Local Haunts: The Uncommon Landscape
Paintings by Randy Swann
March 15th - April 16th 2011  

Artists Statement
 
As a landscape painter living in southeastern New England, I am fortunate enough to have a stunning and diverse choice of motifs right in my backyard. Lush forests and fields broken up by interesting rockery, pristine tidal flats, kettle ponds surrounded by vibrant grasses and whispering pines, and of course, the ever-changing face of the sea. One could certainly ask for no better a model than the Atlantic Ocean. You would think.

Why then, over the past six years, did my eye lead me away from all that natural beauty and into the frost-heaved parking lot of a run-down burger joint? Or the busy corner where everyone slows down to buy the daily paper? Or avoiding the agitated guard dog at a closed Used Car lot?

I think there are lots of reasons, only some of which are apparent even to myself.  One of those reasons is that these buildings are survivors - many of them are as rooted into the neighborhood as the 200 year old oak in the park across the street. I have to respect a family-owned breakfast joint that can fill its booths while sitting within a mile of three different Dunkin Donuts.

One reason is that they used to make me smile as I drove past them and I thought (correctly) that they would make me smile even more if I stopped and explored them further.

Another reason is that I love geometry. The angles and shapes that have been hand-cobbled over many years of "renovations" present a visual jigsaw puzzle that I can't walk away from without solving. I love the letterforms of their signage and the palette utilized in keeping the facades fresh and eye-catching.

But, I think the main reason I paint these unique places is that they are long-established local hangouts. They are the actual center of a real-time social network! Places where real people gather to talk, debate, get their town news. Sometimes they sit for 10 minutes and slurp down a cup of coffee. Sometimes they lean out of their cars while licking an ice cream cone so it doesn't mess up the car seat. Sometimes they wait for an oil change and chat with the owner's wife who runs the register. But, in all cases, they benefit from honest human contact and, when they leave, go back down the road with a smile on their face.