Gallery Heike Strelow

Starsky Brines

As part of the 30th season opening of the Frankfurt galleries, we are presenting the second solo exhibition of the Venezuelan artist Starsky Brines in our rooms under the title "Luna Park - Shadow of Amusement". We are particularly pleased that he will be attending the opening in person this year.
In this exhibition, Starsky Brines' paintings and works on paper transport us into a world that captures the dazzlingly nostalgic flair of fairgrounds and amusement parks, but also allows their darker features to shine through. Brines' unmistakable mixture of fantastic figurations and bright colors shows us not only the happy and bright moments, but also the mysterious and dark facets of a Luna Park.
Luna Parks have their origins in the old medieval fairs and received their first permanent form in Europe in the middle of the 19th century. Shortly before the beginning of the 20th century, an amusement park was created on Coney Island that promised sensations, adventure and the illusion of unlimited possibilities: Luna Park. At the beginning of the new century, this place of wonder and dreams quickly found imitators in the vibrant metropolises of Paris and Berlin.
For Starky Brines, an artist who is inspired by colors, light, shapes and animal archetypes and uses them to seduce the viewer of his works, Luna Parks exert a natural attraction. They not only captivate him visually, but also encourage him to reflect "on our need for adventure and sensations on the edge of danger and suffering", a need that seems to be particularly strong in times of great social uncertainty.
In his work, Brines is certainly critical of society by addressing the hidden dark sides and often overlooked social ills that are concealed behind the glittering lights and cheerful rides, as here. With his pictures, he illuminates the discrepancy between appearance and reality and invites visitors to reflect on the social realities hidden behind the colorful facade. In doing so, he avoids pointing the finger and focuses on humor and irony.
Starsky Brines studied art at the Instituto Universitario de Estudios Superiores de Artes Plásticas Armando Reverón in Caracas. Artistically, he was influenced by Latin American figurative art, German Neo-Expressionism, the Italian Transavantgarde and the COBRA group. His work, which oscillates between figuration and abstraction, has attracted international attention and is represented in important collections in cities such as Caracas, Berlin, Basel, Buenos Aires, Bogota, Santander, Singapore, Kuwait, Miami, Madrid, New York, Seoul and Zurich.
Brines was born in 1977 on the Caribbean coast of Venezuela and now lives and works in Miami, Florida.