Wisdom From A-Z

Rob Croxford - 129 Ossington


Rob Croxfords' painted vignettes have 2 distinct facets to them the first being an overt call to nostalgia.
They hearken back to a simpler time of hand painted magazine ads, with images of model airplanes, zeppelins, and flying saucers, toys that a boy of post war America would lie awake at night dreaming of finding under the Christmas tree.
Other images are somewhat more sinister if you prescribe to being religously- politically correct. Images of women hanging the clothes out to dry while gossiping with Marge next door, or bent over the long gone ironing board putting a perfect crease on hubbies clothes.
Not enough though that Mr. Croxford has given us these ponderous images he has chosen to supply us with a written script to his musings on things of yore. Each image has a Title emblazoned as part of the painting, each starting with one of the A-Z of the alphabet, and at the bottom a single line of wisdom.
Each of these small paintings on canvas is skillfully depicted with scrapes and over washes giving them a patina of age. However as much as I don't mind work being exhibited unframed these paintings are sadly lacking that finished touch as the folded corners and edges of the canvas stretching leave a little something to be desired. All in all an exhibit that gives one cause to ponder.