“Out of Time,” one of Brian Barr’s contextual/aesthetic mash-ups.

Friday, April 4th was the opening for “Heavy is the Head,” a body of work by artist Brian Barr, and the latest in a scorching series of installations over at Popps Packing. The exhibition with run through April 26th, and close with an artist talk at 4 p.m. that day. The subject of the show, while deceptively minimal at first glance, is an effort by to Barr to explore an age-old consideration of art: context vs. aesthetics. Using found images taken from sources that include old books and magazine and personal photos, Barr has created an interplay between classic subject matter—such as Greco-Roman statuary—and family photos, all staged against a backdrop of rough building materials, including drywall and plywood.

“Magritte’s Rock” is another of the 2D works on display.

The opening was a busy event, with a coterie of Popps’ current international residents—three artists from Belgium representing the collective Hotel Charleroi, exploring the parallels between Detroit and their own city of Charleroi, which suffered a similar depopulation and decay following the deflation of industry, and Toronto photographer Dave Trautrimas, who has been busily engaged in cloudy-weather black-and-white photography during the tenure of his residency.

The opening night crowd at Popps.

All in all, “Heavy is the Head,” is an understated exhibit which might benefit from contemplation in a quieter setting. Due to the complex examinations between context and aesthetics going on in the work, it becomes impossible to form an opinion without taking both into more holistic consideration, or as Popp’s lady-in-charge, Faina Lerman said, “Do I like this because I like it? Or do I like this because I like the idea of it?” Well put, and a question that art in general and Brian Barr in particular continue to ask.

Popps Packing: 12138 Saint Aubin, Hamtramck; www.poppspacking.org