A Deadly Nightshade
2010
In "A Deadly Nightshade," the forests of Canadian portrait painter Kris Knight are enchanted at night. A safe haven for rural misfits, Knight's latest paintings revolve around a narrative of a romantic secret society. Drawing upon personal stories, his luminous characters depict an alchemy of the imagination, attempting to transcend the tedium of small town life for the enigmatic depths of a nocturnal forest.
The young men and women that Knight paints are known for their dichotomies, and a Deadly Nightshade makes no exception of this. Notions of bohemia are skewed with tragedy, lush nature is laced with toxic blossoms, and pristine bathing ponds are both enticing as they are treacherous. Knight's paintings reference Symbolist and Romantic paintings, as well as 18th Century French portraiture, but also draw upon contemporary notions of androgyny, the postmodern gaze and the preservation/decay of youth.
Solo Exhibition, June 12-September 4, 2010
@ Spinello Gallery, Miami, USA
In "A Deadly Nightshade," the forests of Canadian portrait painter Kris Knight are enchanted at night. A safe haven for rural misfits, Knight's latest paintings revolve around a narrative of a romantic secret society. Drawing upon personal stories, his luminous characters depict an alchemy of the imagination, attempting to transcend the tedium of small town life for the enigmatic depths of a nocturnal forest.
The young men and women that Knight paints are known for their dichotomies, and a Deadly Nightshade makes no exception of this. Notions of bohemia are skewed with tragedy, lush nature is laced with toxic blossoms, and pristine bathing ponds are both enticing as they are treacherous. Knight's paintings reference Symbolist and Romantic paintings, as well as 18th Century French portraiture, but also draw upon contemporary notions of androgyny, the postmodern gaze and the preservation/decay of youth.
Solo Exhibition, June 12-September 4, 2010
@ Spinello Gallery, Miami, USA
