Focused on the subtleties of color and form, Kevin Finklea produces minimalist paintings and wall-relief sculptures that encourage slowness and contemplation, deliberately out-of-step with the pace of contemporary life. As he acknowledges, this aim to slow both viewers and the viewing process “flies in the face of much of contemporary culture. A culture that…is hyper-mediated and completely over-technologized. I believe it [is] both necessary and slightly perverse to make something that demands someone to slow down and spend time with the work.” In his meticulously considered paintings, Finklea explores the interplay of translucency and opacity by overlaying colored squares onto pigmented grounds, whose surfaces shift with the light. Similarly, his sculptures, formed of salvaged wooden scraps shaped into squares and rectangles and richly painted, change with the light and the angle of viewing, requiring, and rewarding, patient observation.

Born 1958 in Philadelphia, PA
Lives and works in Philadelphia, PA


Education

1982
B.A., Magna Cum Laude, Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, PA

Solo Exhibitions

2016
Free Falling Divisions, Boecker Contemporary, Heidelberg, Germany
The Uncertain Divide, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2014
Im Albersland, Giampietro Gallery, New Haven, CT
Souveniers, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2012
All the Things that Cannot be Said, Giampietro Gallery, New Haven, CT

2011
Things we said were important but now forgotten, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2010
Memories Are Uncertain Friends, Margaret Thatcher Projects, New York, NY

2007
I know what I want and I’m certain I can’t have it, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia

2005
We Float, Margaret Thatcher Projects, Project Room, New York, NY

2004
I Wish I Could Be Your Color, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2001
Chemical Landscape, Schmidt-Dean Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2000
New Wall Work, Margaret Thatcher Projects, New York, NY

1998
Recent Sculpture, Eich Space, New York, NY

1997
Signals & Other Indicators, Schmidt-Dean Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

1996
Meters/Signals, Margaret Thatcher Projects @ Condeso-Lawler Gallery, New York, NY
Color is Form/Form is Color, w/Hank Stevens, Freedman Gallery, Reading, PA

1994
Heralds and Furlongs, Schmidt-Dean Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Selected Group Exhibitions

2018               
Boecker Contemporary Black Box, Saarländisches Künstlerhaus, Saarbrücken, Germany
Icons / Nonobjects, KNO Lab.Space, Kiev, Ukraine
Spot On 3D, Art Forum Ute Barth, Zurich, Switzerland
Abstract Syntax, Emma Hill Fine Art, The Eagle Gallery, London England

2017
Hybrid Form, Margaret Thatcher Projects, New York, NY
KNO #1, Kiev Non-Objective, Kiev, Ukraine
Pictures of Nothing, PG Art Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
The Enduring Reasons Why – Celebrating 25, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Maniac V, Ely House of Contemporary Art, North Haven, CT (catalog)
The Stall, pop-up show, Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, PA
Boecker Contemporary Black Box, Faux Mouvement Center d’Art Contemporain, Metz, France
Off the Wall, Raum, London, England
Remember When This Wasn't’ Quite How I Remembered It?, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Chromatopia, Tacit Contemporary Art, Melbourne, Australia
Oppler, Transmitter/, Brooklyn, NY

2016
Summer Breeze, Margaret Thatcher Projects, New York, NY
reliefreduktive, SNO Gallery, Sydney, Australia    
Miniscules, Gallery Badweg 3, Bolsward, NL
Moving Modernism, Galerie Rueten, Amsterdam, Holland
PRB Studios Present, PRB Studios, Ambler, PA
Summer Flash, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2015
Hot Spots, Margaret Thatcher Projects, New York, NY
Territory of Abstraction, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA      
D A Z Z L E 2, Reuten Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Dot-Dash-Dissolve, Pennsylvania Academy of FA, Philadelphia, PA
August Geometry, Marcia Wood Gallery, Atlanta, GA
Therely Bare redux, Zeitgeist Gallery, Nashville TN
Summer Current, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
reliefreduktive, Neue Kunstmuseum Aschaffenburg, Aschaffenburg, Germany

2014
Turn Up the Heat, Margaret Thatcher Projects, New York, NY
Sights for When the Sun Arrives, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA      
Woodmere Annual - 73rd Juried Exhibition, Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA
Dahlhausen Viral, Kunstmuseum Ahlen, Ahlen, Germany
Panel Paintings (2), Emma Hill Fine Art, the Eagle Gallery, London, England (catalog)
29 Years Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Connie Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Doppler Shift, Visual Arts Center of NJ, Summit, NJ (catalog)
Begin Where You Are, Ice Box/Crane Building, Philadelphia, PA
Janson's and Other Stories, 37PK Platform for the Arts, Haarlem, Holland

2013
Catch as Catch Can, Margaret Thatcher Projects, New York, NY        
Why Not?, Centre non-objectif, Granoble, France
Maniac III, Temporary Art Space, Groningen, The Netherlands 
Poste Concret, ParisCONCRET, Paris, France
Doppler, Curated by Mel Prest, Paralell Art Space, Brooklyn, NY
20th Anniversary, Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
Seriell, Art Forum Ute Barth, Zurich, Switzerland
New Year 2013, Margaret Thatcher Projects, New York, NY
Maniac III, Rathaus Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany (catalog)

2012
Maniac III, Künstlerhaus Dosenfabrik, Hamburg, Germany (catalog)
20 in 2012 Vision, 20th anniversary show, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Doppler Stop, various EU locations including: Rotterdam, Leiden, Amsterdam, Berlin, Zagreb
Elemental, Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA (catalog)

