Carla Klein

Tanya Bonakdar Gallery is pleased to present its second solo exhibition of work by Carla Klein. Comprised of several large-scale paintings, as well as a series of smaller pieces, Carla Klein's paintings feature compositions based upon architectural spaces and containers. Conceptually, they blur the border between painting and photography as Klein puts forth images that straddle the worlds of reality and fiction.

At once expressionistic and emotionless, the works are primarily devoid of the figure, or any clear living presence, yet the paintings reflect artifacts of life and movement. Previous paintings by Klein were based upon images of underground parking garages, bridges and swimming pools among other anonymous architectural venues that reference transit and motion. In this new body of work, subjects include images of airport terminals, planes, television screens and models of athletic stadiums. Yet these anonymous sites and structures become merely points of departure, or concepts of form, that become filtered through the abstract construction of the artist's brushwork. This transition leads the work into a dynamic realm of suggested subject matter that includes science fiction and flying saucers.

While Carla Klein's palette may be initially perceived as monochromatic - based upon a cool, blue and green - the tones and shades achieved within this limited spectrum are near infinite upon closer inspection. A similar tension is set up between the minimal, architectural forms which structure each painting, and the sheer painterliness of the brushstrokes and expressionistic drips that serve to construct them.

Recent group shows of Klein's work includes, Mirrors, The foundry, London and Troublespot. Painting, at SMAK, Gent.

This exhibition is made possible through generous support from the Mondriaan Foundation Amsterdam, for the advancement of the visual arts, design and museums.

Carla Klein