American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center
September 7 - December 8, 2024
Opening Reception: September 7, 2024 | 6 - 9 pm

MARK KELNER’S exhibition New American Landscapes explores a broader argument for understanding what nature, environment, and landscape are in contemporary art right now. As an artist who identifies as “writerly” in his approach to all things visual, who is to say that Kelner’s paintings, sourced from artifice, are any less earnest than what we consider to be still lifes or traditional landscapes? Above all, how do we define what a landscape is in the digital age, an era of forever text enabled by our smartphones? What is “art” supposed to look like in the time of alternative facts? And who, in reality, is the audience for this socially impactful work that engages viewers conceptually, emotionally, and physically?

Imagine walking into Times Square, but instead of neon lights and videos thrust upon you, a viewer is immersed in 26 painterly recreations of strip mall signs with thick impasto, saturated colors, bold lettering, and unintentional graphic design, remade as purposeful and highly stylized works of art. The idea here is a simple one: in the suburbs he grew up in, these signs are for Kelner, the equivalent of trees, if not markers of time...

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American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center   
4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016

Gallery Hours: Wednesday - Sunday | 11 am - 4 pm
Artist Talk: September 21, 2024 | 2 pm