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ArtZone 461 Gallery

April 14 - May 21, 2012

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461 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94103
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Modern Portraits Paul Morin, "People Come and Go So Quickly", 2011, oil and metal leaf on canvas, 36" x 36"
ArtZone 461 Gallery is pleased to announce a solo show for Paul Morin, winner of the Gallery's first juried competition seeking California Realists. He is a San Francisco based portrait painter who is fortunate to have his works in collections spanning the globe. Among various types of painting, portraiture is its own individual genre. Morin is familiar with the historic concerns and evolution in the practice and technique of this form. As with landscapes or still lifes each has historic roots and conforms to parameters that give each their own platform and perhaps unwritten sets of rules. Portraiture may be categorized by the manner of the depiction of the group or individual: Most are frontal views and can be further classified as full or half length, head and shoulders, profile or full face. Paul Morin submitted to the competition a cohesive body of full-faced portraits. In addressing the 'size' component, the artist presents a series of large and mainly frontal faces that have an inherent impact based on size alone. At three feet square they are imposing and impressive. At the same time they don't appear confrontational or forced. A good portrait painter must capture individuality while still offering a reference or familiarity that resonates with the viewer. This series offers depictions that take into account historic concerns and modern convention. Individuals of all ages are rendered in sepia tones, peering out from silver-leafed backgrounds. On one level these portraits reference a 1950s appearance of black and white television or photos. The silver leaf provides a contemporary look and feel to them. At play in the background is the relationship of reds that are core components to both the sepia tones and the red underpainting of silver leaf. Together they provide a subliminal confluence if not a familiar comfort level. Morin studied at the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston and has been showing works in the Bay Area since 2007. He has been featured in shows at Artworks and the Reeves Galleries in San Francisco. He maintains a studio affiliated with Mission Artists United.
Modern Portraits Paul Morin, "Things Are Gonna Get Easier", 2011, oil and metal leaf on canvas, 36" x 36"