2011
Boxes, Connie Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia
White - Hot, Margaret Thatcher Projects, New York, NY
Therely Bare, Kent State University Galleries, Kent, OH
Maniac, Manic Episode 2, Brickhouse Art Gallery, Sacramento, CA (catalog)
Moving Pictures, Reuten Galerie, Amsterdam, Holland
Therely Bare, Zeitgeist Gallery, Nashville, TN
Therely Bare, AVA, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, TN

2010
Kunst 10 Zurich, Art Forum Ute Barth Booth, Zurich, Switzerland
More of the Best Is Yet To Come, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Calligrams, Emma Hill Fine Art, the Eagle Gallery, London, England
Escape From New York, Engine Room, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
Capturing Dimensions, Art Forum Ute Barth, Zürich, Switzerland

2009
Abstraction from the Collection, Pennsylvania Academy of FA, Philadelphia, PA
When Ideas Become Form, 20 Years, Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Sunny Side Up, Margaret Thatcher Projects, New York, NY
Minimal Variety Forms, Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Escape from New York, Project Space Spare Room, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
Victory for Tyler: Sculpture 2009, Ice Box/Crane Building, Philadelphia, PA
Thinking Small, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2008
Minus Space, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City, NY
Re-mix 2, Margaret Thatcher Projects, New York, NY
Spot Check: Academy Contemporary, Pennsylvania Academy of FA, Philadelphia, PA
February Group Show, Pentimenti Gallery, New York, NY
Escape from New York, Curtin University, Perth, Australia

2007
The Place is Ours, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, Philadelphia,   PA
Victory for Tyler: Painting 2007, Ice Box, Philadelphia, PA
Red Dot, Pentimenti Gallery Booth, New York, NY
Escape from New York, Sydney Non Objective, Sydney, Australia

2006
Bridge, Pentimenti Gallery Booth, Miami, FL
Art 212, Pentimenti Gallery Booth, New York, NY
Summer Splash, Margaret Thatcher Projects, New York, NY
Bending Space, The Eagle Gallery, London, England
Takeout, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Art Madrid/ARCO, Emma Hill Fine Art Booth, Madrid, Spain

2005
Summer Sensation, Margaret Thatcher Projects, New York, NY
Criss-Cross, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Criss-Cross, Art Forum Ute Barth, Zürich, Switzerland
Heavenly, or A Slice of White, Hunter College Gallery, New York, NY (catalog)

2004
Arthouse, Margaret Thatcher Projects, New York, NY
AAF, Pentimenti Gallery Booth, New York, NY
San Francisco-6, Pentimenti Gallery Booth, San Francisco, CA


Collections

Public
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, Philadelphia, PA

Private
Berlin, London, Melbourne, Munich, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Wilmington, Zürich

Corporate
Bridgepoint Capital Limited, London, England, Wilmington Trust Fund, New York


Bibliography

2016               
Newhall, Edith, Galleries: Lyrical Cratsley; Abstract Artists in Two Directions, Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/02/16

2014               
Newhall, Edith, Galleries: Good Neighbors, Philadelphia Inquirer, 07/14/14

2012
J. Mattera, Kevin Finklea, Active Equipoise, Joanne Mattera Art Blog
C. Joy & Z. Keeting, Kevin Finklea at Giampietro Gallery

2011
T. Goodeve & K. Daly, Maniac, Manic Episode 2, Brickhouse Gallery, Sacramento, CA, 06/11
Newhall, Edith, Galleries: A Fresh Directness, Philadelphia Inquirer, March 20, 2011

2010
Mattera, Joanne, Small Geometries, Joanne Mattera Art Blog, 04/02/10

2009
Newhall, Edith, Galleries: Fanciful Paintings, Philadelphia Inquirer, Februry 22, 2009

2007
Newhall, Edith, Museums & Galleries, Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/05/07
Strauss, R. B., Weekly Press, Philadelphia, 10/03/07

2006
New American Paintings Number 63, The Open Studios Press, Wellesley, MA

2005
Perry, Vicky, Abstract Painting, Watson-Guptill, New York, NY, 08/05
Fallon, Roberta, Summer Shows, International Groups, Philadelphia Weekly, May 25, 2005
Perry, Vicky, Kevin Finklea, at Margaret Thatcher Projects, April 2005
Julia Jacquette & Joie Rosen, Heavenly or a Slice of White, Hunter College, NYC, NY

2004
Fallon, Roberta, Sketches: Seasons’ Ticket, Philadelphia Weekly, 10/27/04
Bowlby, Astrid, Handmade Judd, www.fallonandrosof.com 10/06/04
Deleget, Matthew, Minus Space: Interview, October 1, 2004
New American Paintings Number 51, The Open Studios Press, Wellesley, MA

2001
Sozanski, Edward, Museums & Galleries, Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/12/01
Fallon, Roberta, Sketches: Match Game, Philadelphia Weekly, 10/10/01
West, Judy, City Focus: Fresh Perspectives, ARTnews, Vol 100,  October
New American Paintings Number 33, The Open Studios Press, Wellesley, MA
Hagen, Susan, Art, Philadelphia City Paper, 02/08/01

2000
New York Contemporary Art Report, Vol III, Issue VII, 07/00
New York Contemporary Art Report, Vol III, Issue I, 01/00
Cotter, Holland, Surging Into Chelsea, New York Times, 01/21/00

1999
New York Contemporary Art Report, Vol II, Issue X, 12/99


Publications

2009
Visual Discrepancies: http://brenthallard.wordpress.com

2006
Venske & Spänle, catalog notes, Munich, Germany

2001
Screen, Museo Eduardo Sivori, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Spanish translation by Alicia Bliffeld

2000
Venske & Spänle, Skulpturen, Renate Schröder Galerie, Köln, Germany, German translation by Gisela Geissmann