Bridgette Mayer Gallery Presents: “Walk Sign is On,” a solo exhibition by Tim McFarlane,
August 31 – October 23, 2021.
Extended Hours & Artist Reception: Friday, September 10, 5:00 – 7:00pm
Philadelphia, PA – August 18, 2021. Bridgette Mayer Gallery is excited to announce its fifth solo exhibition with contemporary painter Tim McFarlane, and its first solo exhibition since the gallery re-opened to the public in June 2021. “Walk Sign is On” will be on view from Tuesday, August 31 to Saturday, October 23, 2021, with extended hours and an artist reception on Friday, September 10 from 5:00 to 7:00pm. The exhibition will feature all new paintings by McFarlane, including two special installations: one in the gallery’s Vault Space, and one on the North wall of the gallery.
These works are the latest in an evolving body of paintings that McFarlane has developed throughout 2020 and 2021, which are inspired by his observations of and responses to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, concurrent political and social crises, and the ways that life has changed in recent years, in both large and small ways. His work is also informed by recent observations on “what it means to be a human being and an artist” in the current world, particularly “being a Black man making non-objective work today.” McFarlane states:
Futures: unknown, uncertain but formable, are where the title of this exhibition comes in. Walk Sign Is On was etched in my mind this summer as I worked on a mural on the northern edge of Philadelphia’s Chinatown neighborhood at the intersection of 10th and Callowhill Streets. The phrase was repeated every few seconds as the robotic voice of the traffic signal urged pedestrians to cross the street. At first, I did my most to pay it no mind, but was ever present, stubbornly insistent on barging in. However, in working on the mural, preparing for this show and making my way through the vagaries of the new “normal”, the phrase took on more complex meanings. While the future is unknown, we always have the choice to affect what that future can look like. The walk sign is on, there is permission to move forward. How we choose to do so is what we must reckon with.
Tim McFarlane is a visual artist based in Philadelphia, PA, whose works examine the fluid and contradictory nature of memory and place, with an emphasis on color, multi-layered systems and process. Much of his work is informed by everyday observations of the visual impact of human activity on the built environments of his native Philadelphia and elsewhere. While most of his output focuses on painting, McFarlane’s practice also includes printmaking, photography, digital art and site-specific installations.
Tim is a 1994 Temple University/Tyler School of Art graduate who has exhibited his work extensively in the U.S. and has been featured in major art fairs in New York, Miami, Dallas and San Francisco. His academic life has included being a visiting artist/lecturer and artist in residence at the elementary school through college levels, as well as teaching briefly at the Tyler School of Art & Architecture. Tim McFarlane’s paintings and works on paper reside in numerous private and public collections such as Bucknell University, Fox School of Business (Temple University) and West Virginia University. His work is represented by the Bridgette Mayer Gallery in Philadelphia, PA and ParisTexas LA in Los Angeles, CA.
Exhibition information: Walk Sign is On will be on view from August 31 – October 23, 2021 at Bridgette Mayer Gallery.
Gallery information: Bridgette Mayer Gallery free and open to the public. We are located at 709 Walnut Street, 1st Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00am – 5:00pm.
COVID policies: The health and safety of our community is our highest priority, and we are expanding our cleaning and safety protocols to abide by city guidelines. Gallery staff will continue to monitor and match our policies according to Philadelphia guidelines.
For further information, please contact Bridgette Mayer at: bmayer@bmayerart.com.