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Dining Out
Artist
William Wegman
(born 1943)
Date2023
Dimensionsimage: 48 x 72 in. (121.9 x 182.9 cm)
ClassificationsART, 2-DIMENSIONAL
Credit LineMuseum Purchase with the Robert and Hertha Rockwell Deaccession Fund
Object number2024.10
DescriptionStarting with 12 vintage postcards, some from Keuka Lake, Penn Yan, and Saratoga Springs, Wegman expands the boundaries of the card, speculating on the larger environment around each piece of memorabilia. Wegman’s project playfully hints at the nostalgia of an old-fashioned diner while breaking each vignette apart in a collage-like, cut-up composition. Angular forms jut out from each center image, destabilizing each postcard and creating spaces that push and pull out of the picture plane. Bright yellows and oranges seem to jut out at the viewer while reds and greens recede and give the painting a dynamic flow. The viewer’s eye, overwhelmed with squares, rectangles, and triangles of bold color, constantly moves throughout the canvas. While the vintage postcards may seem like a natural end point for the viewer, Wegman’s abstractions of the walls, tile, booths, and buildings in each card highlight the visual noise we’ve become accustomed to as we move through our daily lives.On View
New Acquisitions Gallery