The Days of Drive In Art

Remember drive-ins? Those great outdoor movie theaters of yore when you could take in a film or two from the comfort of your own car?

Well, in these days of COVID-19 talk of reviving the drive-in abounds, including among local artists who are taking the concept and running with it. Among them is East Hampton’s Katherine McMahon whose exhibition “The Roast Beef is the Story” is currently on view in another classic 20^th century Americana institution — the beloved diner.

Here’s McMahon explaining the concept:

“If you need to break up the monotony of quarantine and feel like going on a drive, I've installed paintings inside the windows of the Silver Lining Diner in Southampton, which is currently shuttered due to the coronavirus,” explained McMahon in a recent email. “The show is entirely viewable from outside of the diner through the windows, you can even see it from your car.

“My hope was to activate a restaurant space that has been empty since mid-March with a bit of optimism and nostalgia.”

Prior to the pandemic, McMahon began a series of paintings on the topic of diners within the broader context of America and as a cinematic backdrop. One of her inspirations was Barry Levinson's 1982 film “Diner,” and the title of the show was inspired by a conversation Levinson had about the film with Vanity Fair magazine in which he said, “Between the lines about roast beef lies all you need to know about [the characters’] fear, their competitiveness, their friendship. The roast beef is the story.”

“So in essence, the diner functions as the gallery,” McMahon added. “My hope is that it will be an optimistic and nostalgic respite for people in my community, and turn the empty restaurant into a cultural locus in a different form, perhaps setting forth a new model for artists and restaurants to work together.”

To that end, 50 percent of sales of the work will go to the restaurant.

“The Roast Beef is the Story” remains on view through June 1 at the Silver Lining Diner, 32 Montauk Hwy, Southampton.