April 26 – June 04, 2008

Opening reception: April 26, 6–8 pm

Artist Talk: 6:30 pm

Lora Reynolds Gallery is pleased to announce our second solo exhibition by Brooklyn based artist Jim Torok. The exhibition will include a series of realist portraits of artists in oil on panel as well as cartoon vignettes in acrylic on panel and ink on rice paper.

The portraits of artists in the exhibition will include paintings of Jim Hodges, Ed Ruscha, and Mike Smith. Torok works with each subject in a photographic session using natural light and taking numerous photographs during a lengthy sitting. Built in layers, some portraits explore a full palette, while in others the palette is narrowed to blues and browns – making even the monochromatic appear hyper real.

"Torok’s skin tones are so radiant that one expects them to be warm to the touch. His manipulation of color is subtle and elegant. The luscious texture of the polymer resin surfaces make the paintings seem chemically- or magically condensed, rather than just small."
– Los Angeles Times

Torok also works in another style distinct from the meticulous language of his portraits. This manner includes cartoon and animation works that are created spontaneously - mistakes appear and are crossed out, and one gets the feeling that the artist is getting something off of his chest. The works in our exhibition are affirmations dealing with everyday life, freedom, and self-esteem. While charming and upbeat, they hold a tension in their apparent awareness of the flip side of the same coin. In his panel ‘Be Yourself’ he encourages us to ‘have faith’ and ‘follow your inner voice (unless you are insane or stupid)’ – the knowledge of course being that it is easier said than done.

The artist will be doing a performance of his ‘low-tech’ animations at the gallery on opening night. We are also pleased to announce the publication of several flipbooks by Jim Torok in conjunction with this exhibition that will be for sale at the gallery.

Jim Torok was born in South Bend, Indiana in 1954. He currently lives and works in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with his wife, Mary Carlson. His work has been shown in numerous exhibitions nationally and has been acquired by museums including the Museum of Modern Art, New York and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.