Summer Exhibit 2017

Michael Farrar                   Everyone Loves Kimmie                         Mixed Media 

Michael Farrar 

Travelers and Other Nurds

June 2 - August 13, 2017

Opening Reception Friday June 2, 2017  5 - 7 p.m.

Free and open to the Public

The spelling of "nurds" is intentional, a lead-in to the enigmatic quality of Michael Farrar's art work.    The "alternative" spelling of nerds wakes up the viewer before they even get into the gallery because they see it on all of  the exhibit's printed material...and on the gallery window.  

People are thinking before they even see the art..."why is nerds spelled nurds?" 

And...the misspelling creates a pervasive tension which is also perceived in the way in which Farrar composes his paintings.   

Shadowless figures are planted on the ground, yet seem to hover; a push and pull between foreground and background give us the sense that a figure is moving, but we're not sure...it all allows us to be involved in the world  Farrar has created through these artworks. 

Michael Farrar's Travelers and Other Nurds include invented characters that are curious and memorable in their actions even if what they are doing isnot immediately apparent.  Farrar's titles lead you a little further into his alternative reality where life is explored through the foibles , missteps and clever irony of the characters he paints.  The often humorous and poignant subject matter offer the viewer a detour from his or her own reality in a refreshing and openly honest manner. 

A native Virginian, Farrar has received more than sixty awards, prizes and ribbons and is a signature member of the Virginia, Baltimore, and Pennsylvania Watercolor Societies.  He regularly exhibits at galleries, fine arts festivals and juried competitions across the country.  Farrar's work is held in national and international corporate and private collections.  He now works from his studio in eastern Tennessee.