Ellina Kevorkian

The Mark Moore Gallery is pleased to present the first solo exhibition of paintings by Ellina Kevorkian. Originally from Virginia, and a recent graduate of the Claremont Graduate University, Kevorkian has tapped such eclectic sources as Dolly Parton, Gustav Klimpt and Joan Brown, for her paintings. The works are large and theatrical, yet simple images – psychological landscapes filled with sculpted objects (butterflies, breasts or hearts) and sweeping flourishes of paint and urethane. Her hand has an authority that can paint a kind of furious hurricane, with the drama of a sad country western song, yet also with tender delicacy. While interested in the overall decorative manner of Klimpt, Kevorkian subverts the harmony of her sweet colorations and lacey patterns, with the grand scale of the canvases and aggressive gestures. Using large photo transfer images of her twin sister, the artist presents a mirror of herself as actor, protagonist and voyeur of her own dramas – a surrogate dreamer and creator. Inspired by Dolly Parton, Kevorkian uses beauty and pathos to conjure up a visual stew – intimate stories with thorns and charms – a new wicked and visual hooch.