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Merkl has taken his 25 years experience as a painter and private investigator to create unique figurative compositions, combining Renaissance group portraiture and imagination-based characters with observations gathered through investigative and personal interactions.
The paintings explore the deepest issues of the figurative pictorial: the dynamics of relationships between and among people, and the extent of the viewers involvement as component or observer. The action toys with narration while breaking into new, non-narrative strategies and anti-illustrationist techniques.
Viewers are confronted with involvement in the “Situations” or may simply observe and weigh conclusions. The paintings introduce insights and possibilities into our small, daily actions and most significant moments, leaving the viewer to conjecture.
Watch a video of Pierre Merkl at his studio.
Solo Shows:
Gallery Asto, Los Angeles; “Situations” & “Visitors to the World’s Fair”, April, 2005
ICAN Gallery, San Francisco; “Situations”, “Visitors to the World’s Fair” & “Compositions”, 2004
Group Exhibitions:
San Francisco, CA:
Lola Gallery, “Hibernia of the New Millennium” & “Selections”, 2004
Varnish Gallery, “Gallery Artists”, 2004
The Shooting Gallery, “Tiki Art Now”, 2004
ICAN Gallery, “SF Artists for moveon.org”, 2004
World Trade Center Memorial Competition, 2004; see wtcsitememorial.org
111 Minna Gallery, “Sci-Fi Western”, 2003
SOMARTS Gallery, “Print Internationale”, 2001; “Nine Lives”, 2000
Crucible Steel Gallery / Cell Space, “Salon Show”, 2000
San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, “The Art of Burning Man,” 1998
New York City, NY: Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC), 2003
Los Angeles, CA: Gallery Asto, Los Angeles; 2004
Reno,, NV: Burning Man Center Camp Gallery, 2000
Bruka Theater Gallery, Reno, Nevada; “The Art of Burning Man”, 1999
International: Jeju International Free Art Festival 2004, Jeju, Korea (Annual)
Performances: New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles venues & at Burning Man Event. Performer and panelist at New York’s Lincoln Center in 1999
Video art performances, including ‘Dog’ Swan’s “Weekend Hippie” and Dale Hoyt’s “Diary of Anne Frank” (collection, NYMOMA)
Bodies of Work “Situations”: Conceptual figurative oil paintings evolving from classical group portraiture.
“Visitors to the World’s Fair”: Colorful, reductivist abstraction w/imagined, expressive faces.
“Encounters”: Series of “two hour” confrontational portraits in oil mounted as sculpture.
“Compositions”: ‘Abstract Humanist’ paintings in oil and watercolor.
“Triumphs of Life”: Millennium and Mantegna inspired abstracted figurative oil & watercolors.
“Celebrity & Professional Portraiture”: Portrait series of artists, writers and by commission.
Resume: Born & raised in New York City and Boston. Self-directed art education. New York University; Windham College, Vermont (BA); CCSF; Leighton Studio, S.F.; and individual study at national and international museums. Instructors have included Peter Forakis, Charles Ginnever, David Rohn, Robert Dowd, Mara Devereux, Arthur Palmer, Roger Jacobsen, Helen Stanley, Patrick Haberman, Alan McCorkle, Howard Brody and Richard Faralla.
Second Professions: Licensed Private Investigator; singer and actor, including roles in two major feature films, theater, etc.
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