Mead Art Museum Off the Beaten Track

September 9 - December 18, 2003
Fairchild Gallery

Using the concept that one's immediate surroundings provide a springboard to realms that are unexpected, innovative and even provocative, Off the Beaten Track features the work of 12 contemporary artists and underscores the recent prominence that the genre of landscape has attained. The artists included in the exhibition are Hugo Bastidas, Bettina Blohm, Tara Donovan, Gail Gregg, Julie Hedrick, Lloyd Martin, Ezra Parzybok, Shuli Sadé, Adam Straus, Doug Trump, Margaret Tsirantonakis and Grace Bakst Wapner.

Although each artist has his or her own vision, all share certain affinities: some work is cerebral, some whimsical, but all of it explores a traditional subject in a non-traditional manner. This exhibition can in no way be a comprehensive compendium of contemporary landscape, but it brings together twelve engaging voices. The work falls into three loose groups: landscapes that reflect the world and society, magical environments and more abstract dreamscapes.

Off the Beaten Track was organized by Trinkett Clark, the curator of American art at the Mead. An illustrated catalogue is available. The exhibition and publication were supported in part by the David W. Mesker (Class of 1953) Fund and the Department of Fine Arts.