Humor and history are on full display in a new exhibit, Peaceable Kingdom in the gallery at Gettysburg College’s Majestic Theater. This solo exhibit opens on Thursday, September 5 with a free public reception with the artist from 6-7:30 p.m.
This survey unites works from over two decades of artistic output exploring our common history and identity in a setting where America’s story has been tested and told for over 150 years. Describing his work as “an interplay of art and history, humor and brutality, sincerity and irony, narrative and allegory,” Browning approaches the canvas as a contemporary frontiersman. The painter embarks on a journey through American history and American art history with equal doses of reverence and self-deprecation. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, a viewer can easily lose track of where mockery ends, and homage begins.
“Browning strikes an uncommon balance between reverence and levity in his approach an American aesthetic. I can’t imagine a more perfect setting than Gettysburg during this time to experience his stunning works. I hope they will provoke thought and laughter and spark meaningful dialogue,” states Majestic Theater Executive Director, Brett W. Messenger.
“The Majestic is a gathering place for conversation from the cinema to the stage. With Peaceable Kingdom, we extend that conversation into the gallery,” adds Majestic Theater exhibit co-curator Kim Laughman.
“In Peaceable Kingdom my work aims to puncture the propaganda of frontier mythology,” explains Browning. “Through the imagery the ripples of history are brought forward to comment on the present.”
Browning received his BFA from California College of the Arts and his MFA from New York University. He is a professor of painting in the Philadelphia region and has shown his work in solo shows in New York, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn, and participated in group exhibitions nationally.
Admission to the gallery and to the September 5 gallery opening is free. The gallery is open Monday-Saturday from 3-7 p.m., and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. Metered parking is available at the Gettysburg Borough Parking Garage in Race Horse Alley as well as along Carlisle Street.
The Majestic Theater at the Jennifer and David LeVan Performing Arts Center is owned and operated by Gettysburg College as a gathering place for its campus and community to celebrate the arts together.