John Baeder's Road Well Taken Hardcover – Illustrated, October 20, 2015

Look at the picture on the cover of this book. It precisely illustrates the vanishing roadside culture us roadside junkies would prefer to be in, right? Now look again. The old cars, the signs, the building? Not a photograph. It's a painting. One that comes from the thoughtful mind and astounding talent of master photorealist painter, John Baeder. If you have never seen John Baeder's work I assume you're as surprised as I was when I first saw this book in the bookstore. Even now, my heart speeds up when I see it. Baeder's paintings are nothing short of magical and this book is filled with them."Baeder is at heart a communicator who is amazingly effective when he has an opportunity to present his art in conjunction with essay and anecdote. His interest in national identity could be expressed only in personal, mythic terms." - art historian and author, Jay WilliamsThis is exactly what we get with this book. Thank goodness.I bought this 10 x 10 book back in April of 2016 and it's been following me from room to room ever since. Every page is filled with Baeder's incredible images coupled with his own words as well as Williams' heartfelt, conversational text. It never fails to cheer me up and make me smile. I love this book. John Baeder's Road Well Taken provides an escape into the place where roadside culture and sense of community converge. I love spending time there. This book is the story behind these paintings that Baeder has graciously given us over the past 40 years.The chapters of this book take the reader on an authentic roadside journey through the midcentury America that existed before the interstates. All of it through Baeder's unique eye - his thoughtful, creative, unique eye - and his mega-talented ability to preserve these moments of our history. Photography and photographers, especially of the documentary genre, along with color-saturated linen postcards inspired Mr. Baeder, but his "respect for the culture of the common folk" is, in my opinion, what elevates his paintings in the hearts and minds of viewers.Look at the picture on the cover of this book. It precisely illustrates the vanishing roadside culture us roadside junkies would prefer to be in, right? Now look again. The old cars, the signs, the building? Not a photograph. It's a painting. One that comes from the thoughtful mind and astounding talent of master photorealist painter, John Baeder. If you have never seen John Baeder's work I assume you're as surprised as I was when I first saw this book in the bookstore. Even now, my heart speeds up when I see it. Baeder's paintings are nothing short of magical and this book is filled with them."Baeder is at heart a communicator who is amazingly effective when he has an opportunity to present his art in conjunction with essay and anecdote. His interest in national identity could be expressed only in personal, mythic terms." - art historian and author, Jay WilliamsThis is exactly what we get with this book. Thank goodness.I bought this 10” x 10” book back in April of 2016 and it's been following me from room to room ever since. Every page is filled with Baeder's incredible images coupled with his own words as well as Williams' heartfelt, conversational text. It never fails to cheer me up and make me smile. I love this book. John Baeder's Road Well Taken provides an escape into the place where roadside culture and sense of community converge. I love spending time there. This book is the story behind these paintings that Baeder has graciously given us over the past 40 years.The chapters of this book take the reader on an authentic roadside journey through the midcentury America that existed before the interstates. All of it through Baeder's unique eye and his mega-talented ability to preserve these moments of our history. Photography and photographers, especially of the documentary genre, along with color-saturated linen postcards inspired Mr. Baeder, but his "respect for the culture of the common folk" is, in my opinion, what elevates his paintings in the hearts and minds of viewers.The largest section of the book is of course devoted to the diners. John Baeder started the diner preservation trend in the late 70's when he drew attention to diner history with his paintings. He became an expert in diner culture when he crossed the country on "diner hunts" that inspired his art. He "created paintings that enshrined diner values," says Williams. "He was very interested in their place in American culture." There are well over a hundred of Baeder's diner paintings in this book. Every time I stop and look at one I see something I didn't see before.This is a biography of John Baeder's passion. He communicates his respect for the values of roadside culture with every incredible painting. The still-lifes, inspired by 17th, 18th and 19th century European still-life artists using north light and the vintage 1930s - WWII military airplane paintings that came later, are also in the book, and offer that same respect and admiration of subjects. Anyone that has even a remote interest in roadside culture, art, and/or painting would find great value here. I learned a lot in these pages about history, painting, John Baeder, even about myself. Jay Williams is an excellent writer, and I'm grateful he included so many quotes from Baeder himself. It's enlightening to see how Baeder was affected by these places and the photographs and postcards from them and how they came to fruition later in his painting. The book is chronological and covers the 40+ years of his artistic career from Atlanta to New York to Nashville.The book is printed on sturdy paper with a design that does the images justice. It's a beautiful book. Author Jay Williams curated a four-museum retrospective, "Pleasant Journeys and Good Eats Along The Way: The paintings of John Baeder" while he was curator at the Morris Museum in Augusta, Georgia. A book produced in conjunction with the retrospective with the same title is still available. John Baeder is a "captivating, complex, multifaceted" man and Jay Williams has done a great job of telling the reader why he feels like that. I appreciate that, but it's John Baeder himself that makes this a book to hold on to and read often.

an absorbing and long awaited biography of a wonderful painter of the vanished roadside culture of the US. John has such vision and wit in his work, and his documentation of this vanishing world is so important to its history. loved seeing the lavish illustrations of one great diner after another, plus all the other food trucks, roadside stores. made me want to hop in his Caddy and take a road trip with him. the book is a great armchair journey.

....and I own two other books showcasing his work. This book is absolutely the best one, and the selection & colors are terrific. Also, the written information is very interesting and informative.

This photo book is an example of a photographer who had a theme - or is it an obsession? An incredible look at roadside diners, part of a disappearing landscape in the USA. Vintage cars are also plentiful in these photos, which offer a glimpse into an era when Route 66 was considered an Interstate Superhighway.

A book full of nostalgic paintings from a time not long ago.

FANTASTIC book. John is a great artist that captures a scene beautifully. His details are spot on and of photographic quality. I would recommend this book to anyone wishing to see Americana recreated though the eyes of a person who sees the beauty in a simple street scene.

This book reviews the history of the American diner. It relates how the diner in many instances evolved with the growth of automobile ownership. The author's passion for art is revealed by the fact that he left a successful career in advertising to pursue painting on his own. I had an emotional and positive response to the paintings. I also enjoyed reading about John Baeder's life story. The diner was the answer before fast food outlets came into domination.

The art in this superior and beautifully displayed. It's a review of Americana through the eyes of an extremely talented artist, during a time when diners were genuine and America was evolving. I'd recommend this book to anyone--it's also just a plain old-fashioned good read.