a little more juju

160

A couple of weeks ago, I went to Ann Arbor, MI, for a bit of a tour. See, I’d interviewed for a job (and felt pretty good about my odds at being offered the position), but I needed to see if I’d want to pack up and move my entire life permanently. I’d been living out of a suitcase since October as a travel nurse in West Virginia and knew I didn’t want to settle there*, but I also didn’t feel like Nashville was home anymore. Honestly, I never felt truly like I belonged there, but that’s a long story that I’m still working out in therapy.

But anyway, I rented a little motel room in Ypsilanti, MI, and spent almost three whole days in Ann Arbor. I visited the UMMA (University of Michigan Museum of Art), toured the plentiful locally-owned bookstores, ate at some amazing restaurants, and just kind of wandered the streets in insulated leggings (not nearly insulated enough) and waterproof boots (again, not nearly insulated enough).

A sign for the Michigan theater that shows they are playing Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet
The storefront of Fleetwood Diner in Ann Arbor, MI
A small church in Ann Arbor, MI
One of the University of Michigan's buildings
the storefront to Cafe Zola in Ann Arbor, MI
a matcha latte with floral foam art and a multicolored mitten behind the latte
the front of University of Michigan's Museum of Art (UMMA)
a painting of a young man with a blue flamingo in front of it; the following information was on the plaque next to the painting: Hernan Bas United States, born 1978 A Blue Predicament 2018 Acrylic on canvas Masterworks Collection Hernan Bas, a Miami-based artist who formerly lived in Detroit, creates artworks exploring the beauty and vulnerability of youth. He frequently centers male protagonists in narrative settings inspired by historical art and literature to reflect on how queer experiences have been documented or erased throughout history. In this painting, Bas looks back to 1920s London, reimagining the world of the "bright young things," a circle of artists and socialites whose bold lifestyles and openness about homosexuality intrigued him. Inspired by photographs of the group made by Cecil Beaton (1904-1980), Bas conjures an uncanny moment within an ornate interior, inviting viewers to wonder about the conversations and events that might have surrounded the scene. Through this imaginative portrayal, Bas counters the erasure of queer identities from history and opens a dialogue between past and present, encouraging viewers to reconsider how narratives shape our understanding of queer experience.
a Korean sculpture of a dragon
a small bronze sculpture of a leopard
a stone relief sculpture of Durga, a Hindu goddess
a short-haired woman is looking sideways at a neon sign that says "Love is what you want"
a sculpture that appears to be made out of gun parts The following was on a plaque next to the sculpture: Ouk Chim Vichet Cambodia, born 1981 Apsara Warrior ca. 2004 Metal Museum purchase made possible by Guy and Nora Barron, 2007/2.79 As part of Cambodia's ongoing disarmament effort, the Peace of Art Project Cambodia (PAPC), with sponsorship from the European Union and private donors such as Angelina Jolie, worked with students at the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh on a far-reaching project to raise public awareness of the need for non-violence in society, and to translate weapons technology and technical skills into sustainable peace-time job opportunities. Although most students chose to depict natural forms such as flowers and animals associated with peace, Vichet's sculpture represents a figure deeply symbolic of Cambodia's native history: an Apsara, a female divinity that originated in Indian mythology and was later incorporated into Buddhist imagery. The tradition of Apsara dance, distinguished by stylized hand gestures and sinuous body movements, all replete with meaning, dates back to Cambodia's ancient kingdom Khmer, when it was performed in Buddhist temples in Angkor. Apsara dance fell to the Khmer Rouge's cultural purification program; only in recent years has the practice reemerged with a new generation of young women. Vichet's Apsara, made of detonated AK-47s, wears the traditional headdress and poses on a heap of discarded guns in a characteristic stance. The meaning of her gesture is unmistakable: this Apsara warrior stands for peace.
Two wooden sculptures from Nigeria; the following was on a plaque next to the sculptures: Lamidi Olonade Fakeye Nigeria, 1928-2009 The Flute Player (left) and Shango's Wife (right) Carved before 1967 Wood Gift of Warren and Lynn Tacha, 2019/2.80 &.79 Provenance: Lynn Tacha 1967 These two figures were purchased directly from the artist Lamidi Fakeye by a Peace Corps volunteer stationed in Nigeria, right before she was evacuated from the country in 1967 following the outbreak of a brutal civil war. Fakeye was a fifth-generation carver who became a favorite among Peace Corps volunteers and other foreigners stationed in Nigeria. His carvings gained such a reputation that he was asked to make them for buildings around the world, including the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and he was a frequent artist-in-residence at Western Michigan University and other universities in the United States and Europe. While Fakeye's carvings reference the Yoruba cultural traditions he was raised in, they were not meant to be used in ceremonies or rituals. His work was intended to be exported and displayed in collectors' homes and in museums.
a full set of samurai armor; the following was on a plaque next to it: Workshop of Mitsusada Japan, Edo period (1615-1868) Armor and helmet Late Edo period (1615-1868) to Meiji period (1868-1912 19th century Metal, lacquer, silk cords, and silk fabric Gift of James Abbott, 2006/1.146A-M Intimidating but elegant, this armor and helmet are excellent examples of how samurai wished to be seen in battle. The design of the large head ornament, for instance, which is shaped like a crescent moon and features a fierce-looking facemask with a white mustache, was meant to intimidate enemies from a distance. But the battlefield was also a place to showcase one's aesthetic taste. Indeed, the samurai warrior was accomplished in both martial arts and cultural pursuits. In this suit of armor the attention to detail, the use of quality materials, and the immaculate technique testify to the owner's sophistication. Silk brocade with delicate flower motifs is used for the sleeve lining and thigh covers, and the body armor features intricate gold lacquer and a leather lining printed with a design of lions and peonies. Although samurai battles had ended by the early seventeenth century, armor and helmets continued to be produced for ceremonial purposes.
