OBJECT PERMANENCE
CONTEMPOR ARY STILL LIFE PAINTING
OBJECT PERMANENCE CONTEMPOR ARY STILL LIFE PAINTING
M
ovements in art have come and gone over the past five-hundred years, yet the genre of still life has remained ever-present. Based in a rich tradition which emphasizes adept artistry and perceptual acumen, the success of the still life relies on the ability of the artist to faithfully re-present his subject while at the same time create an artwork that reveals more than simply the objects depicted. This selection of painters, Michael Beck, David De Biasio, James Hollingsworth, Ottorino De Lucchi, Bo Markenholm and Conor Walton, build upon this history, creating hauntingly realistic tributes to truth, beauty, and the sublimity of the human experience. Still lifes are more than solely works of beauty; historically the genre has always reflected the contemporary values of its society. This exhibition highlights this introspection, with each artist creating specific, yet timeless, tributes to the world we live in. The paintings are self-reflective, combining traditional ideas of vanitas with contemporary concerns—revealing that life, objects, and even the artworks themselves are transient. These concepts emerge in De Biasio’s lush oils of ripened fruits paired with artifacts of man-made detritus, which serve to anchor them firmly in the current day. Beck’s objects have had lives, not only hinting at the untold stories of their past, but also making space for themselves in our collective sentimental psyche, creating underpinnings of social and political themes in his version of deteriorating nostalgia. Conor Walton’s “bread and butter” paintings also examine the vanitas tradition while his more allegorical compositions hint at ecologic and economic attitudes. Ottorino De Lucchi’s exquisite dry brush watercolors as well as Bo Markenholm and James Hollinsgworth’s faultless oils, explore ideas of abundance and the pristine through a contrasting minimalistic model.
The success of these works comes from the artists’ ability to truly observe—to see their subjects not simply as moments in time, but as symbols for something beyond the ordinary. Still life continues to be an essential, and ever-evolving genre. This is attributable to the ambitious and forward-thinking works presented in this exhibition. Through their keen observation and impeccable skill, these five artists are progressing the genre, and painting as a media, into the future.
CK Contemporary
Contents David De Biasio
4
Michael Beck
14
Ottorino De Lucchi
22
James Neil Hollingsworth
34
Conor Walton
36
Bo Markenholm
46
David De Biasio
David De Biasio
#154
Oil on linen
39 1/2 x 51 inches
David De Biasio
#150
Oil on linen
35 1/2 x 58 3/4 inches
David De Biasio
#153
Oil on linen
57 x 72 inches
David De Biasio
#155
Oil on linen
39 1/2 x 52 inches
David De Biasio
#146
Oil on linen
24 x 39 1/2 inches
David De Biasio
#149
Oil on linen
20 x 39 1/2 inches
David De Biasio
#148
Oil on linen
20 x 39 1/2 inches
David De Biasio
#143
Oil on linen
31 1/2 x 59 inches
David De Biasio
#151
Oil on linen
24 x 39 1/2 inches
David De Biasio
#152
Oil on linen
39 1/4 x 78 1/2 inches
Michael Beck
Michael Beck
Sue’s Sweet Ride
Oil on canvas
47 x 126 inches
Michael Beck
Product Placement
Oil on canvas
17 x 45 inches
Michael Beck
She’s Going Places
Oil on canvas
38 x 44 inches
Michael Beck
Sunday in the Park
Oil on canvas
55 x 55 inches
Michael Beck
Move That Mountain
Oil on canvas
22 x 32 inches
Michael Beck
Dump It
Oil on canvas
13 1/2 x 20 1/2 inches
Michael Beck
Michael Beck
Father’s Big Dream
Granny’s Day Off
oil on canvas
Oil on canvas
10 x 22 inches
16 x 24 inches
Michael Beck
Over the River and Through the Woods
Oil on canvas
9 x 25 inches
Ottorino De Lucchi
Ottorino De Lucchi
Ancora Novembre
Drybrush watercolor on panel
19 1/2 x 15 3/4 inches
Ottorino De Lucchi
Giorno della Prima Comunione
Drybrush watercolor on panel
19 1/2 x 15 3/4 inches
Ottorino De Lucchi
Giorno di Pasqua
Drybrush watercolor on panel
16 x 19 1/2 inches
Ottorino De Lucchi
Primi di Ottobre
Drybrush watercolor on panel
14 1/4 x 20 inches
Ottorino De Lucchi
Ciliegie
Drybrush watercolor on panel
16 x 19 1/2 inches
Ottorino De Lucchi
Inizio d’Inverno
Drybrush watercolor on panel
14 3/8 x 20 inches
Ottorino De Lucchi
Raccolta d’Autunno
Drybrush watercolor on panel
15 3/4 x 23 1/2 inches
Ottorino De Lucchi
Verso l’Autunno
Drybrush watercolor on board
9 3/4 x 11 3/4 inches
Ottorino De Lucchi
Primo Autunno
Drybrush watercolor on panel
14 1/4 x 14 1/4 inches
Ottorino De Lucchi
Calda Estate
Drybrush watercolor on board
10 x 14 3/8 inches
Ottorino De Lucchi
Inzio d’Ottobre
Drybrush watercolor on board
14 3/8 x 20 inches
Ottorino De Lucchi
Vicini all’Inverno
Drybrush watercolor on board
14 3/8 x 20 inches
James Neil Hollingsworth
James Neil Hollingsworth
Carnival Ride
Oil on canvas
12 x 12 inches
James Neil Hollingsworth
Metropolitan
Oil on panel
24 x 24 inches
Conor Walton
Conor Walton
A Thoroughly Modern Danae
Oil on canvas
18 x 24 1/4 inches
Conor Walton
The Barbarians at the Gates
Oil on canvas
19 3/4 x 23 3/4 inches
Conor Walton
Keeping Things in Perspective
Oil on linen
20 x 24 inches
Conor Walton
Count Your Blessings
Oil on canvas
12 1/4 x 20 inches
Conor Walton
Cake
Oil on canvas
10 x 14 inches
Conor Walton Bunch of Grapes Oil on linen
12 x 9 inches
Conor Walton Green Grapes Oil on canvas 14 x 10 inches
Conor Walton
Sourdough Loaf
Oil on canvas
12 x 16 inches
Conor Walton
Butter
Oil on canvas
8 x 12 inches
Conor Walton
Easy Peelers
Oil on canvas
16 x 12 inches
Conor Walton
Three Tomatoes
Oil on canvas
16 x 12 inches
Bo Markenholm
Bo Markenholm
Yellows and Greens
Oil on canvas
29 1/2 x 29 1/2 inches
Bo Markenholm
Stones
Oil on canvas
19 3/4 x 19 3/4 inches
CK Contemporary 357 G E A RY S T R E E T
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