Bruce in Detroit Free Press

Date: 07 Jun 2003 18:17:59 GMT
Newsgroups: rec.music.artists.springsteen
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Adopted son: Jersey boy Springsteen's love for cars intersects with Detroit's
in rocking exhibit at Cranbrook
June 7, 2003
BY FRANK PROVENZANO
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
For someone born in, living in and so damn proud to be from New Jersey, Bruce
Springsteen sure has a lot of Detroit in him. His references to cars, highways,
factories and a city longing to recover its former glory have a resounding
familiarity.
That Springsteen is the subject of an exhibit in metro Detroit isn't the
surprise. That the art exhibit, "Springsteen: Troubadour of the Highway," opens
today in the rarefied Cranbrook Art Museum in Bloomfield Hills, however, is a
collision of two very different worlds: fine art defined by the art academy,
and pop culture determined by the masses.
"We expect people to come out here who've never been here before," says Gregory
Wittkopp, director of Cranbrook Art Museum. "We are a place where leading-edge
art, design and architecture is on display, and if Springsteen helps us broaden
our audience, then that's good for everybody."
It doesn't hurt that because of Springsteen's popularity, more than half of the
museum's annual attendance of 35,000 could turn out during the 12-week exhibit.
That would make it among the highest-attended exhibits in museum history.
"Troubadour of the Highway" features 70 photographs by nine photographers along
with other typical celebrity-worship memorabilia like framed album covers and
lyric sheets. The images are of, and inspired by, Springsteen, and among the
most striking are portraits by Annie Liebovitz and photos taken by
Springsteen's sister, Pamela, for his 1995 "The Ghost of Tom Joad" album.
Celebrating Springsteen and his blue-collar, liberal-leaning politics in the
affluent, generally politically conservative Bloomfield Hills may be a bit of a
stretch. So, too, is a rock 'n' roll icon taking center stage at a museum that
recently spotlighted post-digital painting and the use of aluminum in design.
"Maybe it's time that we looked at breaking down the wall between fine art and
popular art," said Wittkopp.
Pop culture and serious-minded contemporary art have merged before.
Last year, the Guggenheim Museum in New York curated an exhibit of motorcycles.
Two years ago, the Museum of Fine Art in Boston drew large crowds to an exhibit
inspired by guitars in popular culture.
"Troubadour of the Highway" is intended to be a visual landscape of
Springsteen's lyrics: a landscape of metaphors filled with many references to
cars, factories and hopes -- lost and found.
Among the cooler-than-thou images are Springsteen alongside a '57 Chevy, a shot
of the Boss leaning on his 1960 Corvette, and yet another behind the wheel of a
Thunderbird convertible.
Detroit's classic rock station, WCSX-FM (94.7), has given Cranbrook $150,000 in
on-air spots to hype the exhibit. This afternoon, a familiar
Springsteen-inspired religious-like revival could unfold as local
singer-songwriter Stewart Francke performs Springsteen songs at the museum
entrance.
"We're hearing . . . that this is a must-see for anyone who cares about rock
'n' roll," said Bill Stedman, WCSX operations manager. "Bruce and Detroit. It's
a natural."
For the next three months, Springsteen fans will trek through the museum's
permanent collection of art by notable 20th Century artists such as abstract
painter Frank Stella and sculptor Donald Judd. Who knows whether they will
actually stop to look on their way to get a glimpse of an exhibit that only
seemed possible at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland. Fans
will see photos of Springsteen with the E Street Band, hear the somber music
from "Nebraska" and watch concert videos.
They'll already understand the message of the often esoteric text written by
museum curators alongside the photographs: Springsteen isn't just a rock star,
but a singing poet with a satchel of songs that represent a mosaic of the
American experience.
"The appeal is that Springsteen sings about searching for your dreams and at
the same time, he asks what is sacrificed by pursuing your dream in a selfish
way," said Colleen Sheehy, who organized the show at the Weisman Art Museum in
Minneapolis, where it drew large crowds. "But there's also fun and sexuality."
Depth, fun and an explosive sexuality is what Springsteen fans have loved about
him since he emerged into the mainstream in 1975 with the rollicking anthem
"Born to Run" up through his 2002 album, "The Rising," which offered a timely
salve after the emotional torrent of 9/11.
"Springsteen talks about highways, but the road doesn't lead away from home,"
says Springsteen biographer Dave Marsh. "The road comes back to community and
values.
"People think of Bob Seger when you say, 'Who is Detroit's rocker?' But there
are some who believe Seger listened to 'Born to Run' and heard a Detroit
soundscape."
Contact FRANK PROVENZANO at 313-222-6696 or email-address-deleted.
Dan
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