kelsey renko vs. john desousa
December 1, 2022
Kelsey Renko’s paintings are distilled from her memories of intimate relationships and the feeling of being in a body and moving through space. Interested in creating a sensory experience that draws from the feeling of physical and emotional closeness, her paintings are awkward, hairy, and quick, much like the human experience. Youthful romps and playful touch permeate her compositions in colorful and tactile layers of acrylic, spray paint, gouache, and fabric.
John DeSousa explores a variety of materials to construct collaged surfaces and textured environments. There is a thread of playfulness and precarity that weaves throughout his practice. Wrestling with collapse and reconciliation, DeSousa combines materials by sewing, printing, jamming, gluing, wrapping, pulling and more. The goal is balance, one that reveals both pleasure and uncertainty.
