This work is by Paul Fenniak, raised in Alberta, trained in Montreal, now based in New York, heralded for his exquisite, hyper-realistic paintings. This piece is in a group exhibition of large paintings (called Big Stories) at the Bo Bartlett Centre in Georgia through mid-December.
Fenniak’s subjects are contemporary in setting but reminiscent of studied portraits of the past, notes New York’s Forum Gallery, which represents him. Fenniak’s paintings “have luminous surfaces and compelling images that offer a combination of disquiet, uncertainty, urgency, calm, and spirituality. “
Go to this Instagram post to see how Fenniak describes the inspiration for A Crowd in Shadow, set in Reykjavik during demonstrations in response to the market crash of 2008.
Browse Paul Fenniak’s work at the Forum Gallery, here.
Paul Fenniak’s website, here.
His biography, here.
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Wow there is a lot going on in that painting!
Yes there is, true. I thought the same thing when I first saw it. But I think the individual elements of the painting probably pop and are easier to see when it’s viewed at its full dimensions (as it would be on a wall in the Big Stories exhibition where it’s showing now). The painting is 64 x 80 inches, pretty big for a painting. Thanks for your comment (and that astute observation).
Very interesting, the first painting immediately made me think of “Les Miserables.”
Yes, I also got that vibe. Haven’t seen a crowd (in this case a protest) brought to life like that in a long while.
Well, it looks like a photo brought to life… doesn’t it?