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STREET PHOTOGRAPHY BY IKE SLIMSTER

Mia Farrington’s “Parallels” at Stephanie Chefas.

Currently on view at Stephanie Chefas Projects in Portland, Oregon is artist Mia Farrington’s solo exhibition, “Parallels.”

With “Parallels,” Farrington continues to explore perfectionism and facades by way of her bold, yet elegant abstractions. Balancing form and color against a uniquely textural backdrop, each painting represents her search for balance and simplicity in a perfection-obsessed society that places high expectations on women. Farrington seeks catharsis through the use of monochromatic color, palpable texture, and basic shape, which unify to stunning and slightly off-kilter effect.

Color and form have always played a critical role in Farrington’s work. Both elements are used as exploratory devices to investigate hard-edged, opaque shapes which retain balance at first glance. Upon closer examination, however, the viewer begins to pick up on the painting’s purposeful imperfections and intricacies. It’s here that one discovers subtle irregularities of the linen canvas and the frayed, uneven edges of particular shapes. That rings especially true with works such as ‘Ruin You’, ‘Alba II’, and ‘Parallels I’, where art truly imitates life.

Farrington’s reverence for abstract expression and minimalist evokes the work of artists like Anne Truitt and Ellsworth Kelly, while nevertheless striking its own distinct chord. Beneath the delicate marriage of color, shape, and texture is an ongoing statement about perceptions and relationships in the civilized world. What appears to be simplistic at first renders new impressions and reveals new details with each subsequent viewing.

The exhibition is on view until March 21st, 2020.

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