Strip Malls, Superstores and the American Landscape
June 27 - August 1, 2011
- Reception: June 30, 6-8 p.m., Gallery Lounge, gallery talk by Hans Habeger at 7 p.m.
- Music by the Flexible Flyers
- Artist lecture by Robert McCann, August 2, 10 a.m.
This exhibition includes paintings that explore the byproduct of American consumer society through the landscape that is formed in the areas surrounding strip malls and superstores. Both artists share a decidedly different interpretation in the paintings they construct. Habeger, assistant professor at College of Lake County in Evanston, Illinois, finds pause in the desolate asphalt landscapes through his rendering of light and shadow in often overlooked locations, embedding beauty in utilitarian design and breathing new life into vacuous locations. McCann, assistant professor at Michigan State University, creates a scenario of events that foster the portrayal of American society captured through the disorienting lens of reality television and kitsch B-rated horror films. Each artist imbues a seductive quality into the paintings they construct—Habeger through seeing the landscape through a fresh perspective and McCann through drama and chaotic action.
Image: Robert McCann, Paths Around Buildings, oil on linen, 66"x54", 2011