is free and open to the general public. The Art Department Gallery is located in the Art Building on the campus of Wayne State University, near the intersection of Cass Avenue and Kirby Street. Metered street parking is available, and is free after 6:00 PM.