Mark Kelner's exhibit "New American Landscapes" reveals the narrative and artistic potential of nondescript shopping plaza directories, transforming them into critical reflections on suburban culture.
Each painting meticulously re-creates nearly 30 directory boards from across America, revealing the often overlooked artistry in their plainness while adding an immigrant perspective, enriched with narrative.
"Strip Mall Landscape II" exemplifies the series' essence, showcasing the stripped-down nature of the directories, elevating their mundane aesthetic into a form that engages viewers with irony and craft.
Kelner's work encases the ordinary within the extraordinary, emphasizing how the commonplace signage of immigrant businesses in suburbs tells deeper stories about identity and community.
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