Kenney Mencher
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Kenney Mencher is an American painter. He is currently Associate Professor of Art and Art History 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.[1]
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[edit] Education
Mencher 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.
[edit] 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 Sacramento and Klaudia Marr Gallery in Santa Fe. He was recently profiled in the June 2007 issue of The Artist's Magazine. He also has a show up at Octavia's Haze Gallery in San Francisco, and is in the "Lucky Seven" group show at the Dahlia Woods Gallery in Dallas.
[edit] Themes
Mencher invites the viewers to define the themes of his paintings for themselves. He 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 noir themes, and sequential narratives.
Continuing the theme of pulling the viewer into the story, 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).[2]
[edit] Controversy
Mencher's work has not gone without some controversy. In 2003, Hang Gallery in San Francisco stopped showing his work, with the gallery director calling it "perverted." In 2004, four paintings were removed from his exhibit at the California State Teachers' Retirement System office in Sacramento, after some female employees said the works made them uncomfortable.[3]
[edit] Influences
Mencher often uses his wife, friends, and students as influences and models for his work.
