David Broda
Untitled, 1979

David Broda grew up in Niagara Falls, NY. That by itself would be enough to give one a curious outlook on life. Then if you consider Walt Broda, Dave's father, inventor of one of the first machines to make wire coat hangers, it becomes easier to see why Dave has developed a fond attraction for the funky and functional icons of American Roadside culture.

At a time when color photography is being used extensively in art and industry, Broda's photographs stand out as examples that are well seen and at the same time expertly crafted. In each picture in the exhibition Broda is able to record the beauty of the view, while at the same time accurately describing its place in America's culture.

As the icons along the roadside become more homogeneous and travelers more concerned with the final destination than the journey, Broda's pictures show us the decline of independent individual creativity, except perhaps for his own.

Jeffrey Hoone (c) 1983