Matthew Penkala, Your Nose Grows Numb, 2015, Acrylic on canvas stretched panel, 48" x 48" x 3"
Copyright © Matthew Penkala
MATTHEW PENKALA
The abstract imagery of Matthew Penkala’s paintings strongly reflects his training and practice in photography. The diffusion of intense, hot color is punctuated by crisp elements that fragment the surface and create movement and tension across the picture plane. There is a luminous effect, inspired by the California light and landscape akin to David Hockney’s early paintings.
David Pagel of the Los Angeles Times described the work: “Unlike so much of what makes up today’s visual landscape, Penkala’s paintings are slow burns. Combining the instantaneous appeal of eye-grabbing attractions with the lasting satisfactions of time-tested abstractions, his works treat viewers to luxuries rarely found in contemporary art: reverie and introspection.”
Penkala lives and works in Los Angeles. After receiving his BFA in Photography from Arizona State University, and his MFA in Painting from Cranbrook Academy of Art, he moved to Los Angeles, where he is currently a faculty member at Otis College of Art and Design, as well as the Academic Projects Manager within the Provost’s Office. He has also served as the Visiting Artist in Residence within the Painting Department at Cranbrook Academy of Art. His work is included in numerous private and public collections, including the Neiman Marcus Collection, Houston, Texas; Maxine and Stuart Frankel Collection, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; and Daimler-Chrysler Permanent Collection, Southfield, Michigan, among others.
Matthew Penkala, Braid Myself in Two, 2015, Acrylic on canvas stretched panel, 50" x 50"
Copyright © Matthew Penkala
Matthew Penkala, The Knife Behind the Curtain, 2015, Oil on canvas stretched panel, 48" x 48" x 3"
Copyright © Matthew Penkala