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Poetter Hall was purchased by the SCAD founders in March 1979. Classes began in September of that year.  
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The Arts

‘Bland’ is anything but

“Picnic Table” by Martin Buday

“Picnic Table” by Martin Buday is on display at Oglethorpe Row Gallery, 406 E. Oglethorpe Ave., through May 29.

By Hannah Pittard
Published: Friday, May 23, 2003

Savannah College of Art and Design photography graduate student Martin Buday uses a collection of color photographs to investigate quotidian urban landscapes in his thesis project, “Blandscape.” Buday, who said he is primarily interested in the everyday urban environment, claims the title of his show was an instinctive reaction to the photographs as a whole. “The title … was derived after, or rather during, the making of the images. I work within the urban (sometimes suburban) landscape and since it’s the common, banal and rather bland landscape, the title seemed fitting.”

Although the idea of being fascinated by what the artist candidly refers to as “bland” and “banal” might strike some as paradoxical, Buday is able to offer an explanation that makes sense of his seemingly contradictory feelings. “It’s these everyday surroundings that we experience that fascinate me the most because they are taken for granted and we are so complacent toward them,” he said. “There is a wealth of information there if we take the time to look and use our imagination. A photograph allows one to take as much time as one wants to view something, and a camera is the best tool to capture visual information and detail that is often impossible to see in real time. I use photography as an aid in helping me further understand the world.”

Fascinated also by the ways in which metaphor, irony and implication can be extracted out of everyday life, Buday’s photographs are simultaneously simple (in “Picnic Table,” a row of cookie-cutter cottages play backdrop to a typical picnic table) and complex (the people-friendly houses and table are inexplicably and eerily devoid of people).

“I want my images to work on more than one level,” said Buday. “I want them to be open and created in a rather objective way so the viewer can approach the subject matter in his/her own way. Meaning relies on their subjectivity, not mine. There is an open-ended sensibility to descriptive photography that is important to me.”

After graduating from SCAD, Buday said he plans to return to Bucks County, Pa., where he will live while he looks for work in New York City or Philadelphia. “All I really want is to keep making images and continue to make them better,” he said. “It’s a lifelong learning process that you never get quite right.”

“Blandscape” is on display at Oglethorpe Row Gallery, 406 E. Oglethorpe Ave., through May 29. A reception will be held May 24, 7-9 p.m.