Tom McKinley

John Berggruen Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of new paintings by California-based artist Tom McKinley. This exhibition will be on view October 30 - December 5, 2012. John Berggruen Gallery will host a reception for the artist on Tuesday, October 30 between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. 

Tom McKinley's paintings present alluring but richly mysterious depictions of classic mid-century and contemporary domestic architecture. People are rare in his paintings, as are objects that suggest their habitation. Instead we are presented with carefully chosen objects of material culture that suggest occupants but reveal little about them except their desire to acquire beauty. Commodities of taste present in his work include furniture of iconic modern design and high-ticket works of contemporary art. He meticulously recreates paintings by such artists as Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney, Richard Diebenkorn, and Alex Katz. McKinley is no less an astute curator of contemporary sculpture in his choices of works by Joel Shapiro, Barry Flanagan, and Alexander Calder. The results of his efforts are highly evocative and finely rendered canvases that skillfully draw viewers into a world that is both representational and quietly surreal.

Tom McKinley was born in Bay City, Michigan, and was educated in both Europe at the Brighton Polytechnic, Ravensbourne College of Art, London, and the Falmouth School of Art and in the United States at Goddard College in Vermont. This is his sixth solo exhibition at John Berggruen Gallery. McKinley currently lives and works in the San Francisco area.