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THE FLINT INSTITUTE OF ARTS WILL PROUDLY UNVEIL AN EIGHTY-EIGHT
FOOT FRESCO BY FLINT NATIVE, HUBERT MASSEY.
FLINT, MI (SEPTEMBER 5, 2006) Artist Hubert Massey was commissioned by
the Flint Institute of Arts with funding provided by the Ruth Mott Foundation
to create an eighty-eight foot fresco mural spanning the FIA’s entire
retail storefront. The mural, titled “Earth, Wind, Fire and Water”
will be unveiled during the museum’s opening at 10:30 am on Saturday,
September 30, 2006.
“In addition to being a very accomplished artist, Hubert Massey
is one of few fresco artists in the country with proven success for working
on this monumental scale” states FIA Director, John Henry. “The
848 square foot painting will be visible through the Institute’s
front windows even when the museum is closed. The subject of the painting
has a universal and timeless appeal while alluding to Flint’s commitment
to diversity, industry, and community. This is one of those memorable
artistic expressions that will become an indelible image associated with
an era in our city’s history.” Massey’s large-scale
art is integral to the architectural space it occupies. His work is driven
by a desire to create art that is available and connected to the community.
As the artist explains, “Art brings communities together and creates
a wonderful environment.”
The fresco technique has been used since ancient Greek and Roman times.
In the 16th century, Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
in fresco. More recently and closer to home, Diego Rivera used the technique
for the Detroit Industry murals at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Massey
became fascinated with fresco in the 1980’s while an art student
at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, and studied with
two of Diego Rivera’s apprentices.
The subject matter, like the fresco medium, has a long history. According
to ancient Greek philosophy, the four elements – water, air, fire,
and earth – form all things in our world. As a subject for art,
the four elements are part of a tradition of representation that reflects
an interest in the visible world. With the rise of Humanism in 14th century
Europe came the rise of the educated middle class. Many of whom became
art consumers and pursued learning as a leisure time activity. They enjoyed
pictures that made reference to the four elements as a way of understanding
the hidden forces of nature and nature’s artistry. Jan van Kessel’s
painting Air, on view in the FIA’s Summerfield European Gallery,
is a good example of this type of painting.
The mural is the artist’s interpretation of the four elements of
life: Earth, Wind, Fire and Water. Mr. Massey describes the image of Mother
Earth, holding the plant of life in one hand and planet earth in the other.
Her hair, carried to the right by the wind, flows into clouds in the sky.
Strong hands grip an axel, tilting a crucible so the molten metal inside
spills into a mold beneath it. Steam rises from the mold and travels over
lily pads floating in water. The drops of water on the lily pads and the
water beneath them reflect the sky above. “The message,” states
Massey, “is that Man has the responsibility of maintaining the balance
of the elements.” The crucible and hands at work symbolize the hard
work and strength of the community, while the drop of water on the lily
pad signifies the DNA of life. “We are all connected as human beings.”
Massey attended Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan and
spent a semester abroad, studying art at the University of London’s
Slade Institute of Art. After graduating from GVSU, Massey perfected his
craft by working as a sign and billboard painter. In this position Massey
was able to produce large-scale paintings, used as billboards, on a daily
basis. It would be twelve years before he would receive his first major
art commission, a 625 sq. ft. oil mural for the lobby of the Atheneum
Hotel in Detroit. Numerous commissions followed, including Earth, Wind,
Fire and Water, the first major fresco mural in Michigan since the 1930’s
when Diego Rivera painted his murals at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
In 1995, Mr. Massey was selected to participate in a Fresco workshop under
the tutelage of apprentices to world-renowned artist Diego Rivera. Mr.
Massey has been commissioned to create Frescos for many organizations,
including: the Detroit Athletic Club, the College for Creative Studies
in Detroit, Grand Valley State University, and the Charles Wright Museum
of African American History in Detroit.
BACKGROUND ON THE FIA
The FIA received the first gift to its collection in 1930. Since then,
the collection has grown to over 6,500 works of art and is world-renowned
for its quality and diversity. Permanent collection works range from important
American and European paintings by such notables as Sargent, Cassatt,
Calder, Goya, and Renoir to Native American, African, and Asian works
of art. Each year more than 90,000 people come to view this important
collection, free of charge.
In addition to welcoming museum visitors from around the world, the Institute’s
Art School serves a large regional audience and is this area’s primary
educational resource for the visual arts. An enrollment of 4,000 students
is projected for coming years, which will make the FIA one of the largest
museum art schools in the country. In addition to students enrolled in
the Art School, K-12 outreach school programs serve more than 20,000 children
annually.
FIA THEATER FILM SERIES
The FIA Theater presents quality avant-garde, independent, and international
films 52 weeks of the year. Films screenings are held every weekend in
the FIA’s newly renovated Theater with plush theater-style seating
and a state-of-the-art sound system. The FIA Theater is also host to several
film festivals throughout the year.
# # #
April 2006
Special Exhibitions opens
April 22
FEBRUARY
2006
Special
exhibition opens to the Public on February 4, 2006
NOVEMBER
2005
FIA
To add four galleries with C.S. Mott Foundation grant
MARCH
2005
The
FIA has received "The Challenge"” from the Kresge Foundation!
Flint Institute of Arts1120 E. Kearsley StreetFlint MI 48503810.234.1695
24-hour FIA information line: 810.234.1695
© The Flint Institute of Arts 2007