Artist: Summer Wheat
Title: Cookie Coin
Acrylic on aluminum mesh
68" x 47"
Location: 1st Fl.
Born in Oklahoma City, Wheat was drawn early to craft aesthetics and techniques as well as to Native American motifs and approaches, in particular the emphasis on exploring the connections between humanity, animal life, and the environment. In her own practice, she has often melded the boundaries between traditionally understood fine art and craft by drawing on formal approaches from across a range of disciplines. Wheat’s work also contains a rich narrative quality, and she often combines myths, cultural symbols, global histories, and images of quotidian life to examine and elevate human experience, focusing in particular on revealing the critical, but often undervalued, work and creative contributions of women.
For her exhibition at Wasserman Projects, Wheat takes inspiration from Detroit’s economic downfall and rebirth. Symbols of excess and consumption pervade the collection of featured paintings and drawings. The exhibition also includes eight porcelain piggy banks, which were produced in Detroit, as well as three mosaic benches—a new medium for Wheat that has allowed her to translate her drawings into three dimensions through the use of colorful stones. Wheat worked with artisans in Detroit to create the benches as well. Together, the artworks in this upcoming show highlight the intricacy of Wheat’s creative processes and dynamic use of color and pattern. This presentation will be followed by a solo exhibition of Wheat’s work at the Kemper Museum of Art in Kansas City, MO.
ABOUT WASSERMAN PROJECTS
Wasserman Projects is a contemporary art space, established in 2012 and housed in a former firehouse in Detroit’s historic Eastern Market since 2015. Wasserman Projects works with artists from across disciplines and around the world to present exhibitions and performances that will spark a discourse on art, but also cultural, social, or political issues, which are particularly active and timely in Detroit. Guided by a spirit of collaboration, Wasserman Projects seeks to facilitate meaningful visual and performing arts experiences, promote creative and economic growth in our community, and help artists bring to fruition new projects that may not otherwise be possible.