Aaron Salm
My paintings reflect on the theme of nostalgia and are based on my experience growing up in the Northeast United States. The images depict objects meant to conjure a mythological representation of the American dream. The scenes portrayed in the works are allegories from specific memories and exaggerated to a point of absurdity where their accuracy is called into question. The absence of human figures adds a forensic element to the work. The objects are meant to tell stories about the absent person(s).
I am interested in how the objects we encounter on a day to day basis shape the lives we lead. We have a catalog of experiences with objects stored in our memories. Objects hold specific connotations that exist whether the object is physically present or represented in an image. This meaning changes as we age and develop new perspectives on life and the world. It is much like how a puppy may bark at a coffee table until it matures and realizes that the table poses no threat.
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