PRESS RELEASE
Bret Slater
Nov 21, 2015 – Jan 2, 2016
Holly Johnson Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of an exhibition of new paintings by BRET SLATER on November 21. The exhibition of ten works continues through January 2. An opening reception for the artist will be held on Saturday, November 21, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Bret Slater's small format works are fresh and direct. With rounded corners, thick supports, and paint extending beyond the edges - they are more like objects with an attitude than traditional painting. When viewing the works one experiences an immediate feeling of familiarity and intimacy - could be their shape, could be their colors. The pouring and application of brilliantly colored paints and pigments achieves a level of plasticity with astonishing immediacy. Their vibrant tones radiate with intensity. The emotional impact and physical presence is reminiscent of some current trends in American painting, as well as American Pop Art.
Slater explains, "My work is about painting as object, and it can embody the essence of life, of a living being somehow. It's a living, nonliving inanimate being. Like us, each painting grows into its individuality...simple but nuanced, sophisticated yet clumsy."
Bret Slater (b. 1987, Bronx, NY) received a Bachelor of Fine Art degree in 2009 from Purchase College, SUNY, Purchase, NY, and a Masters of Fine Art degree in 2011 from the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University, Dallas. The artist currently resides in New York City.
The artist's work is in the permanent collections of the Dallas Museum of Art and the Indianapolis Museum of Art. His work has been included in numerous reviews and articles such as; The New Yorker, The New York Observer, Modern Painters, D Magazine, NPR, F/D Luxe: The Dallas Morning News, Glasstire, Modern Luxury, Patron Magazine, Artforum online, and The Huffington Post.
Holly Johnson Gallery in the Design District is located at 1845 Levee Street; Suite #100 in Dallas, Texas 75207. Gallery hours are Tuesday - Saturday from 11am to 5 pm. For more information call 214-369-0169, email info@hollyjohnsongallery.com, or visit the website at www.hollyjohnsongallery.com.