Untitled (Boom Box, Double-Sided)
2002 - Painting (Painting)
Mary Ann Aitken
Untitled (Boom Box, Double-Sided) by Mary Ann Aitken is representational painting of a boom box on an unconventionally long canvas painted on both sides, to mimic the scale and appearance of the actual appliance. Known for going against trends, Aitken often favored dimensions, such as the square, that were otherwise considered out of style in contemporary painting. In this double-sided painting, one side depicts the titular boombox set up—a boxy cassette player, flanked by a pair of stereo speakers in front of wood panelling. The reverse side portrays a more abstract composition in textured and dimensional layers of black and white, with hints of yellow, red, and green. As in most of her work, the paint is layered on thick in an impasto style. Because of the slow-drying nature of oil paint, Aitken would wait days at a time for a single layer to dry before working the next layer, demonstrating a degree of patience with the medium similar to that of old masters. Time and effort are evidenced in her strokes, the visible brushwork reminds the viewer of the labor of its construction, rather than presenting a seamless representation of its subject.
Mary Ann Aitken was known to be very private about her art practice; she was considered somewhat of an outsider by her peers affiliated with the second wave of Detroit’s Cass Corridor arts movement. Aitken created observational paintings that transcribed ubiquitous imagery of still lifes and street views, some from near her parents’ home and others looking out the window of her studio. She typically employed colors reminiscent of everyday objects in ways that rendered her abstracted views of quotidian scenes unfamiliar. Aitken always followed the same routine in building up her paintings, beginning with flat strokes, then adding numerous layers over the course of months or years. Aitken’s paintings are immensely personal, yet approachable because of her use of images from everyday life.
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