Neochrome Gallery in Turin, Italy, recently opened the first solo show in Europe by American contemporary artist Nick Farhi. The show title FILA: Falling In Love Again, can be seen as kind of a humorous nod to famous Italian sport gear brand that is featured on two of the works, but even more, a reference to his romanticized subject matter.
For this exhibition, New York-based painter showed a vast range of different works, highlighting his talent and versatility. Using oils as his basic and primary technique, his paintings range from almost Matisse-like colorful pieces to highly phot realistic and conceptual works such as his popular drum heads, wine stain works or sky paintings. Farhi takes everyday moments and visuals, and immortalizes them on canvas, giving them a new level of appreciation and beauty. The large starry night pieces for example, lack the signature elements of classic night sky images, but that gives them even a deeper sense of realism and charm. In a similar way, the drum or wine paintings depict used drum heads or wine stained tablecloths, to the point it’s questionable whether they are actual objects or art pieces representing them. With such a conceptual approach to his subject matter, Farhi gives the observer an opportunity to face familiar elements of everyday life and experience them in a completely new way, possibly fall in love with them again. The exhibition opened on January 8th and will stay on view until February 12th along with Jamie Sneider’s solo show.
Photo credit: Andrea Concina.
