September 8th to 25th:
Niagara Detroit. “Baby The Rain Must Fall”
Artists reception Sept 8th
Niagara Detroit will be there in person on Sept 8th for the reception and September 9th during Basilica Soundscape
In collaboration with Basilica Hudson,The New Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of original paintings by Niagara Detroit. One of the first in Motor City's punk scene, an icon, a femme fatale, with a singular massive contribution to the American punk music scene AND an amazing artist. Niagara Detroit lives on the forefront of cultural shifts and her current paintings reflect our cultural moment of now with a nostalgic and witty sheen. They are yet another iteration of Niagara's life philosophy, humor and talent expressed in stunning masterful paintings.
BIO: While attending the University of Michigan in 1974, Niagara and Mike Kelley formed Destroy All Monsters. The band, known to fans as DAM, was active until 1985, earning international recognition due largely to the presence of former members of The Stooges and the MC5. Later, she fronted the supergroup Dark Carnival (with Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton and his brother Scott Asheton, Stooges drummer).
Niagara utilized art school experience in creating album and promotional art for Destroy All Monsters, Dark Carnival, and other acts. Combining collage and pop iconography, Niagara’s style began to take shape, and by the early 1990’s she presented her work in galleries and cafes around Detroit.
With critical recognition for her painting established, Niagara teamed up with the Detroit gallery CPop in 1996. Her first exhibits “All Men Are Cremated Equal” (1996) and “Faster Niagara, Kill...Kill” (1997) were breakout shows that fostered national recognition. Juxtapoz (art journal) heralded her as “The Queen Of Detroit.” Successful exhibits in other cities followed, including Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Sydney, Tokyo and others.
“The Niagara Girl” - in many guises - represented feminist swagger with drop-dead-gorgeous looks and a dangerous demeanor. She offered hard-boiled, tough talking women who would rather dispatch a man than put up with rude antics. Her bold, colorful, comic-strip-styled dames in various scenes of malfeasance parallel the modern tone of Callie Khoury’s Thelma and Louise. Common ancestors include pin-up girls like Bettie Page and the dark side of 40’s and 50’s film icons such as Bette Davis, Lauren Bacall and Jane Greer.