I want to leave the studio feeling unsettled, not quite sure of a color relationship or a big blank area or some marks and words I've put on the canvas. Almost without fail, the following morning, I'm glad I left the painting alone to be argued with fresh, older eyes.
RSVP for opening night on February 15th from 5-7pm.
NEWPORT BEACH, CA - Kennedy Contemporary is proud to announce a solo exhibition by Laguna Beach artist, Chris Gwaltney. This will be Gwaltney's second solo exhibition with the gallery and will remain on display from February 7th through March 10th, 2024.
Chris Gwaltney is renowned for challenging the conventions of traditional abstract art, and his most recent collection continues this trend. In his latest showcase, PARAMETERS, Gwaltney establishes specific guidelines to limit the perceived 'freedom' associated with abstraction. For the upcoming February exhibition, a key parameter dictates that the influence of a mixed color can only be altered in relation to its neighboring color, tone, or hue.
For the past three decades, in every series of paintings, Gwaltney has employed some small, yet important, rules that he feels are foundational to the completed pieces. "No color exists in a vacuum," says Gwaltney. "The viewer's eye moves according to how strong or minimal the contrast between the colors are… I mix up colors with the intention of not altering them once they're on the canvas. I place a color then decide on its adjacent color. No fussing allowed. It's a way of testing myself, like tightroping without a net."
Holding a BFA and MFA from the California State University, Fullerton, Gwaltney's decades long career has garnered an international following and his works reside in numerous public and private collections. He currently resides in Laguna Beach.
"I want to leave the studio feeling unsettled, not quite sure of a color relationship or a big blank area or some marks and words I've put on the canvas. Almost without fail, the following morning, I'm glad I left the painting alone to be argued with fresh, older eyes. When you allow a mistake to stay, when something that would have bothered you five years ago becomes the element you're most pleased with in the work, you've grown." Chris Gwaltney
To register your interest in previewing this exhibition, please email <info@kennedycontemporary.com>
