SOLD!

Michal Zaborowski's front cover painting, After the Race [oil on canvas, 59''x32'', 2007] has been sold! Congratulations to the lucky buyers! But don't worry, there are still 11 Zaborowski paintings left to be sold from now until the end of the show. Spread the word...

Artist Feature 1: Michal Zaborowski

Welcome to the Artist Feature section of the Nevin Kelly Gallery blog. Join me every week as I muse on one of our gallery's artists (either Polish or local/emerging), introducing their work(s) to this blog's dedicated readers here in Washington DC and beyond. Should you have any feedback, please leave a comment under the specific entry and I will get definitely get back to you. Please note that from now until November 11th, the closing date of the H20 exhibition, I will be blogging solely about Zaborowski's various paintings.

Glass of Water, Oil on Canvas, 55'' x 32'', 2007

There is a lot that can be said about the presence of water in Zaborowski's romantic paintings that were selected for this exhibition. Sometimes it's subtle, other times overwhelming. In Glass of Water, Zaborowski's rendering of the human figure dominates the canvas so much that the presence of water, found in the cocktail glass and tightly grasped by the woman's right hand, is almost camouflaged into the soft, gray background. Instead, the focus is found on the woman's face, which seems to be the only element that is properly proportioned compared to the rest of the body. Her eyes stare out into space and meet yours if you stand at an angle, to the right of the painting.

Standing in the presence of this woman makes you wonder who she is, where she comes from and what she is currently engaged in at this very moment. Pictured from a sideways profile, with her legs propped up on a wooden stool, sitting in what appears to be a traditional armchair, one can surmise one of many things. Perhaps she just returned from an evening out on the town (cocktail party, dancing under the moonlight, romantic dinner?), evident by the elegant blue and white dress hanging off her body and the black stiletto pumps dangling off her feet. There is a garment of some sort draped on the back of the chaise, perhaps a quilted, fancy overcoat that provided warmth to her exhausted, far from perfect body on the way home. Her left arm is allowing her to stretch a bit while glancing to the other side of the room. She seems to be awaiting the arrival of someone or something - but who? The darker, square-like shade of muddy gray oil paint lends no blatant clue to this mystery: for all we know, she could be expecting her lover or simply the her maid to freshen her drink. Most importantly, she hides nothing.

Like Titan's Venus of Urbino, I believe Glass of Water was painted to exude the purposeful, sensual beauty of the female figure (but not in a provocative way). There is a blatant sense of honesty that is rendered in his painting and a simple narrative that is to be told. No matter where our curious imaginations may take us, it might be worth considering this woman as the "reclining nude" of the 21st century - who does not have perfect bodily proportions yet expects viewers to accept her as she is. She has no shame, and shows her fair yet strong legs off proudly. And as for the glass of water she is clutching in her right hand? It could serve as her weapon of defense for anyone who dares to mess with her honest, beautiful self.

Meet NKG's New Employee

Meet our new Gallery Assistant Laura Kuah! Laura has her Master’s in Art and Museum Studies from Georgetown University. She spent eight months studying and working abroad in London and Milan. Laura has a strong interest in contemporary art that creates a new conversation, seeks to think outside the box, and looks to the past for inspiration. We are thrilled to have Laura as a new addition to our team. Please stop by sometime and meet her!

Laura in front of Michal Zaborowski’s “Turkish Carpet”

Michal Zaborowski "H2O" Opens

Thursday evening the gallery welcomed Michal Zaborowski from Poland for the opening of his exhibition "H2O". The artist arrived weary from his travels on Wednesday but was ready to greet the many guests who attended the event. Michal's work was met with enthusiasm by the crowd which included many from the Polish community. Michal Zaborowski, “H2O” will be on view through November 4, 2007.

Opening October 11

Polish painter Michal Zaborowski* will travel to Washington from his home in Warsaw, Poland to attend the opening of his solo exhibition of new works at the gallery. The reception will be held on Thursday, October 11 from 6 until 9 p.m. The exhibition is called "H20" and features paintings that depict human interaction with water.

Zaborowski's romantic impressionistic style has made him a gallery favorite. See images of select works on our website: http://www.nevinkellygallery.com/artists/zaborowski.htm, and please stop by Thursday evening to meet the artist in person. The show will run through November 4, 2007.

*pronounced MEE-how zah-bo-ROFE-ski

Above: Swimming Pool, 2007, oil on canvas, 32" x 59"

Peer Pressure Reviewed

Thanks to Lynne Venart for her intelligent review of the Peer Pressure exhibition on DCist today. The show is up through October 7. Above is an image of Pascual Sisto's 2 channel installation "No Strings Attached." Below is an image of one of Carrie Mallory's Untitled chromira prints. Read the review here.

Peer Pressure Opens

Congratulations to local artist Thom Flynn on his curatorial debut here at the gallery (and his inclusion in the A.U. alumni show at Katzen Arts Center last evening). Thom's show, featuring 4 of the the young artists he admires most, opened last night to an enthusiastic audience. "Peer Pressure" exhibits works by DC artists Carrie Mallory and Baby Martinez (a 2007 Sondheim Prize finalist) and by L.A. artists Sue Huang and Pascual Sisto, both graduates of UCLA's Media Arts program. One of Sisto's works consists of video loops showing a plastic garden chair being batted around by unseen forces. Mallory, Martinez and Huang each manipulated the environment around them for brief moments of special charm that survive only in the photograph record made available for the exhibit.

"Peer Pressure" will be on view through October 7th.

Last Chance for "Murmur"; "Peer Pressure" Opens 9/8

Mary Chiaramonte's "Murmur" series has been very well received. The show ends this Sunday, Sept. 2. Local artist Thom Flynn curates "Peer Pressure," a group show of video, photography and conceptual art by DC artists Baby Martinez and Carrie Mallory and LA artists Pascual Sisto and Sue Huang. The show opens with a reception on Saturday, September 8, from 6 to 9 p.m. It ends October 7. Email invitations going out soon. Please stop by to see these two shows.

All Eyes on Mary Chiaramonte’s “Murmur” Series

We are getting a great response to Mary Chiaramonte’s “Murmur” series and wanted to share some of the press with you from the Examiner and washingtonpost.com.

Thank you to Robin Tierney for highlighting the exhibition in Thursday’s Examiner and to Chris Klimek for his thoughtful article in the Art Life section of the Examiner’s Weekend edition.

And to Julia Beizer of washingtonpost.com who included the show in the Going Out Gurus blog.

The exhibition will be on view August 1- September 2, 2007.
Opening Reception Thursday, August 9 from 6 until 8 pm

Recent Work by Laurel Hausler

Another talented artist featured in the March “Women’s Work” exhibition, Laurel Hausler, brought some of her recent haunting and mysterious works to share with us that we now have on display in the gallery. In addition to a few of her paintings, we have two lithographs and four mixed media constructions which incorporate found objects and handmade dolls contained in wooden crates.

Top: Laurel Hausler, Blue Bottle Box, 2007, mixed media (found objects/handmade dolls), 12" x 15"
Bottom: Laurel Hausler, The Pilings, 2007, painted lithograph, 16" x 19"