Also this issue: Phrenic Pace After two years, Phrenic New Ballet continues to spin off of classical dance. -Lewis Whittington Hot and New Brave the summer heat to check out Vox Populi's newest batch of artists. -Robin Rice Bruce Campbell -Sam Adams Rosalie Knecht -Paul Burress Philadelphia Black Theatre Festival -Juliet Fletcher

August 22-28, 2002

artpicks

"A Sense of Place"

by Debra Auspitz

Things aren't looking so good right now for all things travel-related. Airlines are getting into trouble faster than you can eat that miniscule bag of pretzels they serve on flights. US Airways filed for bankruptcy, American Airlines has cut 7,000 jobs and Spirit Airways has made the desperate-for-PR move of offering free flights on Sept. 11 (the 13,000-some-odd seats were snatched up in a mere seven hours). Think you'll give up on flying and take the train? Good luck. Amtrak's Acela Express trains are off the rails again, seriously slowing down Northeast train travel. But if you're feeling like getting out of the sweltering city, you can still head over to the airport, check out some art and get home without ever being patted down or having to take off your shoes. Continuing its mission to have local and national artists use the terminals as a gallery space, the airport is currently featuring a show of photographs by Philly artist Ron Tarver. Tarver's career as a photojournalist merges in his art with his desire to make an image appear timeless (as opposed to the photojournalistic emphasis on currency). Tarver often manipulates his photos in the developing process, resulting in images that seem almost ghostly, haunted by the past and existing in a hard-to-define present. Tarver is known for his photo essays of African-American cowboys, and last year he received notice for his show "Havana, A Place Out of Time." Tarver's airport exhibition, "A Sense of Place," features images of Philadelphia. So you might not be able to get anywhere as the summer draws to a close, but you can certainly go lose yourself in the mysterious world of Tarver's art.

“A Sense of Place,” runs through January 2003, Terminal F, Concourse 2, Philadelphia Airport, 8000 Essington Ave., 215-937-6944.

-- Respond to this article in our Forums -- click to jump there