Kenney Mencher
Encyclopedia
Kenney Mencher is an American
painter
. He is currently Associate Professor of Art and Art History as well as the director and curator of the Louie-Meager Art Gallery at Ohlone College
in Fremont
, California
, and he has previously taught at institutions including the University of Chicago
and Texas A&M University
. He is also the author of Liaisons: Readings in Art, Literature and Philosophy, a thematically-framed textbook about how the study of culture relates to students' other classes and to life in general.
in 1965. He graduated from the City University of New York
in 1991 with a Bachelor's Degree in art history
. Subsequently, he earned a Master's Degree in art history from the University of California, Davis
in 1994, and then a master of fine arts degree from the University of Cincinnati
in 1995.
and Klaudia Marr Gallery in Santa Fe
. He was profiled in the June 2007 issue of The Artist's Magazine, and has been a contributing author to that publication as well. Some of his prior installations include shows at Octavia's Haze Gallery and at Varnish Fine Art in San Francisco, at the Los Gatos Art Museum, at the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, California
, in the "Lucky Seven" group show at the Dahlia Woods Gallery in Dallas, and at Amrithika Gallery in Palo Alto. He has also done live painting demonstrations at galleries, as well as benefit nights to help organizations such as 826 Valencia
. Currently, he has a show up at ArtHaus in San Francisco, which was reviewed in both ARTWORKS Magazine and American Artist.
themes, sequential narratives, and thematic apperception test
s.
Mencher hosts a blog on his web site, showing viewers the development of several of his paintings, including the source material he uses. He also hosts an online forum on his web site, where viewers are able to express their thoughts on his work by submitting their own poetry. Additionally, he has hosted a contest, allowing viewers to submit title suggestions for an already-completed painting (eventually titled Chromosomal Variation).
, after some female employees said the sexual context of the works made them uncomfortable.
inspired his own work Water Carrier of Fremont, Caravaggio
's The Calling of Saint Matthew
was reimagined as Mencher's The Calling of Marc, and the realist paintings of Edward Hopper
have also inspired his vision and style. The essay Death of the Author
by Roland Barthes
shaped Mencher's thoughts that the viewer can never precisely know what the painter intends. He also cites film noir and television as major influences on his work. Mencher often uses his wife, friends, family pets, and students as inspiration and models for his paintings, and they in turn may suggest storylines and poses for the work in progress.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
. He is currently Associate Professor of Art and Art History as well as the director and curator of the Louie-Meager Art Gallery at Ohlone College
Ohlone College
Ohlone College is a community college located in Fremont, California. It was established in 1965. Ohlone College is a single college, multi campus district serving the areas of Fremont, Newark, and Union City with its main campus and district office in Fremont...
in Fremont
Fremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and he has previously taught at institutions including the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
and Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
. He is also the author of Liaisons: Readings in Art, Literature and Philosophy, a thematically-framed textbook about how the study of culture relates to students' other classes and to life in general.
Early life and education
Mencher was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1965. He graduated from the City University of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
in 1991 with a Bachelor's Degree in art history
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
. Subsequently, he earned a Master's Degree in art history from the University of California, Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
in 1994, and then a master of fine arts degree from the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
in 1995.
Exhibitions
Mencher's work has appeared in a number of solo and two-person shows at galleries nationwide. Currently, he is represented by Elliott Fouts Gallery in SacramentoSacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
and Klaudia Marr Gallery in Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
. He was profiled in the June 2007 issue of The Artist's Magazine, and has been a contributing author to that publication as well. Some of his prior installations include shows at Octavia's Haze Gallery and at Varnish Fine Art in San Francisco, at the Los Gatos Art Museum, at the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...
, in the "Lucky Seven" group show at the Dahlia Woods Gallery in Dallas, and at Amrithika Gallery in Palo Alto. He has also done live painting demonstrations at galleries, as well as benefit nights to help organizations such as 826 Valencia
826 Valencia
826 Valencia is a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping children and young adults develop writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.-Overview:...
. Currently, he has a show up at ArtHaus in San Francisco, which was reviewed in both ARTWORKS Magazine and American Artist.
Themes
Mencher depicts scenes filled with ambiguous stories, allowing the viewers to join in the creation process. Common themes include people whispering, half-full (or half-empty) drinking glasses, the visual exploration of clichés, film noirFilm noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
themes, sequential narratives, and thematic apperception test
Thematic Apperception Test
The Thematic Apperception Test, or TAT, is a projective psychological test. Historically, it has been among the most widely researched, taught, and used of such tests...
s.
Mencher hosts a blog on his web site, showing viewers the development of several of his paintings, including the source material he uses. He also hosts an online forum on his web site, where viewers are able to express their thoughts on his work by submitting their own poetry. Additionally, he has hosted a contest, allowing viewers to submit title suggestions for an already-completed painting (eventually titled Chromosomal Variation).
Controversy
In 2003, Hang Gallery in San Francisco stopped showing his work, with the gallery director calling it "wry and perverted." In 2004, four paintings were removed from his exhibit at the California State Teachers' Retirement System office in SacramentoSacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
, after some female employees said the sexual context of the works made them uncomfortable.
Influences
Mencher's work is greatly influenced by art history and literature. For example, Water Carrier of Seville by Diego VelázquezDiego Velázquez
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was a Spanish painter who was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV. He was an individualistic artist of the contemporary Baroque period, important as a portrait artist...
inspired his own work Water Carrier of Fremont, Caravaggio
Caravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was an Italian artist active in Rome, Naples, Malta, and Sicily between 1593 and 1610. His paintings, which combine a realistic observation of the human state, both physical and emotional, with a dramatic use of lighting, had a formative influence on the Baroque...
's The Calling of Saint Matthew
The Calling of St Matthew (Caravaggio)
The Calling of Saint Matthew is a masterpiece by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, depicting the Calling of Matthew. It was completed in 1599-1600 for the Contarelli Chapel in the church of the French congregation, San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome...
was reimagined as Mencher's The Calling of Marc, and the realist paintings of Edward Hopper
Edward Hopper
Edward Hopper was a prominent American realist painter and printmaker. While most popularly known for his oil paintings, he was equally proficient as a watercolorist and printmaker in etching...
have also inspired his vision and style. The essay Death of the Author
Death of the Author
The Death of the Author is a 1967 essay by the French literary critic and theorist Roland Barthes. Barthes's essay argues against traditional literary criticism's practice of incorporating the intentions and biographical context of an author in an interpretation of a text, and instead argues that...
by Roland Barthes
Roland Barthes
Roland Gérard Barthes was a French literary theorist, philosopher, critic, and semiotician. Barthes' ideas explored a diverse range of fields and he influenced the development of schools of theory including structuralism, semiotics, existentialism, social theory, Marxism, anthropology and...
shaped Mencher's thoughts that the viewer can never precisely know what the painter intends. He also cites film noir and television as major influences on his work. Mencher often uses his wife, friends, family pets, and students as inspiration and models for his paintings, and they in turn may suggest storylines and poses for the work in progress.