Kenney Mencher's "Lovers & Liars" Opening Reception January 18, 2008

Kenney Mencher: Lovers & Liars
January 14 – March 1, 2008

Opening Reception: Friday January 18, 7-10pm
Kenney Mencher solo show of narrative oil paintings filled with humor and enigma at Varnish Fine Art

California-based artist and art history professor Kenney Mencher knows what it’s like to be at the center of controversy stemming from his artwork. Although Mencher does not intend to upset, past controversy has indeed buttressed proof of his success at probing the unconscious with oil on canvas. These provocative slice-of-life paintings in a Realist style always tell a story with cryptic scenes, requiring viewers to dream up their own interpretations. This challenge prompts the question of who is bringing controversial notions to the party—the viewer or Mencher. He makes a point, but deftly balances this with viewer imagination, humor and mystery.

“You can tell an awful lot about a person by the stories they make up when looking at my paintings,” says Mencher. “I think of my paintings as a kind of ‘commedia del arte’ in paint.” Influenced by film, comic books, illustrators such as Rockwell, Wyeth and Howard Pyle, and pulp novel cover art, Mencher approaches painting like a puzzle that screams to be solved. Working on several themes at once, he ties them together with a strong narrative and a bit of humor too. Kenney has shown extensively in the US for the past 20 years, but Lovers & Liars marks his first showing at Varnish Fine Art.

*Varnish is a 21+ only venue. No Children or Babies allowed.

Official Website: http://varnishfineart.com