a wooden sculpture of a bird; the following was on a plaque next to the sculpture: Artist unrecorded Senufo, Côte d'Ivoire Sejen (bird) Before 1966 Wood Loan from Marlene Ross Provenance: Sidney Kamerman 1966 This monumental sculpture was bought in 1966 by Sidney Kamerman while he was based in Yamoussoukro, the capital of Côte d'Ivoire, as a Peace Corps volunteer. Kamerman taught at a local vocational school, training young Ivorians to become car mechanics. He purchased the sculpture directly from the artist and transported it back to the United States-quite an ordeal at the time. Indeed, the current owner of the sculpture, Kamerman's sister and long-time UMMA docent Marlene Ross, recalls that the large crack running down the middle of the sculpture occurred during shipping, when the crate housing the figure was in the French port of Marseille, awaiting the approval of customs paperwork. Bird figures were revered by the Senufo of Côte d'Ivoire, who displayed them only on important occasions, such as funerals and initiation celebrations. Sometimes they were worn on the head as demonstrations of the wearer's strength and virility. While such sculptures were originally very rare and only accessible to members of the Poro, a cross-regional society for initiated men, they have since become ubiquitous carvings for export, and can now be purchased at tourist markets all over the continent. PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH
a Japanese painting; the following was on a plaque next to it: Early 20th century Watercolor on white paper Bequest of Margaret Watson Parker, 1954/1.169 [LEFT] Ohara Shoson (Koson) 小原祥邨（古邨） Japan, 1877-1945 Willow and Bridge in Snow Showa period (1926-89) 1926 Color woodblock print on paper Bequest of Margaret Watson Parker, 1948/1.201 When Japanese woodblock prints began to circulate on the international art market during the nineteenth century, their novel approach to composition inspired artists abroad to break with established modes of representation. Traditionally, while ostensibly painting from life, European and American artists manipulated the landscape in front of them to create symmetrical and therefore idealized representations of nature. In contrast, Japanese woodblock artists adhered to a set of compositional principles in which asymmetry and cropped perspectives were used to create a more dramatic effect. The emergence of a shared visual language-informed by Japanese woodblock prints-is on full display in this pairing. In both works, a strong sense of asymmetry is achieved by positioning the trees at diagonal angles. And in both, the cropped perspective has the effect of dissolving the foreground separating the viewer from the pictorial space.
a painting of a field of sunflowers with children and butterflies subtly added into the background; the following was on the plaque next to the painting: Walter H. Williams, Jr. United States, 1920-1998 Untitled (Sunflower Field) 1971 Oil and sand on Masonite Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis, 2025/1.119 After serving in an all-Black unit of the U.S. Army during World War II (1939-45), Walter H. Williams returned home to New York, where he trained with notable modernists including Ben Shahn (1898-1969) and David Driskell (1931-2020). Williams exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, taught at Fisk University in Tennessee, and won multiple fellowships to travel abroad before moving permanently to Denmark in the mid-1960s. In 1964, he organized an exhibition in Copenhagen called Ten American Negro Artists Living and Working in Europe featuring fellow artists seeking respite from racial prejudice. Williams often painted children playing in dreamy landscapes, where butterflies and birds embody freedom, and sunflowers radiate happiness. These vibrant compositions are also marked by darker elements such as uprooted trees, a caged bird, or the serious gaze of a young child, hinting at the solemn realities from which these imaginary scenes take flight.
Utagawa Hiroshige II| 三代歌川広重 Japan, 1843-1894 Famous Places in Edo, Newly Selected: Ryogoku Bridge, Evening Fireworks Meiji period (1868-1912) Late 19th century Color woodblock print on paper Bequest of Margaret Watson Parker, 1948/1.143 James Abbott McNeill Whistler's view of London's Battersea Bridge (far left pays homage to Japanese prints. Not only does he take a venerable bridge as his subject, but also he experiments with Japanese visual conventions, as seen in Utagawa Hiroshige Ill's print (left). The compositional similarities of these tvo works include the low vantage point; the structure of the bridges, with their gently arcing profiles, wooden piers, and pedestrian railings; the presence of sailboats under the spans; and the way the bridge frames the view of the distant shore. European artists such as Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) and Claude Monet (1840-1926) were similarly and concurrently enthralled by a love for all things Japanese-a trend referred to by the French term Japonisme. Monet went so far as to build a Japanese bridge in his garden at Giverny in France,
a painting of a person sitting in a field; real flower petals and seashells were used in the painting
Gerome Kamrowski United States, 1914-2004 The Student (L'Etudiante) 1950 Oil on canvas Gift of Mr. Jean Paul Slusser, 1975/1.77 A student of leading European avant-garde artists, a friend and collaborator of New York Abstract Expressionists, and a teacher at the University of Michigan's School of Art and Design, Gerome Kamrowski came to Surrealism in the late 1930s and continued to explore its possibilities for almost wo decades. According to the 1924 Surrealist Manifesto, Surrealism was "pure psychic automatism, by which one proposes to express, either verbally, in writing, or by any other manner, the real functioning of thought." In The Student-which perhaps makes playful reference to his experiences as both a student and teacher-Kamrowski creates a self-contained otherworld of shapes and colors. The forms evoke microscopic life, terrestrial existence and the cosmos, woven together by narrow ribbons of color that suggest the canvas is charged with neuro-electrical impulses. The visual elements also imply a seated figure, whose organs are indicated by the white shapes; this is perhaps the student of title, seated in a pose of meditation, whose physical and psychical inner workings are made visible. KAMRONSK'
Margo Wolowiec United States, born 1985 Expert, Avoid 2019 Handwoven polymer, linen, dye sublimation ink, thermal foil Gift of the artist and Jessica Silverman An artist from southeast Michigan with family history in the auto industry, Margo Wolowiec thinks deeply about the region's complicity in the global climate crisis through manufacturing. This hand-woven tapestry incorporates abstracted images from the internet documenting severe weather events. To create it, Wolowiec collected digital imagery via hashtags and geotags on social media. The grid-like composition includes image fragments such as the words "Expert: Avoid" from a news headline, neon green swirls from a weather app, orange rope from an emergency kit, and an image of a "-30°" with arrows made by amateur weather trackers. She assembled these image fragments into a digital collage, transferred the collage onto threads using a dye sublimation process, and wove the tapestry by hand before mounting it on linen. Through this meticulous, multistep process, she recontextualized the found imagery, deliberately introducing distortions during weaving that suggest the vulnerability of knowledge and technological systems.
Flower-shaped cup and stand with chrysanthemum and lotus design Korea, Goryeo dynasty (918-1392) 12th century Stoneware with incised decoration under celadon glaze Gift of Bruce and Inta Hasenkamp and Museum purchase made possible by Elder and Mrs. Sang-Yong Nam, 2004/1.235A&B

