Suburban Continuum
Timothy Buwalda

As humanity grapples with the perilous effects of over-development and urbanization, one symbol of Americana stands out as particularly fraught with ecological blame – the automobile. As the entire industry attempts to overhaul its reliance on the combustible engine and its effects on our ecosystem, Tim Buwalda grapples with the car as both a soon-to-be relic yet inextricably tied to American individualism. The entire infrastructure of our country is built around this machine that has for a century represented the independence and freedom of an entire nation; inspiring endless hours of hobby restorations and pride to devoted owners.

At once an extension of self as well as allegorical to the “American Dream,” the car is both a controversial and beloved object that has spawned a nation to grapple with and question the very idea of the “American Dream.” In Suburban Continuum Buwalda captures portraits of this confrontational symbol in consciously varied states.

Decadently Enfeebled (2019-20) is formed by intimate vignettes that come together in this chaotically refined garage scene. Complete with household objects and hobbies pushed aside over time, a labor of love is revealed beneath a tarp in the fashion of an SS Camaro awaiting restoration. Reminiscent of still lives, this timeless reflection on inanimate daily objects is injected with the weight of good intentions gone unattended. Buwalda takes this reflective approach towards his view on Lot Devil (2020), which showcases the prideful, egoic beauty of a vintage Chevy by focusing on capturing it at an angle and reflection of reverence through a powerful, yet stark juxtaposition of color. This compelling composition is striking in palette and subliminal presence; the scene was only freshly vacated, with a lingering identity by way of the cigarette butt split by the edge of a shadow. Boxes (2020-21) plays on the broken ego within the ambiguity of atmosphere, realized through soft hues of lavender and ocher, beautifully established within each fold of demolished metal; a prized possession and a dream obliterated.

The suburban environment and the history of inequities it represents becomes a part of this contentious conversation. The loaded nature we apply to physical objects combined with an oscillating reality of our country act as the binary ode to a machine that punctuates the backbone of the stark contrast between decadence and scarcity that infiltrates our societal history. Buwalda distills this sentiment within the facets of paint he uses to realize the pictures that are presented as windows into the discussions around this increasingly controversial object. His subjects reflect the mechanic measure of a nation’s obsession in every state imaginable. Each piece provides a space for Buwalda to relay meditations, questions, and reflections on this so-called American Dream to the viewer with each stroke of the brush.