Prole Drift is pleased to show the paintings of Joe Wardwell from April 4th thru May 25th, with an opening on April 4th from 6 to 8pm.
Wardwell's work links landscape painting with the shaping of our national identity through image, lyrics and language. Beginning with a traditional approach to landscape painting, Wardwell proceeds with an abstractly painted overlay to remark on the ideal and real of these American vistas. Finding inspiration in the lush landscapes of the nineteenth century, his work reflects the promise of an American utopia through the perspective of contemporary rock dialogue and lyrics that reflect the erosion of faith in these ideals, and points to a precarious relationship with
the environment. The paintings also speak to the personal that we are internally analyzing as we move through life, and the sense of poignancy that is the reflection of the human condition.
Wardwell received a BFA from the University of Washington, Seattle, and his MFA in Painting from Boston University. He is currently a professor of painting and drawing at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. He has shown his work at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the deCordova Museum, Lincoln MA. He has work in the permanent collection of both museums.
After a long hiatus, and with appreciation to Robert Yoder and his program SEASON, Prole Drift will return to regular hours starting April 5th. The gallery will be open 1-7pm on Fridays and Saturdays, 11-2pm on Sundays, and by appointment.
