(South Bend, Indiana, 1938 - )
1980
Screenprint on paper
15 3/8 x 25 1/2 in. (39.1 x 64.8 cm)
Collection of the Akron Art Museum
Gift of Adam E. Schuster
1996.43
As automobile tourism increased in popularity, roadside diners opened to accommodate travelers’ needs for a place to rest and refuel. The passage of the 1956 Interstate Highway Act doomed small-town roadside eateries. Inspired by his childhood experiences of such establishments, John Baeder depicts surviving examples in his richly detailed prints and paintings. Although the artist bases his imagery on his own documentary photographs, he edits elements out and adds artistic embellishments.