“The Lovers,” by James Gortner opens at Lyons Wier Gallery

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NEW YORK, NY.- Lyons Wier Gallery presents “The Lovers,” by James Gortner.

For the last two years, Gortner has been developing a series of paintings based on his relationship with life partner and photographer Carolina Palmgren, the symbolism found in the Tarot, and his theories on artistic production. “The Lovers” is a brilliant exhibition that broaches a cornucopia of concerns from consumerism to recycling, from authorship to stewardship.

Gortner’s painted image begins as a constructed composition of many other artist’s original works. Via friends’ donations, thrift stores, street finds, the cleaning of college art studios, and the Internet, Gortner has an ongoing empirical model for his exploration of expanded authorship. Once the background mosaic is solidified, Gortner then begins to paint upon it using traditional oil painting tropes, but enhances the surface sculpturally with collage, ripped and reassembled canvases, and found objects. Gortner may then ask other artists to intervene in the painting, further complicating his model for artistic authorship. Through the technical process and conceptual scope of the project, Gortner produces a multidimensional social mirror, plane, or lens between artist(s) and the viewer.

James Gortner was born in Orange County, CA in 1977. He received his M.F.A. from Columbia University in 2010 and his B.A. from Hawaii Pacific University in 2001. “The Lovers” is James Gortner’s first solo exhibition in New York City.

The Artist wishes to express his sincerest gratitude to the following people for their enormous contributions in the creation of “The Lovers”.

Featuring Carolina Palmgren

Including the assembled found artwork of:

The Artist, Arlen Austin, Michael Berryhill, Martin Basher, Adina Ben-Zeen, J. Chavez, Mira Dancy, Rita DeAntoni, DHS, Gayosso, S. Glasner, Krisjanis Kaktins-Gorsline, Paul Hayer, Hopeday, Janna, Lesley Joyce, Rita LaRosa, LES, H.L. Levin, Nina, Davis Rhodes, S. Rubinstein, SRFW, Verna Squire, B. Troll, Villinruri, Jessie Weiss, Yoojini, O. Zuckerman,and many more illegible or unidentified.

With free hand and directed contributions, both philosophically and painterly, knowingly and unknowingly, small and large:

The Artist, Mateline Aguillard, Shadi Habib Allah, Gregory Amenoff, Fia Backstrom, Daniel Bozhkov, Alex Carver, Grayson Cox, Jason Fox, Michael Stuart Gaillard, Jesse Greenberg, Van Hanos, Peter Holland, John Kessler, Jutta Koether, Tai Lin, Virginia Martinson, Jen Ming, Matt Mullican, Diego Olveda, Chompoonut Promsuk, Ryan Samuels, Dana Shutz, Francisco Vidal, Kara Walker, Johanna Wolfe, Zoe Wright, Sean Yoro, Andrea Zittel, and Yotem Zohar

Frames built by: The Artist, Jim Gortner, Michael Gurrero, Frank Lazarski and others

Special guest performances by: The Artist, Ann Liv Young as Sherry

DJ’s: The Artist, Julian Asfour, and Bing Ji Ling

Models for Carolina: The Artist, Shannon, Stacy, Sofie, Amanda, and others