Pontiac in a Deserted Lot (Primary Title)
John Salt, American, born England, 1937–2021 (Artist)
"I am interested in abandonment. People, I realize, don’t throw many things away; instead they just abandon them." —John Salt
The precise airbrushed surface of Salt’s Pontiac in a Deserted Lot was painted from a slide’s projection onto the canvas and is a classic example of Photorealism. Although bathed in strong California sunlight, this scene could be from almost anywhere in America. While Salt clearly delights in the play of light on glass and metal, the directness of the image addresses classic themes of waste, destruction, and even mortality, as the abandoned car, in human terms, has finished its life span.
Look Here: SPEED exhibition, VMFA, September 6, 2006 - January 7, 2007
Vanitas: Meditations on Life and Death in Contemporary Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA, April 4 - June 18, 2000
"Get Real", William King Museum, Abingdon, VA, 1999
Photo-Realism: Revisited, Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale, FL, November 24 - January 19, 1992
Motion as Metaphor: The Automobile in Art, Virginia Beach Center for the Arts, Virginia Beach, VA, March 25 - June 28, 1991
John Salt Paintings, Wolverhampton Art Gallery & Museum, Wolverhampton, England, July 5 - August 9, 1986; Bolton Museum & Art Gallery, Lancashire, England, September 20 - October 18, 1986
"Contemporary Art Acquisitions from The Sydney and Frances Lewis Fund", VMFA, January 16 - March 4, 1979.
"Contemporary Selections", Museum of South Texs, Corpus Christi, Texas, October 9 - November 30, 1975.
"Images of Reality", F & M gallery, February - March, 1975
"New Accessions U.S.A", Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, August 1 - September 22, 1974
New Accessions U.S.A., Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Colorado Springs, CO, August 1 - September 22, 1974
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.
