Lou Posner: The Interface Between Life and Art
“It's the 1970s, isn't it?” was Posner's characteristically understated description of this vivid recollection of an era. The setting is the kitchen of the Posners' home on Fourth Street in Bloomington, Indiana, on a hot, humid day without air-conditioning. Seated at the table on the left is Bill “Baidi” Reed, who improvised a head wrap from Posner's white, long-sleeved, button-down dress shirt. Posner made certain to identify the borrowed garment with a handwritten annotation directly on the painting. On the right is Dr. John Mood, an English professor at Ball State University who had introduced Posner to his future wife. His animated gesture captures a familiar characteristic: he was forever expounding on something. The painting is filled with
details from the couple's everyday life. The decorative wine bottle was decoupaged by Posner's wife, while the painting of a green bottle on driftwood hanging above it was created by Dr. Mood's son, Mark. Through the screen door, a window of the garage that served as Posner's makeshift art studio is visible. With its checkered tablecloth, Stroh's beer can, improvised head wrap, and lively conversation, The 1970s preserves the informal, eccentric, and thoroughly unpretentious atmosphere of the period. It is both a portrait of two memorable individuals and a record of a particular time and place in Posner's life.