LOS ANGELES, CA.- Kopeikin Gallery is presenting Time Echo, a collaboration between Bay Area painter Kirsten Tradowsky and gallery owner Paul Kopeikin. This is a very special exhibition for the gallery since the Kopeikin Gallery is presenting for the first time original oil paintings by Tradowsky depicting scenes of everyday life she chose from Paul Kopeikin’s sizable collection of vernacular photography. Each oil painting is be exhibited alongside its photographic pair. The exhibition opened on Saturday, June 2nd and continues through July 14th.
This is a natural collaboration for artist Kirsten Tradowsky as she has always painted from discarded snapshots that are thrown into the world for anyone to claim. She is taken by, how throughout time, people photograph similar themes: showing off a new car, a group photo with friends in the yard, a holiday on the beach, or the occasional photo of a shy friend in the corner. For Paul Kopeikin, who has always collected vernacular photography from the Rose Bowl Flea Market and other places Tradwosky is a perfect match for his gallery.
“I edit every photograph by painting the elements I find most interesting, turning the image into a reference point. Then, in the process of painting, I often diminish the specifics of the people and places. I do this to mimic our mind’s memory, where we forget details but hang on to how we felt in certain moments. I also use brush marks and color to create a mood, overstating or understating certain elements, so my paintings can act as passageways through which viewers can step into their own pasts.” --Kirsten Tradowsky
Tradowsky paints in a very fresh and juicy style brimming with nostalgia and a bow to the mid 60’s & 70’s. Think 1970’s sitcom “the Brady Bunch” or a vintage “Julia” Lunchbox. The artworks are steeped in memories, fashion and American culture depicting a simpler time when toys were mechanized, cars enormous and the fashions were true 70’s style. Tradowsky’s paintings are irresistible, fresh, seductive and charming.
Kirsten Tradowsky has been exhibited throughout the United States, including Tinlark Gallery in Los Angeles and Red Dot Art Fair in New York. She earned a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art and an MFA from the California College of the Arts. She currently works in San Francisco.
