John Baeder’s American Roadside

John Baeder, Trailer, Arizona Route 66, 1975, C Print on Kodak Endura Paper, 20 x 30 in, Courtesy of the artist and Thomas Paul Gallery.

John Baeder’s American Roadside

January 21 – May 15, 2016

John Baeder’s American Roadside comprises 27 photographs of classic roadside culture, including classic diners, colorful signs, mom-and-pop motels, independent gas stations, and vintage vehicles. Baeder began his photo-documentation of roadside vernacular architecture before he became known primarily as a photo-realist painter, intuitively working in the spirit of WPA-era photographers such as Walker Evans. He continued to document roadside culture during the 1970s in the series of color photographs represented in the exhibition. While Baeder has become well-known as a painter of diners, his American Roadside images reveal the breadth and depth of his vision as both a photographic artist and preservationist. In conjunction with the exhibition, the Museum will host a book signing on January 20, 2016, celebrating the publication of the artist’s biography written by curator Jay Williams. Published by Vendome Press and distributed nationally by Abrams, John Baeder’s Road Well Taken will be available for purchase in the Museum store.