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Artworks
Karen Kilimnik
Elton John’s London Living Room, 2010Water soluble oil color on canvas22.9 x 30.5 x 3 cm© Karen Kilimnik. Courtesy of the artist, 303 Gallery, Sprüth Magers and Galerie Eva Presenhuber AG£78,000Further images
American artist Karen Kilimnik makes paintings, drawings and site-specific installations inspired by historical allegories and popular culture. Characterised by a loose, painterly style – which has been described as intentionally slapdash - her works on canvas draw on a wide range of interests including paintings made in the 16th and 17th centuries, the phenomenon of modern celebrity and witchcraft.
American artist Karen Kilimnik makes paintings, drawings and site-specific installations inspired by historical allegories and popular culture. Characterised by a loose, painterly style – which has been described as intentionally slapdash – her works on canvas draw on a wide range of interests including paintings made in the 16th and 17th centuries, the phenomenon of modern celebrity and witchcraft.
Although renowned for her portraits of celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Hugh Grant and Leonardo DiCaprio, in this small-scale work Kilimnik explores a British pop icon’s identity through painting the interior of his home. Reminiscent of a drawing room in a historic stately home, the bright yellow palette infuses the image with artificial warmth, whilst ornate circular mirrors and a portrait above the mantlepiece add to the aura of romance and nostalgia. A gilded frame adds to the sense of faked opulence; it is intentionally overly-heavy for the painting.
Kilimnik has exhibited internationally in the UK, Europe and America including solo exhibitions held in the UK at the South London Gallery and the Serpentine Gallery. Her work is held in public collections including MOMA and The Whitney Museum, New York. She lives and works in Philadelphia, USA.
