SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Walsh Gallery at Seton Hall University presents two new exhibits: “Tom McGlynn: Standards,” a new series of paintings comprised of permutations of shape, color and the interplay of these elements; and “Gas Stop: Culture,” black and white photographs by renowned photographer David Freund. The opening reception for these exhibits will be Thursday, Nov. 8, from 5 to 8 p.m. in The Walsh Gallery, located in the university library at 400 South Orange Ave., South Orange.
Seemingly abstract, McGlynn’s art indexes numerous sources, including graphic design, commercial signage and mass marketing campaigns. McGlynn’s denial of an overt subject matter requires the viewer to draw upon their own inclinations, predispositions and aptitudes to make meaning of the artist’s open-ended arrays. Though McGlynn’s paintings are permeated with certain intentions, he is careful to avoid specific signification, providing an entry point for viewers that imbues his paintings with various interpretations.
“McGlynn’s work contains the residue of information that is familiar and culturally tangible, yet somehow slippery,” Walsh Gallery Director Jeanne Brasile said. “His paintings give just enough information to provide access to viewers but leaves the specifics of interpretation unfixed.”
Taken in 47 states between 1978 and 1981, Freund’s images examine the culture, architecture and landscapes of the American gas station. Different from today’s convenience store, where one can buy gas without encountering another human, gas stations then offered attendant service, car repair, payphones, maps, bathrooms and a range of other services and products. Freund’s photographs will evoke nostalgia for many, but its larger project is to describe a nationwide network that sustains American automobile culture, which in its way, is also a 20th-century version of an American commons.
“This is the first time I have chosen just one of the many themes as an exhibition focus,” Freund said. “Although culture can be visualized in many ways, this exhibition highlights men, women, girls and boys engaging with gas stations’ offerings, spaces and with each other, enlivening and propelling its American narrative.”
Photos Courtesy of Tom McGlynn and David Freund
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