Koplin Del Rio

November 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kenny Harris: A Month in Istanbul
Exhibition Dates: January 9 – February 20, 2010
Artist Remarks followed by Reception: Saturday, January 9, 2009, 5:30 – 8:00 pm
Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Friday: 10:00 am – 5:30 pm; Saturday: 11:00 am – 5:30 pm
Public Contact: 310-836-9055

Koplin Del Rio is pleased to announce its first solo exhibition of work by noted Los Angeles painter Kenny Harris.

Known for a luscious impasto palette and refined light, Harris’ newest series chronicles a month spent in the Fall of 2009 in Istanbul, Turkey. As with past projects, the recent work is the result of Harris’ exploration of an alluring locale. Harris rented a flat overlooking the Bosphorus, Golden Horn and the Old City then set to work traversing the city, painting and drawing on site. Not interested in the exotic aspects of Istanbul, as many of the Orientalists were, he sought solitary moments of light events, reflection, ancient stones, and architectural spaces. The visual facets of the work were found in the streets, the Mosques, odd interiors, and the views of the old city.

The resulting body of work echoes Harris’ fascination with the complicated city – its ghosts of the Ottoman glory and collapse, monuments to the Republic and recent Westernization. Harris was particularly taken with the visually arresting dichotomy between the post-war European architecture, Mosques, and Ottoman Pashas. These divergent elements come together in the painting Domes and Minarettes at Dawn featuring European red tile roofs alongside striking architectural relics. Walking in the footsteps of many artists before him, Harris was keenly aware of their shared inspiration while viewing the reproductions of old etchings scattered throughout the city - with many of the same scenes unwittingly appearing in his own paintings. A Month in Istanbul is Harris’ homage to a city dense with history, architecture, culture and immense beauty.

Kenny Harris is an MFA mentor at the Laguna College of Art and Design in Laguna, California. He studied at the Charles Cecil Studios in Florence, Italy and the Art Students League in New York under Frank Mason. His work has been featured in solo exhibitions in Los Angeles and New York. His shows have received critical praise from Artweek, Whitehot Magazine, and Angeleno Magazine.

For further information or photos, please contact Ronald De Angelis at (310) 836-9055.