Boris Torres Rebels I Know

Opening reception October 24th, 6-8 pm

Exhibition dates October 25 - November 17, 2019

MEANTIME CO.

95 St. Nicholas Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11237

Brooklyn, New York; October 9, 2019 – Meantime Co. presents Rebels I Know, an exhibition of portraits painted by Boris Torres. On view will be approximately 20 of 40 portraits painted by Torres over the last 4 years. A limited edition publication of the same title with an essay by Martabel Wasserman will be printed on the occasion of the exhibition.

Artist’s Statement

A few years ago a friend commissioned me to paint his portrait from life. Once a week, for several months, he would come to my studio and sit for me. Afterwards, I missed his visits and this led me to realize that painting a person from life allowed me to connect with them on a deeper level. Our exchange and shared experience was recorded with paint, permanently. I started asking my friends to come and pose for me so that I could continue having these intimate experiences. Many of the people who I have painted are artists and activists, and of this group, many are also queer. I consider them all "rebels" because they have impacted our community for the better through their work. These portraits are of the people I love and admire and my desire is that they reflect something true about the person and of our experience together. Because of this, I no longer work on the portrait after the person leaves my studio.

About the Artist

Boris Torres was born in Ecuador and moved to Brooklyn as a child. Over the last 15 years, he has been creating work that explores identity and history, and his personal experiences growing up as a queer immigrant in New York. He received an MFA from Brooklyn College, an MA in Art Education from City College of New York, and a BA from Parsons School of Design. Torres’s work has been part of numerous museum and group shows, including Art Aids America (Bronx Museum of Art, Tacoma Art Museum), Found (Leslie-Lohman Museum), and Self-Consciousness (Curated by Peter Doig and Hilton Als, Veneklasen Werner Gallery, Berlin). Previous solo shows have been held at Bowman Gallery, Los Angeles; Prinz Eisenherz, Berlin; La Petite Mort Gallery, Ottawa, Canada; and La Naranjilla Mecánica, Quito, Ecuador. More of his work can be found at www.boristorres.com and at instagram.com/boristorres.

Meantime Co. is a venue for art, books, and objects of curiosity founded by Natalia Sacasa. Business hours are Friday through Sunday, 12-6pm and by appointment.

www.meantimeco.com

On instagram @meantimebushwick and @boristorres

Email: stopgapcompany@gmail.com