I use the conventions of figurative art to explore the psychological complexities of human nature. We operate within a status quo that often becomes invisible to us. Representational art provides a unique vehicle for burrowing into the flesh of the familiar and overturning the status quo to expose its secret underside.
Each painting in this series presents a peculiar, behavioral scene. While the images are sometimes provocative, all judgment is left in the hands of the viewer. Each work can be seen as an exercise in visual thinking, a raw presentation of our foibles, the human need for control, the demands of desire, and the hunger for meaning as we struggle with the mysteries of a complicated world that we will never fully understand.
In other words, this exhibition entitled “Being Human” is about all of us, inclusive of our strengths and shortcomings, caught in the act of being human.
About Charles A. Farrell
In 1996, Charley Farrell suspended his architectural career of thirty years, left his architectural firm, and returned to school to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting. After graduation, he worked for two years as a Resident Affiliate Artist at the Tryon Center for Visual Arts and was represented by the Hodges Taylor Gallery, both located in Charlotte, North Carolina. His work received an award in a juried exhibition in the Art of the State of Pennsylvania. Several of his paintings were accepted by the North Carolina Museum of Art in a juried show of North Carolina Artists. His artwork has been exhibited in New York, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina.
He currently maintains a studio at The Goggleworks Center for the Arts in Reading, Pennsylvania. During his time there, he has received numerous awards in juried exhibitions, the most recent one of which provided him with this solo exhibition of new work.