TOM BIRKNER
MOTORSCAPE
MARCH 8 - APRIL 8

DFN Gallery is pleased to present Motorscape, an exhibition of new paintings by Tom Birkner.  In this recent body of work, Birkner continues his exploration of the  American landscape, shifting his focus to the interrelationship between people and their cars.  The title of the exhibition refers simultaneously to the physical spaces and places associated with automobiles, to the effect the car has had on the landscape of our country, and to the myriad states of mind and mental images evoked when one is thinking about cars.  Narrating through an almost cinematic vantage point, Birkner addresses the pervasive role the automobile has come to play within our society.  He explores the manifold ways this basic means of locomotion has been transformed, acting as a reflection of personal identity, a point of observation and perspective, an environment, a landscape marker, a cultural icon, and even a form of entertainment in our

lives.

Referencing sources ranging from the pseudo-natural animal attraction at an amusement park to the branding colors of a popular doughnut chain, Birkner's palette conjures a subconscious recognition in his viewer.  Never still, his subjects are caught within moments.  The scenes he depicts are simultaneously temporal and immediate, inviting the viewer to imagine the happenings just before the painting, and what is to follow.  In his 'Stang, the viewer stands at the open door of a car, as if we're awaiting the next thought of the girl in the driver's seat.  In Dirt Track, Birkner extends his series to explore the ever increasing popularity of automotive sports, and the culture that surrounds their followers.  His scenes are at once approachable and inescapable, drawing the viewer into a conversation, then challenging them to relate to the world they find themselves in.  It is an environment at once gritty, illuminating, familiar, foreign, and almost startlingly close to home.

Tom Birkner grew up in Rahway, New Jersey, and currently lives and works in Washington, New Jersey.  He received his BFA from Rutgers and his MFA from Penn State.  Birkner has exhibited extensively, including numerous solo exhibitions at DFN Gallery, as well as in Chicago, San Francisco, Milan, Bologna, and Beijing.  He is an Associate Lecturer of Art at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey.

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