Egyptian Paintings
Exhibition Dates: June 5 - July 17, 2004
Opening Reception: Saturday, June 5, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Friday: 10:00am - 5:30pm, Saturday: 11:00am - 5:30pm
Public Contact: 310-657-9843

Koplin Del Rio Gallery is pleased to announce the third exhibition of paintings by Steven Albert. Albert's newest series of work challenges some of his own notions of the still-life; simply as an aesthetic arrangement of objects on a table or shelf under carefully controlled lighting conditions. One of Albert’s imposed criteria in his process is to maintain some of the themes that run through his paintings of interiors such as very linear, almost abstract design and unconventional cropping of some of the objects. In this manner, elements typically found in traditional still-lifes such as tabletops or background walls are minimized and sometimes vanish altogether.

The confrontational nature of these still-lifes began to suggest statues or massive ruins as Albert was working on them. In this way, he evoked Ancient Egypt, a subject that interests Albert. “Adopting this theme as one of my underlying guides, the mundane contemporary objects that I chose, like paper bags, or cardboard boxes, became pyramids, colossi, tombs, and glorious places long since crumbled,” says Albert. He continued, “While narrative qualities have been consciously eschewed, the pictures also introduce enigmas by being sphinx-like in their mute, impenetrable wall-like presentation.”

Albert’s mastery of fine craftsmanship in paint application is apparent in these works, while the objects suggest mystery and mythology, without necessarily offering meanings or answers. In this way, they remain still-lifes: an aesthetic arrangement of objects.

Steven Albert earned his bachelor's degree in Studio Art from Bowdoin College in Maine. As a student, he was awarded the Anne Bartlett-Lewis Memorial Award for Artistic Excellence and the Second Purchase Award at the Washington and Jefferson National Painting Show. He was awarded Second Place at Fraser Gallery’s Annual Juried Exhibition in Washington, D.C. Albert has participated in group and solo exhibitions throughout the country, and he currently lives and works in San Francisco.