Jim Darling and Revok Get Religion in Detroit

Spindled chair legs pointing like spires into the air in search of a seat, the grime covered and periodically depressed keys on an uprooted organ, religious symbols carved into the wooden banister now fallen; A fan made of striped owl feathers, cardboard puzzle pieces, a worn velvet cushion.

Dust to dust, ashes to ashes. So are the things of this world, once so meaningful, now unguarded and discarded in this old church with puddles inside.

Jim Darling and Revok. Detail of their installation “Sunday Mass”. Detroit. (photo courtesy © Jim Darling)

Fine artist and sculptor of detritus Jim Darling thrives on urban exploration so who better than graffiti/fine artist Revok could take him through most of Detroit last week to see what could be discovered in this once-teeming motor city. The two covered as much ground as possible on the tour and made sure to stop into a house a worship to contemplate a hallowed space and the assigned meaning of stuff. “I’ve been a huge fan of Revok’s work for a long time so it was super rad hanging out, making sh*t and having him as my D-town tour guide,” says Darling ask he talks about the trip.

While in the abandoned church, the two spent a couple of days gathering the elements that they found and arranging them into a sculpture under the watchful gaze of stained glass and maybe a higher power. Taking geometric and architectural cues from their new installation space, the artists built a balanced weight piece that mimics the symmetry around it. With industry and creativity, the newly ordered space is again respected, reflective.