History Part 1- Edgar Arceneaux: The Gods of Detroit

Edgar Arceneaux’s multidisciplinary practice utilizing various media such as painting to sculpture and video has earned him praise since his 2001 graduation from Los Angeles California Institute of the Arts. Within his works, Arceneaux delves into cultural and personal memories, at times highlighting places of interest (Allsop 2009.). The interplay of artistic processes with psychology, physics, and philosophy intrigue him (Chang 2004). Within his newer works, he has begun to relate fears for our economic future with the historical ruins of our past (Kilston 2011.).

      Within his series of banners suspended from the ceiling, “The Gods of Detroit”, he addresses the social unrest and economic decline.  Horribly misspelled words such as banks, education, government, police, and libraries are attached to each banner implicating the Dark Ages’ lack of order within different components of society (Kilston 2011). 

      Clay, charcoal and enamel on canvas gives these forms a barbaric look of both proto and post-civilized eras (Kilston 2011.).  Mizota further elaborates on this idea of barbaric times calling the figures un-heroic lumps of clay or bones floating in space vaguely representing humanoid forms (2010.).