August 10, 2023
The University of Montana Western Fine Arts Gallery is proud to present “Work on Paper” by renowned artist David Korty. The gallery will host an opening reception on Friday, September 8, 2023 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the Fine Arts Gallery located in Main Hall.
In this new group of works on paper, the artist has chosen his own experience as an avid fly tyer and fisherman as a springboard from which to draw and paint. Although the subject of fishing in art has a long and well-trodden history, Korty approaches the subject from an unorthodox angle. The image of a fisherman’s box of flies is translated into something close to a hieroglyphic field of marks. Some resembling actual flies and others reduced to small geometric notations that seem to interact according to their own pattern of logic. Like an abacus of miniature “bric-a-brac,” each rectangular box becomes a container for stored information. Whether it’s a form of anglers Morse Code or something far more esoteric, these paintings highlight the magic and alchemy that can be found both on rivers and in the artist’s studio.
David Korty was born in San Francisco in 1971 and has been living and working as an artist in Los Angeles since 1996. Korty’s work has been shown extensively in Los Angeles, in solo exhibitions at Night Gallery, China Art Objects, Kohn Gallery and LAXART; at Derek Eller Gallery and Greene Naftali in New York; and at Sadie Coles HQ in London. Korty’s work has been acquired by the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; the Grunwald Center for Graphic Arts, Los Angeles; the Judith Rothschild Foundation; and the Rubell Collection. His work has been covered in Artforum, The New York Times, The Guardian, and Modern Painters, among other publications. A monograph of Korty’s work entitled Blue Shelves was published by Sadie Coles and Night Gallery in 2016. In 2020, he was awarded the Frederick Hammersely Visiting Artist residency at the University of New Mexico.
The reception is free for all to attend and will feature light refreshments and live music by the Stake Pullers. The “Work on Paper” exhibition will be open for viewing from September 8 to October 20, 2023. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
“I am excited to open the academic year with this stunning exhibition by artist David Korty. It is my hope that this exhibition resonates strongly with Southwest Montana,” said Montana Western Fine Arts Gallery Coordinator and Adjunct Instructor, Jennifer Boysen. “Being able to connect with the campus and community in this new role and organizing a variety of events at the gallery this year will provide something for everyone to experience and enjoy.”
For more information about the exhibition, please contact Montana Western Fine Arts Gallery Coordinator, Jennifer Boysen: [email protected].
