Forrest Kirk (b. 1975) lives and works in Los Angeles. Kirk studied at California State University, Los Angeles, and spent time studying classical painting techniques in an atelier in Paris, France. The bold chromatic diversity of Kirk’s paintings are achieved using a variety of media ranging from oils and acrylic to bubble wrap, fabric, and gorilla glue. His images often reference psychological uncertainty and anxiety arising from underlying power structures, specifically those experienced in contemporary urban settings. For his recent body of work, Kirk has focused on dramatizations he envisioned referencing Ralph Ellison’s 1952 classic novel “Invisible Man” where the main character has become invisible as a result of the refusal of others to acknowledge him. In these works, Kirk absorbs the experiences and visions as dictated by the story’s besieged narrator.
