PRESS RELEASE

Solo Show Andrea Zuill - Spring 08

Galleri Urbane is proud to present Spring 08. This year’s launch into our spring begins Feb 15^th, with an artist’s reception in Gallery 2, featuring West Coast Artist Andrea Zuill.

The show “ Concepts of Identity “ will be on display thru March 2008.† Ms. Zuill was born in Bakersfield, California, a self taught artist that has been painting and drawing since her teens, As an adult Andrea started to paint very realistic portraits that evolved into her now very distinct style of portraying the inner human experience. Andrea paints from an alternative perspective creating intriguing, to some disturbing, yet humorous paintings.†

Ms. Zuill starts a painting with out a particular idea in mind, just an image. Trying not to question the image, but to let it take shape. “ When the painting is complete” is when the viewer is allowed into her subconscious. When asked about her current body of work Ms. Zuill replied, the current exhibit refers to how we see ourselves, and how we imagine our place in the world. The constant struggle for identity, beauty and a place in the natural world can be quite unnatural. Images of our physical and spiritual selves have been aggressively twisted lately. She also says, the media bombards us with ideas on how to live, look, pray and love. What a person considers as beautiful can be challenged by what the world is being told is beautiful. We are becoming a society where beauty and life has only one look. Maybe this is narrowing of ideals survives because of our desperate need to fit in. So, what happens when we can’t fit into the narrow slot of what is normal and beautiful?

Her recent work plays with the concept of identity. Present various body types, forms of clothing and iconic body adornment to imply stories, histories, and sometimes, confusion. Some of the images contain contradictory symbols, which are culturally very different. Other ideas dwell on historic importance, cultural acceptance, and class systems. The palette in the current oil paintings by Andrea are rich and textural, after watching Andreas work over the past 8 years, I can see that the artists has truly coming into her own distinctive style and place in the art world, says gallery owner Ree.

Also coming up in March is our group show featuring Gallery artist Peter Voshefski,Ahren Ahrenholz,Kate Carr, and introducing Ted Larsen. The gallery is also proud to include a solo show thi spring featuring Bale Allen.

Galleri Urbane are representatives of emerging and established contemporary artists, Painting, Photography and Sculpture, With works also available by: Ahren Ahrenholz, Bret Aaker, Michael Berman, Gail Peter Borden, Kate Carr, Munson Hunt, Julie Speed, Peter Voshefski and Jason Willaford.