Anna Kunz: The Tide

Berggruen Gallery is pleased to announce The Tide, an exhibition of recent paintings and works on paper by American artist, Anna Kunz. This show marks her first solo exhibition with the gallery. The Tide will be on view from January 12 through February 18, 2023. The gallery will host a reception for the artist on Thursday, January 19, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. 

In this recent body of work, Anna Kunz advances her exploration of the intricate relationship between color, light, and the sensorial human experience. Soft, watery geometric forms of organic shades billow and stretch across canvas and paper. Thoughtful experimentations with color and shape unearth the natural, kinesthetic qualities of abstraction. Kunz adeptly enlists the power of paint, ink, and pastel to communicate themes of regeneration and engagement, emphasizing the joyful interplay between viewer and environment.

Kunz's newest body of work is rooted in a fondness for the Bay Area and its diverse environs. The artist takes inspiration from the distinct impressions of San Francisco: the powerful movement of its surrounding waters, the sauntering arrival and dissipation of the morning fog, and the captivating contrast of organic elements featured in its various flourishing gardens. Taking visual cues from the city's iconic landscape and cultural history, Kunz uses a sophisticated language of color and form to create works in dialogue with nature. 

Kunz's paintings are complexly abstract, maintaining a staunch sense of tangibility despite their conceptual nature. Her layered, translucent bands of vibrant pigments graze each other to create ambient, experiential works. These tremendous washes of color invite the viewer to imbue the work with their own emotional effect, reflecting the value Kunz places on an individual's ability to transform the narrative of the piece. Extrapolating upon relationships between artist and artwork, artwork and observer, and humans and nature, Kunz's acquaintance with the elements is prevalent through her work. While monumental in stature, Kunz's oceanic color fields create an intimate, cerebral space where human comportment is deeply considered, and movement, color, and depth are invitations to immersive moments of profound contemplation. 

In Embers, Kunz employs vertical and horizontal gatherings of saturated pigments to complete her composition. Displayed in thick, mottled banners of color, cool-toned taupes and cerulean blues intermingle with sunlit hues of vermilion, peach, and amber, endowing the piece with an effervescent golden aura. The works' luring spirit of mysticism works in tandem with the viewers' intuition to communicate far-reaching narratives of renewal and transformation. There is a harmonious sense of familiarity to Embers, one that establishes connection and the engaging sociality of art as critical to our evolution. 

Perhaps one of the most salient works of the show, High Tide, typifies Kunz's approach to making art. Undulating bands of teal, moss and seafoam green envelop vertically skewed belts of apricot and lavender. Continuing themes of cosmic change escalate as tessellating shapes of varying colors interact and shake hands, underscoring the significance of their juxtaposition. As one color alters the perception of those beside it, the interactive qualities of the piece speak to the power of form and light. Analogously, the presence of a viewer's body markedly contributes to the meaning of the piece. It is through these immersive experiences that Kunz's ruminative consideration of the experiential becomes explicit. 

Anna Kunz was born in Chicago, Illinois, where she continues to live and work. After receiving her BFA from the Art Institute of Chicago, Kunz went on to complete her MFA at Northwestern University, eventually attending the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Skowhegan, Maine. Her works on paper, paintings, installations, and other compositions have been exhibited in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, New York, Madrid, and Poland. Kunz's work has also been included in numerous public and private collections. 

Kunz is the recipient of multiple awards and accolades, including nominations from 3Arts, Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation, Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Emerging Artist award from the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Artadia Chicago, Rema Hort-Mann Foundation's Individual Artists Grant, and The Joan Mitchell Foundation in 2020. She has been awarded numerous artist residencies, including the Golden Family Foundation Residency, Edward Albee Foundation Residency, the Space Program at Marie Sharpe Walsh Foundation and the Roger Brown Artist Residency. 

The Tide, January 12 – February 18, 2023. On view at 10 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. Images and preview are available upon request. For all inquiries, please contact the gallery by phone (415) 781-4629 or by email info@berggruen.com.