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In the Studio with Kirk Fanelly

Oct 6, 2017 | By: Elizabeth Harry

IN THE STUDIO WITH KIRK FANELLY

Right now through November 5, 2017, we’ve got five really talented artists in GreenHill’s InFocus Gallery for a show entitled Obersvational Abstraction. We’re going to introduce you to those five artists over the next few weeks. This week: Kirk Fanelly.

InFocus Gallery aims to fulfill GreenHill’s mission to support North Carolina artists by encouraging a thriving NC art market. We invite individuals and corporations, whether first-time art buyers or seasoned collectors, to work with the GreenHill team to find the perfect piece for your space, taste, and budget – and get to know the artists in your own backyard.

Charlotte, NC based artist Kirk Fanelly exhibits a new series of colorful inlaid paper still lifes. For this series, Fanelly photographs piles of paper on his studio floor to use as a reference; blurring the line between observation and abstraction. His work has been exhibited in solo shows at Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC and Lee Hansley Gallery, Raleigh, NC; as well as group exhibitions at the Turchin Center, Boone, NC; Artspace, Richmond, VA; and SECCA, Winston Salem, NC.

Blue and Green Bin 2, 2016

Inlaid cut paper on panel, 20x14 in, $900

Beige Bin, 2016

Inlaid cut paper on panel, 20x14 in, $900

Cut from the Same Cloth, 2017

Inlaid cut paper on panel, 40x30 in, $2400

Artist Statement:

The process and imagery in my work are closely related. The process shapes composition and subject matter, and the imagery influences the process. Familiar imagery draws from friends, local flora, fauna, and landscape.

I refer to this work as “painting” because they are mostly one medium, and are more akin to hard edge painting than collage. Photography and colo studies aid in the creation of a detailed study – which is sometimes a finished piece on its own. The study is referenced to make the inlaid cut paper work. The papers are a combination of stock archival papers and paper tinted with acrylic or flashe vinyl. The paper is cut with a scalpel, inlaid and attached to a panel with PVA glue. It’s important to me that it’s a reversible process, so areas can be reworked as needed. The final work is UV coated and maintains the paper’s original matte sheen. The surface area is flat with occasional marks of my imperfection in the form of small gaps between paper pieces.

During the process of creating these works, different shaped papers are created from the negative spaces and form a combination of other projects. At times, these arrangements appear more interesting to me than the familiar imagery. I treat these objects as still lifes; rearranging and photographing in various groupings which are then constructed in inlaid cut paper similarly to the familiar imagery.

 

Here are some process photos:
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