Nicholas Bono Kennedy’s exhibition “Sunset Nursery” at Simchowitz Pasadena from February 23rd to March 29th, 2024, delves into humanity’s impact on the environment. Through paintings exploring the balance between creation and destruction, Kennedy prompts reflection on human intervention in nature. Depicting interior plant life, he highlights our detachment from the natural world despite its incorporation into our homes. Inspired by artists like Ken Price, Norman Blume, and Georgia O’Keeffe, Kennedy pushes artistic boundaries, emphasizing light’s role in shaping spatial perceptions and emotional experiences. The exhibition urges viewers to contemplate the unintended ecological consequences of human actions and the tendency towards narcissism in our endeavors.
Nicholas Bono Kennedy: Sunset Nursery. Solo exhibition at Simchowitz Pasadena. Opening reception, February 23, 2024.
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Press release:
Simchowitz is pleased to present “Sunset Nursery,” an exhibition by Los Angeles-based artist Nicholas Bono Kennedy. Running from February 23rd to March 29th, 2024 at Simchowitz Pasadena (2785 E Foothill Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107).
Captivated by our capacity to radically reshape our surroundings, “Sunset Nursery” explores the inherent balance of creation and destruction in our environment, prompting viewers to ponder the profound consequences of human intervention in nature. Through an interplay of imagery, environment and the transformative influence of light and shadows, Kennedy captures a spectrum of human emotions—from the comfort of familiarity to the unease of the unknown.
Kennedy’s paintings intricately dissect the relationship between inhabited spaces and humanity’s ability to manipulate and control them, taking inspiration from everyday life and observations in both private and public domains. The depiction of interior plant life serves as a poignant reminder of our detachment from the natural world, even as we incorporate its fragments into our homes. Kennedy adeptly highlights the unintended ecological impacts of our actions, encouraging reflection on the human tendency towards narcissism in so many of our endeavors.
Drawing from the influences of esteemed artists such as Ken Price and his use of textural components and humor, Norman Blume and his approach to abstraction in representational paintings, and Georgia O’Keeffe and her use of graphic symbolism and simplification of forms in her city-scapes, Kennedy continues to push the boundaries of artistic expression and environmental introspection.
Central to the exhibition is the exploration of light’s significance in shaping our spatial perceptions and emotional experiences. Echoing the techniques of impressionist painters, Kennedy underscores light’s pivotal role in human-created environments. From the inviting warmth of sunlit spaces to the ominous darkness of night, light becomes a potent instrument, evoking both fear and joy within the observer.
