Two paintings by Paul Marlow of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, have been selected for exhibition at the Iowa State Fair, August 11 - 21, 2016.

"In-N-Out Burger, Burbank, California" portrays the atmosphere and activity of a popular fast-food restaurant in Southern California. 

"My brother Patric and I were in Los Angeles in June, 2013", said Marlow. "I had heard about In-N-Out Burger, so we found this restaurant just off the Hollywood Freeway. The cheeseburgers were fantastic." While the brothers were waiting for their food, Marlow captured a photo of the workers behind the counter. He was intrigued by the mid-century look of the place, the reflections off the stainless steel, and the neon sign proclaiming "Quality You Can Taste".

"There is a lot going on in this painting. The neon, the palm tree tiles, the freeway off-ramp just outside the drive thru window—it's a snapshot of California, and a slice of life in 21st century America."

In truth, the restaurant in the painting is not located in Burbank. "After lunch, Pat and I drove to Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, to see a taping of "The Conan O'Brien Show", said Marlow. "Since all of the smaller cities run together in LA, I thought we were in Burbank." Though close to Burbank, the actual location of the restaurant in the painting is at the corner of Regal and Cahuenga Blvd., north of Hollywood, in Los Angeles. The blueish building seen through the drive-thru window is the Comcast/NBC Universal office building. Marlow decided to keep Burbank in the title.

"They Just Fade Away" is another work by Marlow selected for juried competition at the 2016 Iowa State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition. The oil painting depicts a tumultuous midwest sky, and features an abandoned Farmall tractor in the foreground. Marlow was inspired by a tractor he saw while riding a bike trail near Ely, Iowa. 

"Nearly everywhere you look in the state of Iowa, you can find remnants of the glory days of American agriculture," said Marlow. "I was riding past a farm pasture and spotted this sad old soldier alone on a hill, rusting away. I felt it was important to capture it, before it too faded away." Though the tractor is the focal point, the real subject of the painting is the threatening sky. "I was interested in those rolling clouds. This is not an idyllic blue sky day. To me, this work symbolizes the monumental change in American agriculture, since the days when my grandfathers farmed."

The Iowa State Fair Fine Arts Salon has a rich and vibrant history, going back to 1854. Many of Iowa's finest artists have won prizes at the state fair, including renown regional artist Grant Wood. Beginning in 1929, Wood won prizes in oil painting four years in a row, before receiving national recognition for his iconic masterpiece, "American Gothic".

Over 1 million people attend the Iowa State Fair annually.