Santa Monica, CA EMILE DILLON A Trip Down Memory Lane
When photorealist painter Emile Dillon visited his hometown in New Jersey, he discovered it was nothing like he remembered. Gone were the movie theaters, restaurants and ice cream parlors he loved as a child in the 1950s.
“As I grew older, the town fell into disrepair,” he says. “Everyone left when they got older, and so did I. Everything I really liked about the place is gone.” While it was too late for Dillon to preserve the town he grew up in, he decided he could still preserve a slice of Americana elsewhere. “I started saying, ‘Somebody’s got to save these things,’” he reflects. “These places may not exist anymore in the next 100 years.”
Equipped with a background in photojournalism
and editorial photography, Dillon began documenting the small towns and cities he visited with his wife when she would travel for conferences and meetings.
Now preferring a canvas over a camera, he decided to paint what he saw. Thus, Vanishing America was born.
The works in the series remain true to Dillon’s signature style, which Mirabelle Alan writes is marked by “subjects that are strong in geometric, graphic shape.” Alan also writes that, “Emile Dillon’s work transports viewers to a distinct and particular setting. His work varies from movie theater signs to restaurants or hotels, each defined by an exact moment, like a photograph.” Dillon has a tendency to recognize the significance in the “ordinary” that others don’t. While a sign or storefront may appear as just that, Dillon sees it as art and has a unique eye for nostalgia—even when it’s drawn from memories that are not his own. What he chooses to paint is innate. If he likes a building or a sign he’ll paint it and more often than not, people take notice.
His favorite work from Vanishing America represents just this. The acrylic, aptly named Dunkin Donuts, measures 36 by 48 inches and depicts a Dunkin’ Donuts next to a Subway sandwich shop. This particular location has an angled roof and a massive coffee cup in front of it, which is what attracted Dillon to it in the first place.
His wife hardly noticed the building at first; while on the other hand, it nearly stopped Dillon in his tracks. When looking at the work, it’s easy to see why.
“When you look at my paintings, you know what I’m trying to say,” he says. “I want you to see what I see.” Vanishing America will be on view from July 27 through August 31 at Skidmore Contemporary Art in Santa Monica, California. An opening reception will be held at the gallery on July 27 from 4 to 6 p.m.