Brigid Kennedy
Brigid Kennedy (b. 1951, Buffalo, NY) is an artist living in Wethersfield, CT, whose current focus is painting. Kennedy earned her BA at the University of Toronto (1973), her BFA from SUNY Buffalo (1977), and her MFA at Yale University, School of Art (1979).
Kennedy's work is included in the collections of The Burchfield Penney Art Center (Buffalo, NY); The New Britain Museum of American Art (New Britain, CT); Pratt Institute (Brooklyn, NY); and Trinity College (Hartford, CT).
Her solo exhibitions include Gallery on The Green (Canton, CT); ArtWalk/Hartford Public Library (Hartford, CT); Five Points Gallery (Torrington, CT); Ely Center of Contemporary Art (New Haven, CT); and Sculptors’ Guild, State of Play installation (Governors Island, NY).
Recent group exhibitions include Zurcher Gallery (New York, NY); NBMAA Nor’Easter 2024 (New Britain, CT); The Flinn Gallery (Greenwich, CT); The Mattatuck Museum (Waterbury, CT); Carriage Trade Gallery, Odetta Gallery, Prince Street Gallery, and The Painting Center (all NYC).
Kennedy’s artistic contributions have been recognized with the Greater Hartford Arts Council’s Individual Artist Fellowship Grant, a Fulbright Scholar Lecture/Research Award in Chile, a Connecticut State Commission on the Arts Artists Project Grant, a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Award, three NEA Visual Artists Grants, and residencies at Yaddo and MacDowell.
Artist Statement
This ongoing series of paintings uses the window as a metaphor, examining the outside world in relation to the self.
My recent paintings are grounded in direct observation. Through abstracted representation, they explore the intricate layers of daily life's architecture, capturing the intersection of built environments and nature. Each painting offers an inside/out perspective, delving into spatial depth and detail within singular moments.
The genesis of this series emerged during the pandemic, as I found myself contemplating familiar vistas through windows that suddenly took on new significance. Whether immersed in the soft hues of dawn or dusk, I sought to capture the fleeting natural light that subtly transformed these scenes. The outside view became entwined with reflections of interior spaces, seamlessly integrated within the same frame. As this body of work evolved, it grew in complexity, with exterior views and interior reflections weaving together into compositions that invite exploration and engagement.
These paintings serve as a conduit, conveying intricacy through simplicity—a tactile connection to place, both literal and metaphorical. They present themselves as puzzles that unravel the hidden treasures and mysteries that surround us.
brigidkennedyart.com
