NEW YORK, NY.- Almine Rech announced the representation of iconic American artist Kenny Scharf, and his inaugural solo exhibition of new paintings at Almine Rech New York this fall.
Opening September 10, Kenny Scharf: Dystopian Painting will debut 15 paintings and a sculpture by Scharf, showcasing the energy and depth of his singular artistic practice. The artist’s new body of work reflects his continued immersion in the everyday life of urban society and circumstances of our time, blending quotidian and deeply relevant themes within the framework of his bright, frenetic canvases and enduring optimism.
Kenny Scharf (b. 1958, United States) is a renowned artist affiliated with the 1980’s East Village Art movement in New York. Alongside his mentor Andy Warhol, and contemporaries Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, Scharf developed a distinct and uniquely personal artistic style. References to popular culture reoccur throughout his works, such as appropriated cartoon characters from the Flintstones and Jetsons, as well as imagined anthropomorphic creatures. Through ecstatic compositions and a dazzling color palette, Scharf presents an immersive viewing experience that is both intimate and fresh. Scharf’s multifaceted practice—spanning painting, sculpture, installation work, murals, performance and fashion—reflects his dedication to the creation of dynamic forms of art that deconstruct existing artistic hierarchies, echoing the philosophy of Pop artists. Yet Scharf’s artistic significance expands beyond the art historical terrain of Pop Art; the artist instead coined the term “Pop Surrealist” to describe his one-of-a-kind practice. His inclusion in the 1985 Whitney Biennial marked the start of his international phenomenon, a reputation that continues to thrive today.
Scharf has had major solo exhibitions throughout the United States, notably at the Nassau County Museum of Art, New York (2016); Hammer Museum, Los Angeles (2015); Portland Art Museum, Oregon (2015); Pasadena Museum of California Art, Los Angeles (2004); Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (1999); Miami Center for the Fine Arts, Florida (1996); and Queens Museum of Art, New York (1991); among others.
His works are in the collection of prominent institutions across the world, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; Museum Ludwig, Germany; Stedelijk Museum, Holland; Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Monterrey (MARCO), Mexico; Museu de Arte Moderna, Brazil; Sogetsu Museum, Japan; and many others. Scharf was born in Hollywood, California in 1958. He graduated from the School of Visual Arts, New York, in the 1970s. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California.
