About the artist:

Born in New York, NY. EDUCATION MFA in Painting, Boston University, Student of Philip Guston, 1975-77. Brooklyn Museum School, 1975. >BR?New York Studio School. BA in Art and English Literature, Albany State University. SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2001 The Lowe Gallery, Atlanta, GA. 2000 Simon Gallery, Morristown, NJ. Peyton Wright, New York, NY. 1997 Greg Kucera Gallery, Seattle, WA. 1996 Thom Andriola, Houston, TX. Marc Miller, East Hampton, NY. Drew University, Madison, NJ. 1995 Sandler Hudson Gallery, Atlanta, GA. Arthur Roger Gallery, New Orleans, LA. 1994 Herbert Palmer Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. 1992 Klarfeld Perry Gallery, New York, NY. 1990 Scott Hanson Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. 1989 Brian Reddy, Little Silver, NJ. Helander Gallery, Palm Beach, FL. Sandler Hudson Gallery, Atlanta, GA. 1988 Princeton University Gallery, Princeton, NJ. 1987 Maxwell Davidson Gallery, New York, NY. Sandler Hudson Gallery, Atlanta, GA. Meredith & Long Gallery, Houston, TX. 1985 Maxwell Davidson Gallery, New York, NY. Meredith & Long Gallery, Houston, TX. 1984 Joy Horwich Gallery, Chicago, IL. 1983 Meadows Museum of the Arts, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX. Maxwell Davidson Gallery, New York, NY. Meredith & Long Gallery, Houston, TX. 1982 University of Texas - Irving, Irving, TX. 1981 Museum of Art, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR. Maxwell Davidson Gallery, New York, NY. SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 1997 " New Jersey Biennial," Newark Museum, New Jersey, curated by Joseph Jacobs (catalogue). " National Invitational Works on Paper," University of Hawaii (catalogue). " East Hampton Drawing Invitational," curated by Arlene Buljese Gallery, East Hampton, NY. " The Rain Forest Foundation Art Benefit," John McEnroe Gallery, New York, NY. " Gramercy Park," Chateau Marmount, Los Angeles, CA. " Pinned to the Wall," Parchman Stremmel, TX. " Perspectives of Nature," Jan Abrams Fine Arts, New York, NY. " Young Painters," Montgomery Glasoe, Minneapolis, MN. 1996 " Guston, Basquiat, Komarin, Traylor," John McEnroe Gallery, New York, NY, curated by Jordan Tinker (catalogue). " A Changing Cast/Changing Color," Ruth O'Hara, New York, NY, curated by Michael Walls. " Fifty/50," Terrain, San Francisco, CA, curated by Peter Wright. " Balancing Act," Room, New York, NY, curated by Richard Dickens. 1995 " A Part; A Whole," Room, New York, NY (catalogue). " New York, New Work," Miliana Gallery, Marseilles, France, curated by Gilles Presti. 1994 " Narrative Abstractions," Helander Gallery, Palm Beach, FL. " New Directions," William Campbell Gallery, Fort Worth, TX. 1993 " Art and Object," Frankel Nathanson Gallery, New Jersey, curated by Marjorie Nathanson. 1992 " Post Modern Abstractions," Hokin Gallery, Palm Beach, FL. 1991 " Rethinking the Grid," Brian Reddy, New Jersey. 1990 " Past, Present, Future," Margulies Taplin Gallery, Miami, FL. " The Figure in the Twentieth Century," Meredith Long Gallery, Houston, TX. " The Morris Museum/Biennial Survey Show," The Morris Museum, Morristown, NJ, curated by R. Ferguson. 1987 " University of Texas - 'Texas Artists,'" San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio, TX. " Fun and Brains," Kraine Club Gallery, New York, NY. 1986 " Indigestion," PPOW Gallery, New York, NY. " Words," Joy Moos Gallery, Miami, FL. " The Society of Four Arts," Palm Beach, FL. " The Dog Days of August," Littlejohn/Smith Gallery, New York, NY, curated by Fred Boyle. " New Jersey Biennial Show," Noyes Museum of Art, Oceanville, NJ, curated by Grace Glueck. 1985 " Ten Painters in Texas: Survey of Contemporary Painting," University of Texas - El Paso, El Paso, TX. 1983 " Recent Trends in American Art," The Tampa Art Museum, Tampa, FL. " Modern Masters/Contemporary Works on Paper," Maxwell Davidson Gallery, New York, NY. " The Painted Object Painted," Herbert Palmer Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. " Art and the Law," Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Dallas, TX, curated by Harry Parker. " National Drawing Competition," Yale University, New Haven, CT, juried by Bernard Chaaet. 1982 Wunsch Art Center, juried by Patterson Sims. " Arkansas Art Center/26th Annual Painting Competition," Little Rock, AR. 1981 Museum of Fine Arts, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR. AWARDS 1999 Winner - The Joan Mitchell Prize in Painting. Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts Grant. 1996 Continental Airlines VIP Gallery Show. 1995 New Foundation of the Arts Award. 1984 Jane Livingston (Corcoran Gallery/Curator contemporary painting and sculpture), selected award for the Assistance League of Houston. 1981 Hilton Kramer, Juror, selection of Purchase Prize, The Art Center 25th Annual Painting & Sculpture Competition. 1975 Graduate Teaching Fellowship in Painting, Boston University, assistant to Philip Guston. SELECTED COLLECTIONS AT&T Prudential Insurance Company of America McDonald's Corporation Arkansas Art Center United Bank of Houston Steven's Corporation John Rubenstein & Associates, Architects Blount Corporation Boston University Art Museum Touch/Ross, Inc. Transco, Inc. Houston Memorial Hospital & Medical Center Hyatt Corporation TEACHING POSITIONS 1997 University of Iowa, Iowa City; Visiting Painter. 1995-96 Castle Hill Art Center, Truro, MA; Visiting Artist. 1981-84 Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX; Assistant Professor. 1980-81 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR; Visiting Artist. 1977-78 Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY; Assistant Professor. Gary Komarin, a New York born artist and former student of abstract expressionist Philip Guston, reveals not only the creative process in visually complete layered pieces, but hints at his origins. The son of an architect, Komarin's work, while it implies a delicate human-ness, suggests architectural form. His work speaks of the gray and uncertain areas of life. A time caught between recognition and definition where the images themselves become the zenith of focus. Komarin is known for exploring shapes, at once strange and familiar, seemingly imprecise yet eloquent. Komarin plays on a viewer's capacity for childlike wonderment. His simple yet sophisticated cakes, wigs and vessels beckon us to observe and interact with their outrageous collective and identity. Cakes, wigs and vessels are the common motifs of the pieces that Komarin created at Tandem Press. Using a cartoon-like expressionist style, he presents his objects humorously. The forms are quite abstract, sometimes resembling a building or a chair, the images are mysterious and serious, exposing the complicated emotions associated with occasions for serving cakes and donning wigs. Komarin was the recipient of the Joan Mitchell Prize in Painting. He has also been awarded The Edward Albee Foundation Fellowship, The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts Grant, and the New York foundation for the Arts Grant. Komarin's work has appeared in numerous solo exhibitions at The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, The Newark Museum, The Montclair Museum, and The New Orleans Center for Contemporary Arts to name a few. His work has been written up in the New York Times, Art in America, and Arts Magazine.