Title: Kat Von D/ Blood Rosaries
Medium: Oil On Canvas
Size: 24"x 20"
Date: 2009
About the Artist: Kevin Llewellyn is an American painter known for his dark ultra realistic life size full body or life inspired oil paintings. Llewellyn was born in Ohio. He attended the Ringling College of Art and Design, and since has been a permanent resident of Los Angeles, California, where he continues to paint realistic portraits, full body portraits, and dark subject matter utilizing techniques of 17th-century painting masters. Kevin has taught art workshops at Gnomon, Wonderland LA, ConceptArt.org events and at colleges around the United States and Europe. He was recently the opening artist for Kat Von D's art gallery: Wonderland LA.
Statement: "The art of Kevin Llewellyn is extraordinarily complex despite its traditional and academic look. For one thing his artistic personality is split between being a creative giant capable of bringing to life amazing and fantastic beings that challenge the imagination and a genuine understanding and appreciation for 19th century academic realism. ... For those of us frustrated by the unbelievable lack of talent exhibited in the art world today, Kevin Llewellyn seems to offer us a ray of hope." - Dr. Louis A. Zona, Director, The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio.
About the Work/Connections: This piece by Llewellyn is a portrait of Kat Von D, whom he says is his "eternally beautiful muse." He has done multiple paintings of her and has worked closely with her, even having an exhibition in her Wonderland Gallery in 2010. Kevin's work is very dark and macabre, mostly focusing on the human body and skulls. While this piece may not be dark as dark as others, it definitely has a morbid feeling to it. The detail of the heart is only accented by the rosaries dripping with blood, bringing in thoughts of religion and afterlife, even helplessness. The portrait behind is lacking saturation, giving it a haunting, ghostly feel, only adding to the mood of the painting.
No comments:
Post a Comment