The art
My artwork delves into the intricate complexities of desire, inviting viewers to explore a non-gendered, sensuous realm that ignites yearning. Drawing from my training as an abstract expressionist painter and my affinity for the pattern and decoration movement, I employ chance operations and intentional marks to seduce and create a space for uninhibited contemplation.
Using aerosol and oil as my mediums, I construct a distinctive palette that includes vibrant hot pinks, earthy greens, deep blacks, rich browns, and pristine whites. This anthropomorphized color palette evokes connections to outer space, Renaissance murals, and the human body, while simultaneously alluding to themes of sexual curiosity and playful exploration.
In my work, desire is celebrated without shame, neurosis, or suffering. Instead, it is illuminated as a powerful force. The paintings become portals to secret worlds where protrusions, cavities, and mounds assert themselves, revealing a raw and unapologetic yearning. The space within the paintings becomes charged with pent-up, provocative, and curious desires. As paint drips and bleeds, it leaves behind a residue, introducing an element of chance and embracing the unknown. This embrace of mystery infuses the work with a sense of spirituality, reminiscent of the painting systems employed by Agnes Martin and Agnes Pelton. Though their methods differ, both artists seek to transcend through their art.
Through a combination of chance operations and ambiguous imagery referencing the body, my work conveys natural desire. It urges viewers to embrace their own innate longings and engage in a journey of self-discovery and contemplation.
The artist
Kim Manfredi graduated from Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) with a BFA in 1988 and then worked as a skilled decorative painter for many years. She returned to MICA and graduated under the tutelage of Grace Hartigan and Joyce Kozloff earning an MFA in 2009.
“My paintings examine the complicated embrace of desire. They are conceived from a non-gendered sensuous place and invite yearning. My art training instilled the mark making of an abstract expressionist painter along with an affinity for the pattern and decoration movement. Chance operations and intentional marks seduce by offering a place for an un-inhibited gaze. Using spray paint and traditional oils the resulting bumps, bulges and veils share suggestive narratives taking place in remembered spaces.”
After graduating MICA, Kim was represented by C. Grimaldis Gallery, 2009 – 2013 and has attended residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, VCCA, Maryland Art Place and most recently a portfolio reviewed workshop at Anderson Ranch. She is represented by Slate Contemporary in the bay area and exhibits at various venues in the Coachella Valley. Most recently Kim was included in the survey, SnapShots of Sunsets: California Abstraction Now presented by Los Angeles based Royale projects at Monica Reyes Gallery in Vancouver BC. Kim loves her local desert community and is a founder of the annual Desert Open Studios Tour.