In trying to define the art of Dwayne Franklin, one finds how nearly impossible it is to make a concise declaration. The viewer cannot conveniently find a concrete foundation for his images. They are simply points of departure for us to interpret as we wish. Though his work remains enigmatic, Franklin's background can more easily be explained. As a child, he lived in such cultually diverse areas as Japan, California, and Texas. He graduated from The Maryland Institute College of Art in 1985 and is represented by Gomez Gallery in Baltimore. He lives and works at his art in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Through several conversations with Franklin, Interim Galery Director Jody Horn posed several questions that generated a brief discussion offereing a glimpse into his art and what it means to him. JH: Why "Letter from a Land of Sinners"as a title for this show? DF: I like the way that words and phrases come together. It's a near quotation from a poem by Adrienne Rich. I didn't think of it while I was making the work. It came to mind when asked for a title. I always thought that it was a particularly evocative line. She's a good writer. You'll have to look her up. JH: You have defined this work as "non-linear narratives." What do you mean by that? DF: Non-linear, not straight, multi-directional, without a clearcut beginning, middle , or end. False narrative is another apt description. JH: A narrative suggests you are trying to tell us something; a story is being told. Are you trying to communicate something with these images? DF:Narrative refers to a process or technique. My work IS narrative. This implies that there is a diaogue that occurs between the one telling the story and the one listening. In this case, the work is the storyteller; the viewer is the listener. The narrative, or dialogue, is what occus in the "space"between the viewer and the work. JH: You went to The Maryland Institute College of Art. What do we see in your work today that is a direct reminder of that study? DF: Everything, and nothing. I was around amazing people. I saw amazing things. I can't begin to sum up the experience. The city of Baltimore was as much a part of my education as the Institute. I wasn't prepared for all that I would see. I could just as well stuck a pin in a map as to have found myself in a place so foreign. JH: What would be some of the artistic influences (artists, styles, works) that relate to you? DF: No comment. I look at everything and everyone. I don't consciously take from anyone. Whether you're talking about something that's abstract or figurative, a good painting has essential qualities of presence. It's not something that you can put into words. You internalize what you come to understand and hope that your work emits this presence that you admire. As far as style is concerned, that's a bad word. I paint figuratively for the most part, but my focus is something abstract. What style is that? JH: Finally, what would ne the message you hope viewers will get out of these image? DF: Well, I didn't set out to give a message so I guess there isn't one. I kind of set out to make pictures. Hopefully, interesting pictures that hold people's attention, maybe give them something to talk about. Franklin's art appears currently in the Lore Degenstein Gallery at Susquehana University. To further explore the evolution of his work, his Web site is located at the www.dickinson.edu/~franklid. We are grateful to the artist for this installation and a glimpse of his work. The exhibition is made possible through that generosity of the Charles B. Degenstein Foundation which supports the gallery's programs.   Jody K. Horn Detail from a work in progress. Dwayne Franklin. Oil on wood. 2000. 4 x 5"