Sam McKinniss (born 1985) is an
American abstract
Abstract may refer to:
* ''Abstract'' (album), 1962 album by Joe Harriott
* Abstract of title a summary of the documents affecting title to parcel of land
* Abstract (law), a summary of a legal document
* Abstract (summary), in academic publishi ...
and
figurative postmodern
Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by skepticism toward the " grand narratives" of moderni ...
painter
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...
based in
Brooklyn.
Education
Sam McKinniss was born in Minnesota
and grew up in Connecticut. He graduated from the
Glasgow School of Art,
Glasgow,
Scotland in 2005. He received a BFA in painting from the
Hartford Art School in
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
in 2007, and an MFA from the
Steinhardt School
The New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development (commonly referred to as Steinhardt) is the secondary liberal arts and education school of New York University. It is one of the only schools in the world of i ...
at
New York University in 2013.
Work
McKinniss's work has been shown in galleries and museums since 2005.
His first solo show in New York, entitled "Black Leather Sectional," opened at Joe Sheftel Gallery in May 2015 and his first solo show in Los Angeles, "Dear Metal Thing," opened at Team Bungalow in June 2015.
His show "Egyptian Violet" opened at
Team Gallery
Team Gallery is a contemporary art gallery located in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City, with an additional project space in Venice, Los Angeles, California. It was founded by José Freire and Lisa Ruyter in 1996. Team has represented s ...
in New York in October 2016. He made his first appearance at the Miami edition of the international art fair Art Basel in 2015.
In his figurative painting, which has become the dominant practice, McKinniss works from photographs, found images as well as pictures he took. His subjects include reclining male nudes, images from popular culture, and floral still lifes. McKinniss develops a symbolist vocabulary for contemporary figurative painting; he sources material primarily from online image searching.
McKinniss has made a large number of paintings that mimic the still-lifes of the 19th-century artist
Henri Fantin-Latour, for example, ''White Roses in a Short Glass (after Fantin-Latour)''. Latour’s influence on his style can be seen in the heightened colour contrasts with which he paints his figurative paintings.
McKinniss painted a series of "men in repose" for the second issue of
''Adult''.
His painting of
Lorde
Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor (born 7 November 1996), known professionally as Lorde ( ), is a New Zealand singer-songwriter. Taking inspiration from aristocracy for her stage name, she is known for her unconventional musical styles and i ...
was the cover art of her 2017 album ''
Melodrama
A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...
'' ''
NME'' magazine selected the cover for their list of the best
album art of the 21st century so far and it received praise from commentators at ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'', ''
Paste
Paste is a term for any very thick viscous fluid. It may refer to:
Science and technology
* Adhesive or paste
** Wallpaper paste
** Wheatpaste, A liquid adhesive made from vegetable starch and water
* Paste (rheology), a substance that behaves a ...
'' and
Fuse.
Award
*New Boston Fund Individual Artist Fellowship, Greater Hartford Arts Council, Hartford, Connecticut, 2009
References
Further reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:McKinniss, Sam
21st-century American painters
1985 births
American contemporary painters
Living people
Painters from New York (state)