Martin McMurray: Disputed Episodes

October 5 - December 1, 2012

Gallery 16 is thrilled to welcome artist Martin McMurray back to the gallery for his second solo exhibition. Disputed Episodes represents the largest survey of McMurray’s id-iosyncratic paintings and handpainted books to date. The Detroit native has developed an international following for his work that is often likened to Jim Nutt, Jockum Nordstrom, H.C. Westermann and Philip Guston.

McMurray is a painter whose modestly sized works are charged with emotional human drama. The narrative scenarios in his work frequently deal with the history and tragedy of human mistakes. His work is charged with the complexity of lifes daily routines, rituals and anxieties. He often paints a single scenario in a serialized trio of paint-ings each offering a slight variation on the related nar-rative. These serialized suites offer a commentary on the chance and fragility of our possible futures.

The artist will also present a large group of nearly 100 paintings that take the form of imaginary books, fashioned out of wood and painted in a tromp l’oeil manner. These dense, unyielding objects force the viewer to concoct our own potential storyline, offering us only the title and au-thor’s image on the back of each book.

McMurray’s work has been featured in Historical Con-sciousness: the 2006 California Biennale at the Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach, CA. He has had other solo exhibitions at Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, Jeff Bailey Gallery NY, and Galerie Nouvelles Im-ages, Den Haag, The Netherlands. He is a recipient of a 2009 Eureka Fellowship from the Fleishhacker Foundation. McMurray lives and works in Berkeley, California.

Martin McMurray: Disputed Episodes

Scallywags & Mountebank (The Society of Inflatable Moonbeams and Day-Old Calamities) 2012acrylic on wood24” x 48”$3,600

A Painting Of A Painting By Charles Deas Titled: The Devil And Tom Walker, 1838 2012acrylic on wood 17” x 21” $2,800

Marquette 2007 acrylic on wood24” x 18”$3,200

Verse (The First Sister Part One) 2012 acrylic on wood 24” x 17.75” $3,200

Wyandotte 2007 acrylic on wood24” x 18”$3,200

Dearborn 2007 acrylic on wood24” x 18”$3,200

Southfield 2007 acrylic on wood 24” x 17.75”$3,200

Verse (The First Sister Part Two) 2012 acrylic on wood 24” x 17.75” $3,200

Verse (The First Sister Part Three) 2012 acrylic on wood 24” x 17.75” $3,200

Stronghold (Theoretical) 2012 acrylic on wood 24” x 30”$3,600

Stagecraft 1023 2009 acrylic on wood11.75” x 9.75”$1,800

Pedestrian (Wills Horton) 2011 acrylic on wood 24” x 15.75”$3,200

middle: Thrill Seeker (Sensible) 2012 acrylic on wood24” x 15.75”$3,200

Pedestrian (Wills Horton) 2011 acrylic on wood 24” x 15.75”$3,200

middle: Thrill Seeker (Sensible) 2012 acrylic on wood24” x 15.75”$3,200

Pedestrian (Jake & Jane) 2011 acrylic on wood24” x 15.75” $3,200

top: Inflatable Moonbeams 2010 acrylic on wood11.75” x 15”$2,500

bottom: Histrionics (Day Old) 2010acrylic on wood11.75” x 15”$2,500

A Lament 2008 acrylic on wood16” x 20”$2,800

A Petition 2008acrylic on wood16” x 20” $2,800

Superintendent (Benign) 2012 acrylic on wood 24” x 15.75”$3,200

Thespian H.F.L. 2011 acrylic on wood24” x 15.75”$3,200

Thespian M.N.I. No.1 2011acrylic on wood 24” x 15.75” $3,200

Thespian H.U.O. No.2 2011acrylic on wood24” x 15.75” $3,200

Reenactment: December 29, 1978 2008acrylic on wood 19.75” x 23.75"$3,400

Reenactment: July 22 1969 2008 acrylic on wood 19.75” x 23.75"$3,400

Reenactment: April 21, 1972 2008 acrylic on wood 19.75” x 23.75"$3,400

Reenactment: December 11, 1991 2008 acrylic on wood 19.75” x 23.75"SOLD

Dialogue: An Overture 2008 acrylic on wood 16 x 20"$2,800

Reenactment: November 13,1989 2008acrylic on wood 19.75” x 23.75"$3,400

Reenactment: June 21, 1991 2008acrylic on wood 19.75 x 23.75"$3,400

Dialogue: A Platitude 2008 acrylic on wood 16” x 20”$2,800

Reenactment: June 12, 1987 2008 acrylic on wood 19.75” x 23.75"$3,400

Submerged Verse Anthologybook installationacrylic on wood 8.25” x various widths$1,500 each

Submerged Verse Anthology Collection $1,500 each

left: 108(CV11)Gunther Prien : A Leathery Ambition Tucked IntoA Pair Of Wool Belted Swim Trunks $1,500

Reenactor (Seaman) 2012 acrylic on wood 24” x 18”$3,200

Reenactor (Infantryman) 2012 acrylic on wood 24” x 18”$3,200

Float (PT-109) 2012 acrylic on wood 24” x 36”$3,600

Rumination 2007acrylic on wood 8.5” x 11.5” each$1,800 each

Detroit 2008acrylic on wood 29.75” x 23.75” $3,600

left: Scenario 04070902(Computer Workers Collaborating, Part Two) 2009acrylic on wood 15” x 11.75”$2,500

right: Scenario 04070903(Computer Workers Collaborating/Embracing, Part Three) 2009acrylic on wood 15” x 11.75”$2,500

175 works on paper, installation viewvarious sizes11.5” x 8.75” $1,25011.5” x 15” $1,500

Thespian Disoriented 2011acrylic on wood 24” x 15.75”$3,200

Thespian D.U.P. 2011acrylic on wood 24” x 15.75”$3,200

Thespian D.U.P. 2011acrylic on wood 24” x 15.75”$3,200

Thespian M.I.D. 2011acrylic on wood 24” x 15.75”$3,200

Pedestrian Press 2012 acrylic on wood, 17” x 11” x 4” $2,750 each

Shirtless Regional Street Theater 2011 acrylic on wood 24” x 15.75”$3,200

Know Your Lines Act Your Part 2011 acrylic on wood 24” x 15.75”$3,200

Trophy/Monument 17 2011 $1,250

left: Trophy/ Monument 2011 numbers 1-40gouache on paper 11” x 17” $1,250 each

All images courtesy of Gallery 16, San FranciscoUsed by Permission. All rights reserved.Copyright ©2012 Gallery 16 and Martin McMurray