Monday 15 December 2008

Paintings by Kenneth Le Riche

We closed 2008 with an exhibition of stunning work by Kenneth Le Riche.

Below: The Unbearable Likeness of Being
Oil on canvas
60" x 48"



"The Unbearable Likeness of Being" is a misquotation of Milan Kundera's book 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being'. This was the book that the young woman in the painting was reading when the idea for the piece was first thought up. I have chosen to use this misquote for two reasons: as a reference to what the woman was reading and thus where she was in her imagination as the idea was composed, and also as a comment on how in relationships there can be tension and discontent when the two parties concerned can feel too alike and each others' behaviour too predictable. In arguably a misguided way, both parties consequently look outside the relationship for contentment. In the painting I wanted to create an ambiguous psychological narrative. Kenneth Le Riche

Kenneth trained and lived in New York, where he adquired his outstanding figurative technique. 9 months after this exhibition his words "realism is the new avante-garde" served me for the introduction of an exhibition called "Beyond Realism", organised for Colours Gallery in collaboration with Spanish gallery Artelibre. What is remarkable is that one the participating Spanish artists: Aranzazu Martinez, had trained with Kenneth in New York...
It's a small world after all!

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