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Having fun yet?
Tim Gardner uses photorealism to turn a mirror on Americans as they enjoy spring break and other special moments.
By ROBIN EISGRAU
Offoffoff.com
(Originally reviewed at)
At first, the works of Tim Gardner appear to be large snapshots, but upon
closer inspection they're revealed to be watercolors. These paintings are
precisely detailed and photorealistic, down to the red spots in the
subjects' eyes.
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| TIM GARDNER |
Paintings by: Tim Gardner.
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| SCHEDULE |
303 Gallery
525 West 22nd St. (between 10th and 11th Ave.)
(212) 255-1121
Through May 26
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Seemingly twisting the cliche of friends foisting vacation
photos on you, this is a show mostly of pictures depicting young men on
spring-breakish trips and people among nature vistas. The images here
challenge the notion of what is banal; by rendering "ordinary" snapshots with
painstaking detail, Gardner imbues the images with a newfound signifigance.
By not knowing who these people are or exactly where they are, there's a
sense of mystery behind what we're seeing. A young woman stands between
plastic flamingoes in a nighttime shot. A fraternity-type reveler poses in
front of a Las Vegas facade. They both are striking poses as if to say:
"Look at me, I'm having a good time."
A Winnebago travels down a sunny road
and you wonder who's inside and where it's going. Shirtless guys cavort in a
convertible with Hawaii plates — one of them has a flower behind his ear.
This could be an ad for Abercrombie & Fitch, but it's taken from reality.
Spring breakers drink beer in a motel parking lot and someone who partied
too much is slumped in front of a sink, the bottom of which is filled with
beer cans.
One remarkable work is a painting of a bundled-up beachgoer
posing in front of the shore at either sunset or dawn. This picture is a
rich interplay of lights and darks and is powerful in its imagery; the
light upon the water and in the sky drawns you in like an undertow.
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APRIL 27, 2001
OFFOFFOFF.COM • THE GUIDE TO ALTERNATIVE NEW YORK
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| IMAGE GALLERY |
Reader comments on Tim Gardner:
painting from georgia johnson, Mar 28, 2002
Post a comment on "Tim Gardner"
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