Event
Melissa Chandon: American VacationPost an Event »
Caldwell Snyder Gallery
October 25 - November 30, 2014Info
341 Sutter Street San Francisco, CA 94108 Google Map »
Vintage cars parked by a seaside motel, a camper van winding along a mountain road: In her latest series of paintings, American Vacation, Melissa Chandon continues to probe classic American imagery with her signature vibrant palette and exquisite sense of composition. As a child of the 1950’s, she has written, she grew up in a family which her parents “saw the American landscape as a means of educating their five children- exposing us to the humanity of highways, small towns, truck stops, and KOA campgrounds all across the U.S. To this day, I find roadside vernacular fascinating…I feel it is important to document this era of U.S. history before it disappears.”
Influenced by artists such as Wayne Thiebaud and David Hockney, Chandon brings her childhood memories and adult fascinations to bear on her work. Her images of water, sky and American landscapes – a desert sunset, boats on quiet lakes, tepee-style lodging around a motel pool – resonate immediately with anyone who’s traveled across the country. Yet – the absence – or distance – of figures in the scenes, and the dense shadows cast by her simple geometric forms, conjure depth and mystery. Like vacation pictures taken by an unseen photographer, the images inspire curiosity about hidden stories.
A classically trained artist, Chandon lives and works in the Bay Area. Her exhibitions include the Center for Contemporary Art, Sacramento and the Morris Graves Museum, Eureka, among many others, with her work included in collections such as the de Young Museum, San Francisco and the Shields Library at the University of California, Davis.