And I fell in love with it. Literally all of it. And there is still so much more to learn about the area: Detroit, Ypsilanti, Dearborn, etc. That doesn’t even count the number of cities that I can get to within a few hours’ drive: Toronto, Chicago, Cleveland, Indianapolis … so basically, I decided within about a day that this was where I wanted to live.

Luckily, I got the official job offer a few days later, so it looks like I’ll be moving … and soon! I have a lot to prepare over the next several weeks – paying for a POD, putting down deposits, packing, onboarding tasks, more packing – but I’m stoked for it. Getting out of Tennessee has been a goal of mine for two decades (at least), especially more now that the governing bodies here want to just hand Stephen Miller and Trump anything they ask for, and it looks like I’m gonna actually do it now.

No place is perfect – and I’ve gotten plenty of warnings from people about the state of Michigan in general – but I know that I can barely survive, let alone thrive, in a place like Tennessee. An adjustment will definitely be in order, but until I get that start date nailed down, I’m going to keep on working on what I can here: saving money, improving myself, donating and selling what I don’t use (because I have a lot of shit, some of which I didn’t even remember owning in the first place), enjoying what I can in Tennessee, and fighting for my neighbors.

Oh, and also writing! I’ve got some really exciting updates about that over the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned! It may be a little sporadic, since I’m packing, living my life, and working full-time as a nurse, but things are definitely moving forward in terms of content. I may do full blog posts, or I might just update the website – whichever is less time-consuming tbh – but everything should be up on at least one of my socials (probably Bluesky, if I’m being completely honest).

Snippets galore are coming, and I cannot wait to show you guys the world I’ve created in my overwhelmed brain.

* there is absolutely nothing wrong with West Virginia! I really liked the hospital, the people (workers and patients), and the state is gorgeous, but it just wasn’t me, you know?

Jennifer Trela
, , ,

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Instagram / TikTok / X

Designed with WordPress