Road trips evoke wonderful memories from my childhood: The Volkswagon Squareback station wagon we fondly dubbed Black Mac; breakfasts of hard-boiled eggs and doughnuts; hot, sticky vinyl seats that left imprints on little thighs; fighting for space with my brother and sister; finding relief from them on a sleeping bag in the back hatch; and peering out the window in search of road signs promising ice cream. There were no DVDs or video games to distract us, just hours of playing 20 questions and the view of the passing scenery and the backs of my parents’ heads. I remember the image of my father’s expansive 1970s moustache in the rearview mirror and the sound of my mother’s knitting needles rhythmically clicking back and forth. We all marveled at the mirages of waves rippling from the heat on the roads and how the light at the end of the day made the world outside look golden. At the end of the day, we’d explode from the car with relief.
As an adult, I love being out on the road. I prefer the back roads and secondary “blue highways” made famous by American author William Least Heat-Moon. During my travels, I have discovered treasure – buildings and reminders of another era well before my own childhood: ancient bumper cars and Ferris wheels, movie houses, old-fashioned gas stations and even a café in the shape of a coffee pot.
This exhibit includes images from various trips I’ve taken across the United States over the last couple of decades. The images started as slides and were captured on Polaroid film, which was then peeled apart and transferred onto watercolour paper. Each image was hand-coloured with pastels and pencils before being scanned and enlarged. The result is a collection of works reminiscent of antique postcards. The images speak to me of a simple time when the day’s only worry was, “Are we there yet?”
Keep The Car Running
Road trips evoke wonderful memories from my childhood: The Volkswagon Squareback station wagon we fondly dubbed Black Mac; breakfasts of hard-boiled eggs and doughnuts; hot, sticky vinyl seats that left imprints on little thighs; fighting for space with my brother and sister; finding relief from them on a sleeping bag in the back hatch; and peering out the window in search of road signs promising ice cream. There were no DVDs or video games to distract us, just hours of playing 20 questions and the view of the passing scenery and the backs of my parents’ heads. I remember the image of my father’s expansive 1970s moustache in the rearview mirror and the sound of my mother’s knitting needles rhythmically clicking back and forth. We all marveled at the mirages of waves rippling from the heat on the roads and how the light at the end of the day made the world outside look golden. At the end of the day, we’d explode from the car with relief.
As an adult, I love being out on the road. I prefer the back roads and secondary “blue highways” made famous by American author William Least Heat-Moon. During my travels, I have discovered treasure – buildings and reminders of another era well before my own childhood: ancient bumper cars and Ferris wheels, movie houses, old-fashioned gas stations and even a café in the shape of a coffee pot.
This exhibit includes images from various trips I’ve taken across the United States over the last couple of decades. The images started as slides and were captured on Polaroid film, which was then peeled apart and transferred onto watercolour paper. Each image was hand-coloured with pastels and pencils before being scanned and enlarged. The result is a collection of works reminiscent of antique postcards. The images speak to me of a simple time when the day’s only worry was, “Are we there yet?”