The sight of a driver chattering on a cell phone, or, for the love of Pete, texting, is an everyday irritation. But if you happen to catch sight of a woman wildly snapping photographs while stopped at a red light, relax. Sheยs probably making art. Lillian Warrenยs ยUrban Realitiesย paintings capture the peripheral imagery of the street. ยWhile in my car waiting for the traffic light to change, I compulsively take pictures with my digital camera,ย she says. Warren paints re-creations of her photographs on thin layers of aluminum composite. Itยs not quite photorealism; itยs more interpretive and skeletal, like a fleeting memory. Telephone poles, gas-station signs, a ยDonยt Walkย signal, even that red traffic light, float inside Warrenยs shaky frame, vying for a small moment of attention or a little compartment of space in our memory banks.
July 14-Aug. 19
This article appears in Jul 26 – Aug 1, 2007.