Holland Tunnel

61 South 3rd Street

Brooklyn, NY  11211

Tel/Fax 718-384-5738

www.hollandtunnelart.net

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Julie Durkin

Candy Box

November 18th – December 17th, 2006

Opening Reception: Saturday, November 18th, 3 to 5pm

Hours: Saturday & Sunday 1-5 & by appointment

Holland Tunnel is pleased to announce Candy Box, a solo show of new oil paintings by Julie Durkin. These paintings are performances in which Durkin captures the play of a young woman in a world of glamour, gesture, and color. The paint is handled as though it were makeup, creating elastic forms in two-dimensional wonder.  Because the sides are painted, these objects present themselves as artifacts, flat sculptures, paintings, accouterments, or even consumer items. The paint is poured, splashed, splattered, sprayed, smeared, and drawn onto, creating textures that range from flat to glossy. The alluring images translate, much like sweet candy, into colors that deliberately reference the kitschy glam of Hello Kitty, Barbie, and Britney Spears' pop culture. The work is cerebral, complicated, and layered; mostly, it arouses our senses.

Julie Durkin lives and works in New York.  She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design in 2001, with a concentration in painting and art history. Her work has been previously exhibited at Artist Space, New York; Sculpture Center, New York; The Walt Meade Gallery at RAG, Roxbury, NY; Encore Gallery, Block Island, RI; Perimeter Gallery, Belfast, ME; Locus Media Gallery, New York; Garrubbo Bazán Gallery, West Chester, PA, and Apex Gallery, Asbury Park, NJ.  She has been published in The New York Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Citizens’ Voice.  Currently, Durkin is pursuing her MFA at the Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University.  The exhibition will be on view from November 18th through December 17th, 2006.  Gallery hours are Saturday and Sunday, from 1 to 5 pm, and by appointment.  For further information or to schedule an appointment, please contact Paulien Lethen at 718-384-5738.