Picture Perfect

While considering my assignment I reviewed all three of the works by Tim Gardner. I then decided to choose the work entitled "Untitled (Bhoadie in Hot Tub II)." After writing a complete description of this work, I attempted to post it and the page timed out. So I am now going to describe Tim Gardner's "Untitled (Sto and Mitch: Daytona)."

At first glance, all of Tim Gardner's works seem to be photograph's. If you were to assume this, you would be very wrong, and thus receive the long speech that everyone has heard over and over again about making asses out of each other, and looking dumb, and nobody wants to hear that. So, you would obviously look again, but something would seem disproportioned or look a bit off. Something might seem to have to hard of a line, or a line may be a little to straight (or not straight).

In the case of this painting (that's correct, painting) the one thing that may bring you to a second glance, and possibly further study would be the "main" character's right hand, which is clutching a beer can. His wrist against the car he is standing on, seems to have a hard line on it that would not exist is a natural circumstance. Although, you could never tell this painting is a painting. Even though I have looked it over several (several? what am I crazy? more like 50 million times) times, it still is a photo. I can't imagine how something this awesome could not be. Obviously it was copied from a photo, but the excruciating detail put in is unbelievable.

The main subject is standing on a car, quite obviously in a tropical city, for there are a few palm trees in the background. Also in the back ground is a white motel, with red doors, and a balcony. It serves as the perfect backdrop for any Florida tourist city. There are three boys in the painting.

One is standing on an older brown car, holding a beer can with his arms spread wide as if to suggest "I'm all here, and its great! Come and join us!" He is wearing a wildly tacky blue tropical shirt with a white undershirt and a yellow wristband as if he had just gotten back from a bar or club. His shirt seems to sum up his personality quite well as the look on his face is lacsidasical and his hair is long and blonde, like a typical California surfer.

His friends are on the ground infront of the car, holding one hand up (each) with the "We're number 1" signal. One of his friends (shirtless and well tanned) is wearing a red bandana around his dark brown if not black hair. His other friend (to the bottom left of the painting) is wearing a black shirt, and could very easily be the tall goofy one in the group. He has a ponytail and is also wearing a yellow braclet on his wrist.

Overall when looking at the painting, I feel as if I would be the friend in the bottom right hand side of the scene, wearing my bandana, my right hand sticking up, giving the "We're number 1!" signal, my left hand clutching a ice cold adult beverage. I can picture myself in a similar situation as the three in the scene. I can see my adventures on the beach in FLA and the friends I was with. I see all the good times we had, and after looking at this painting I'm sure it will bring back memories of old road trips, and crazy friends.

You can see some of Tim Gardner's works on this web site as well as the image I described above "Untitled (Sto and Mitch: Daytona)." (scroll to the bottom to see this painting)