 |
Email PageKenny Harris, Judith Nilson, and Alice Federico
November 14, 2006- December 23, 2006
Reception: November 16, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Kenny Harris, Judith Nilson, Alice Federico
George Billis Gallery
511 W 25th St Kenny Harris Empty Bed |  Kenny Harris Painting Camilla's Flat, |  Judith Nilson From Side to Side (2005) |
 Alice Federico Anagama Wood Kiln (7days) (2006) |  Alice Federico Electric Kiln (2006) |
Kenny Harris is one in an established history of artists who have been inspired by the Old World beauty of Paris, France and Florence, Italy. The California-based artist’s new work focuses on his recent travels to the two cities. He felt privileged to be able to paint on what he described as “well trodden and art history saturated land,” but challenged himself to “see familiar cities with fresh eyes.” As Harris painted the landscapes and rooftops in Europe, he was conscious of “the ghosts of Rousseau and Millet,” who painted in the same area over a century ago. He allowed himself to be influenced by the mood of each site. “My palette shifted and adapted to the spaces as I went.” However, the artist felt particularly inspired by the private interiors he gained admittance to during his time abroad. He was welcomed into places such as “a friend’s studio in Montreuil, a restored flat in the center of Florence, and my small flat in Paris.” Being able to paint in personal living areas was integral in allowing Harris to gain a more modern perspective of Florence and Paris, and gave him “unique glimpses into the current state of two European art capitals.” A constant theme throughout Harris’ new work is the focus on “transitional light, space, and reflection,” which serve to set the mood and create depth in each painting. He found inspiration in a beam of light illuminating a Parisian hallway or diffused light on a tree in the forest of Fontainebleau. His loose brush strokes perfectly convey the shadows and reflections created by the sun. As the artist states, “the truth in the paintings is always about the light.” Kenny Harris received his B.A. in Fine Art from Colorado College in Colorado Springs and has studied at the Art Student’s League in New York. He has painted in Italy, France, Honduras, Guatamala, Mexico, and Cuba in addition to his current residence in California. This is Kenny Harris’s first solo exhibition at the George Billis Gallery.
Judith Nilson
As Judith Nilson sates, “Looking for the right drawing instrument to use for the series Imaginary Narratives, I experimented with a verity of "scratching" tools. I wanted to use graphite and oil paint to make gestural images and make lines by carving and cutting into the surface of the painting, while keeping the integrity of a two diminutional support. I was interested in working up an image by using painting, sculpting, and etching techniques. Working this way reminded me of the black scratch board drawings I loved making when I was in school. I chose single edge razor blades as my predominate drawing instrument because I had the most control in drawing the delicate images I was looking for. I've used single edged razor blades in my work before, but usually to spontaneously scrape off traditional materials, like oil paint or pencil. In this way, the random scrapings became accidental markings not deliberate choices in the work. Overcoming the technical issues of holding a single edged razor blades to draw, altered my existing process of mark making: therefore challenging me to question the use of traditional drawing materials, as well as any preconceived ideas I had of the drawing and painting process. Deliberately carving and cutting lines into a gestural vocabulary of oil paint and powdered graphite, was slow going but very satisfying. The dense repetitive razor blade markings, in combination with the gestural underpainting, gives these paintings both a lyrical and dissonant quality. The visual paradox makes you pay attention. Although my images are a representation of my imagination, a strong narrative thread is suggested by the vocabulary of the repetitive mark making. Paradoxically, random repetition vs. structure causes just enough vibration in the work to make one pay attention.” Nilson holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the School of Visual Arts and a Masters of Arts in Communication Arts from the New York Institute of Technology. She was a recipient of a Pollock-Krasner grant in 2002-2003. Her work is in several New York corporate collections and numerous private collections, both nationally and internationally. This is the artist’s second solo exhibition at the George Billis Gallery.
Alice Federico
Alice Federico’s newest collection of pottery dwells on the structure of her medium as opposed to its ornamentation. Her elegant pieces are displayed sparsely to showcase how pottery can show articulation without affection. “For me, it is enough to make simple vessels with strong graceful profiles.” Federico regards her newest pieces as a “distillation of tradition”. She has been influenced by historical pottery, from Oriental pots, to Greek vases, as well as Italian and French folkware. Her biggest influence, however, is from English potter Lucie Rie. “I looked at her pot forms and learned to make wide bellies with small feet, tall necks with flaming lips. [She] has taught me to look past surface decoration, to see the form.” Both critics and collectors alike are drawn to Alice Federico’s work. In The New Republic, Jed Perl described her interest in surfaces as having “an old-fashioned natural authority, which she sets in tension with forms that have a modern vigor and even aggressiveness.” Alice Federico has exhibited at galleries and museums throughout the United States, as well as internationally in France, Japan, and New Zealand. She has been a summer resident at the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in Helena, Montana, and was chosen by the juror, Mark Pharis, for the exhibition Pots: Objects of Virtue. She currently lives and works in New York City and Sullivan County, New York. This is Alice Federico’s second solo exhibition at the Gallery.
Books and DVDs related to artists in this show
|
 | |||||||||||||||
|
© 2005-2008 chelseaartgalleries.com | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
| Site Map |
