A recent revelation about Norman Rockwell's technique inspired a body of work by award-winning Chicago-area photographer and Berkshire School graduate Maggie Meiners '90: Rockwell's cover illustrations for The Saturday Evening Post were created using staged photographs as studies. Building on a life-long affinity with Rockwell's mid-century observations on American life, along with the humor, candor and social commentary found in this body of work, Meiners meticulously recreates and reinterprets these scenes with her camera, reframing contemporary social issues in a series of uniquely American genre scenes. The works of art found in the Warren Family Gallery offer commentary and context around the issues and narratives presented in her Revisiting Rockwell series.

The general, and often humorous, stories told by the paintings and illustrations of Norman Rockwell—from a child who is sent to the principal's office, to an exulted war hero and the anticipation of a Thanksgiving meal—remain as American as ever. It was recently discovered that Rockwell produced his paintings from staged photographs either shot by him or shot by an assistant; the photograph was a template for the final product.

With this discovery, Meiners explores Rockwell's work as if the photograph were the final product. Revisiting Rockwell attempts to contemporize Rockwell's original works by weaving into each photograph social issues and elements that resonate today. It is an in-depth examination of whether the nostalgia of Rockwell's work translates into our rapidly changing lifestyles and whether his very human tableaux can reflect this moment in time. The viewer, while tempted to compare the original painting to Meiners' interpretation, is instead drawn in to the contemporary elements presented in each image. The work reveals that while the American cultural landscape has changed many ways, there is so much that remains the same.

Gallery Hours: Monday-Saturday, 8 am-5 pm; or by appointment