May 2012
Philadelphia
New paintings by AJ Rombach
The show is called “PHILADELPHIA”
Since moving here, August 2010, I’ve been struck by the nature of the city: it’s subcultures, it’s layout, it’s people and it’s movements. Daily, the dramatic juxtaposition of decay and rebirth stops me mid-commute, constantly challenging what I consider to be normal to find in an American city in the 21st century. “PHILADELPHIA” is a body of work largely representational, although not completely, of scenes uniquely “Philadelphian.” These are moments belonging to my own personal experience in the last 4 months; they are from my kitchen, my rollerblade commute, a day at the museum or an interesting encounter. My hope, however, is that this show transcends my own experience and feels familiar to residents and visitors alike. Beyond being a show about contemporary Philly, it is a show that investigates appropriation, site specificity and the role of the illustrator as a sort of historian, a recorder of time.
