Micheal McLaughlin - Eden - 2000

The Robin Rice Gallery announces a solo exhibition of photography by Micheal McLaughlin. The opening reception will be held on Wednesday September 20, from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. The show runs through November 4th.

In Micheal McLaughlin’s recent work, which glories in the unique beauty and timelessness of place, a sense of the uncanny lurks. It lends an eerie edge to images of the American suburbs and roadsides, haunts the lush landscapes of France and lingers on the tarmac at an airport in India. Revealing disquiet beneath the surface of such far-ranging but ordinary places, and often their inhabitants as well, theses images expose the extraordinary character and resonance of the places they document. For McLaughlin, Eden is omnipresent: it exists wherever one happens to be.

Atlantic City, the invitational piece, presents a head-on encounter with the quintessential, modest, single family house. Immaculate and trimmed in white shingles, it’s an indisputable haven of domesticity made odd by its proximity to a looming water tower, unexpectedly beaming with a large smiley face. In West Bengal, a strong sense of immanence pervades as passengers in single file slowly board an airplane. This everyday activity appears otherwise as the plane’s dark tail and wing jut overhead, piercing a hot, bright sky.

Micheal McLaughlin was raised in Providence, Rhode Island, and is a graduate of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. Since 1987, when he moved to New York City, he has worked as a commercial, traveling internationally six months of the year. His clients include Esquire, ESPN and The Fast Company magazines. He has shot advertising campaigns for Volkswagen, Nike and IBM. Since 1993 he has shown in several group shows at the Robin Rice Gallery. This is his second solo show with The Robin Rice Gallery.