Opening reception: Friday, November 20th from 6 to 8 pm
Featuring musical performances by The Dabbers and Lion Cut
Quint Contemporary Art is pleased to exhibit new paintings by San Diego based artist Kelsey
Brookes. The exhibition, BIGGER, BRIGHTER, BOLDER will be on view from November 20th
through December 19th, 2009. This will be the artists first solo exhibition with Quint
Contemporary Art. An opening reception will be held on Friday, November 20th from 6 to 8 PM
and will include musical performances by The Dabbers and Lion Cut.
San Diego based artist, Kelsey Brookes, presents a fresh body of work that displays a strong and
unique interplay with figure, abstract forms and text. Brookes’ new work increases the sense of
awe and wonder found in his signature style by demonstrating a “loosening” of the figure –
where once the female forms had sharply defined contours and rendered details, they are now
symbolic canvases for his seemingly limitless constellation of brightly colored micro scenes and
characters. The work presents a captivating aura – from afar the small characters, shapes and
patterns read as a more or less abstract swirl of color. Up close, the characters engage in all sorts
of activity rewarding the careful viewer with a clear sense of joy.
The works in this exhibition represent personal meditations on spirituality and humanity. In the
artist’s own words, his ‘work draws influence from Hindu and Buddhist deities, exotic animals
and sex, as well as rustic American quilts.’ This plethora of reference points is usually executed
with a central figure surrounded with an aura of objects, animals and plants. The work in this
exhibition also showcases the artist’s fascination with literary works and words, which are
incorporated in a very beautifully poetic and painterly approach. Brookes also draws reference
from the British painter Francis Bacon with painterly splashes of color leaving raw bold marks
on the canvas.
Brookes has been featured in numerous pop culture and design publications such as GQ, Modern
Painters, Paper, Juxtapoz, Beautiful Decay, Dazed and Confused, RE:UP, and HUCK. The artist
has also teamed up for illustration work with the likes of RVCA, VANS, and Insight 51 as well
as musical sensation Grand Ole Party.
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