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NM3 Magazine - Established in 2008… Reinvented in 2011!
The Scathing Art Review: How to Buy Art
By Jonathan Randall Grant
No one says mean things about art any more. There was a time when people said really nasty things—comparing an artist’s work to a pile of dung, or… Continue reading
Tony Roko: An Eye for Genius
By Emma Kat Richardson
It’s often said that the mark of true genius is the ability to play dumb convincingly. If this assessment is accurate, then Tony Roko is likely one of the most cunning, crafty individuals of our time.
Over the phone, he tells me that his wife has to read things to him and explain their meaning, rebuilding them into something comprehensive and pedestrian for his benefit. Seeing as how Roko has successfully carved out a niche for himself as one of the most gifted and well-respected artists on the contemporary Detroit scene, his lack of personal faith seems a bit suspect.
“As a kid, I always dreamed of being an artist,” Roko says. “When I was in first grade, my teacher saw a drawing that I had done of Abraham Lincoln with an image of George Washington on his wall. She seemed beside herself and asked me if I had drawn it myself. I couldn’t believe her excitement. For the rest of that year, she pulled me out of class for an hour each day to draw. I remember wondering if I had tricked her; that she was mistaken about my talent. On some level, I still feel that way.”
Pop Art Superstar
By Emma Kat Richardson
At the moment, upon the grounds of his Ferndale residence, the personal, outdoor property of Glenn Barr is in imminent danger of total annihilation. And we’re not just talking some minor, State Farm-remedied damage here: the threat falls more into the realm of the blown away, the obliterated. The collective victim of a Michigan maelstrom run rampant across the already destitute metro Detroit landscape. He’s securing his belongs with one frantically outstretched hand while pressing his cell phone against his ear with the other, explaining to me how chaos feeds his vision as much as desolation informs his fever for fine, frenetically paced art. “The texture of an overcast city is a perfect palette,” he says, grunting with the force of restraining a rogue screen door. “The color of its components such as the concrete, brick and steel buildings work well with the surreal subjects of my work. Also the desolation and decay in many areas is inspiring as you can see nature reclaiming what man has forgotten.”
Niagara Never Falls: Long Live the Queen of Detroit
By Emma Kat Richardson
“I always maintained that you were born into what you’re [going to] do; not necessarily any job you get, but for music and art or for math – things you do naturally,” says she, all smoky, rasping vocals and imbued wisdom. “It’s genetic. I mean, you can learn to add to it, but usually it’s what you enjoy the most, too. Before I can remember, I was always drawing. I remember I was always drawing even before I could remember.”
This pearl of paradox comes forth from Niagara, the world-renowned musician and painter who, only moments before, suggested that I write a profile on her from her Wiki entry. Matters of journalistic integrity aside, it’s difficult not to take her proposal seriously. There exists such a surplus of information about Niagara, pining her down and scraping through the cultural constructs that embody her persona and her work seems as formidable as attempting trigonometry.
The Work of Lauren Satlowski
By Brett W. Gourdie
Picture a humble studio overlooking silent oaks and the frozen waters of Canfield Lake. This is where 26 year old Lauren Satlowski creates her art. Quite a change from her scenery of just a year ago. Hailing from Detroit, Satlowski moved to her studio in the woods after graduating from Wayne State University.
The art of Tony Roko
“Downright haunting and gritty” is how we at NM3 would describe Tony Roko’s recent works depicting real life figures of today’s Detroit. The looks captured by Roko of Lola, Chloe, JoJo, and others reveal a glimpse into the soul of these young women’s lives.
Mark Arminski: Poster Art’s Poster Boy
By Emma Kat Richardson
If you’ve ever set foot within a rock ‘n’ roll super show at any point in the last 20 years, chances are you have been rocked by artist Mark Arminski. Even if nothing springs immediately to mind with regards to his face or name, hard-rocking musical and pop art devotees from the San Francisco Bay area to the back alleys of Detroit rock city know Arminski best by his iconic poster art work. Continue reading
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