Currently on view at SHAHEEN Modern and Contemporary Art in Cleveland, Ohio is a solo exhibition of work by Craig Kucia, entitled we left with our hearts tired. Kucia's paintings offer entree into a dreamy land of nostalgia, memory and curiosity-- a virtual huddle of memories rendered in bright crayola hues. He renders scenes that appear innocent and playful at first, because of their cheery palette and storybook imagery, but we soon find that within the paintings hide layers of deeper meaning and even somber sensibilities. The quirky titles paired with the paintings will most often confound you if your goal is to use them as a reference point for deeper understanding into what is offered visually. Taken from lines that the artist has overheard in conversation or song, or read throughout the years, the seemingly nonsensical phrases are works of art in and of themselves, rather than simple captions for the paintings they give name to. They are poetic pieces, almost designating Kucia's paintings multi-media by offering another layer to their construction. We left with our hearts tired is on view through June 5th.
Craig Kucia studied art at the Chelsea School of Art in London and the Cleveland Institute of Art in Cleveland, Ohio. He received his MFA at the Edinburgh College of Art in Edinburgh, Scotland. His work is in the permanent collections of the Miami Museum of Art and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia. He has exhibited at Kevin Bruk Gallery, Miami; Blum & Poe, in their Santa Monica space; Marlborough Chelsea, New York and Roberts & Tilton, Los Angeles, among others.
No comments:
Post a Comment