In the contemporary art world, it's nearly impossible to categorize and define art. For example, a canvas painting may have elements of photography, while a photo may have pieces of metal sewed onto it.

Detroit collector Burt Aaron explained that most collectors and artists simply use the term "stuff" as a catchall term that can be used to describe art of any medium.

Currently, Aaron's vast and personal collection of contemporary and relevant "stuff" pervades the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit.

The exhibit features abstract and expressionist paintings with geometric shapes and bold splashes of primary and florescent color. Installations and sculptures coexist with witty pop art as well as realist and conceptual photography in 167 works by 75 artists spanning from the 1960s to the present.

A converted auto dealership, the MOCAD provides a unique venue to view the exhibit. The interior has a raw, not quite finished feel, providing attendees with the freedom to wander casually and explore the open space unrestricted and immersed in art.

The exhibit is not only a commentary on the eclectic and varied state of modern art, but also a commentary on the state of collecting. Attendees see art through one man's vision: Aaron began collecting twenty years ago out of a deep admiration for art and artists.

Not an artist himself, Aaron said one of the greatest compliments he ever received was an artist friend telling him that he looked at art like an artist, that he was "one of them."

"Ideas that are involved in the creation of the work can represent as much as the eventual realized form. Art provides the opportunity for a viewer to see his or her understanding of the world through another window," Aaron said.

From the fur-lined, silver-metallic sleeping bag lying on the floor adjacent to an electric orange wig (Meredith Danluck's "The Punk Wanderer"), to Jessica Craig-Martin's "Speedboat. Orgy Venice" which documents the aftermath of a night of indulgence for hip socialites, every work in Aaron's fascinating collection has a deliberately innovative idea behind it.

The collection contains work that is traditionally beautiful and aesthetically pleasing as well as some that is gritty and strange. Some of the pieces are bold and impossible to miss, while others require a closer look. Visitors will find thought-provoking works covering all of the "stuff" of our time: politics, beauty, the family, celebrity, self-perception and urbanity. Slightly overwhelmed, attendees are hit with art from every angle and level, and everyone will find images in this collection that will stick in their minds.

Aaron recommends that attendees be open-minded, taking their time to explore and take more than one look at the work that strikes them. It was important to him to bring rarely seen contemporary art to Detroit that young artists and collectors would otherwise have to travel to New York or Los Angeles to see.

The event runs through the end of July and during this time it will feature various events including lectures, panel discussions on collecting as well as readings, music events and film screenings. Aaron's collection is a stunning overview of art from our time. For anyone with even a lingering interest in art, "STUFF" provides a visually stimulating experience worth a at least one visit.

MAUREEN SULLIVAN

Stuff: International Contemporary Art from the Collection of Burt Aaron

Now through July 29

At the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit

FREE