BodyText2
The airport specifically selects artwork by greater Philadelphia artists as "a service to our 31 million passengers," Douglas explains, and Straight's exhibit is drawing much attention and interaction.
"It is so colorful, so powerful, it's hard to miss," she adds. "Children run up to see it and families follow."
That was the goal for Straight, who spent a year creating the airport exhibit, which will remain on display until January 2012. "If you do something quiet," he says, "people don't notice it."
It makes sense then that his solo exhibition at DCCA, titled "The Elliptical Frontiers" and on display until September, would feature 20 "dynamic images that play with pattern and design."
"Bob explores paint application," says J. Susan Isaacs, DCCA curator of special projects. "He manipulates various materials, building up the canvases in layers of acrylic, encaustic, oil, laser cut paper and collage of found object textures. And he utilizes innovative techniques in applying and removing paint from his canvases, many times creating his own tools and seeking out object patterns to apply and remove color."
His pieces are intricate and detailed. Or as one person told Straight, "There's a lot of stuff going on."