2012 ARTIST STATEMENT Born in Vancouver, Canada in 1975 of a Turkish father and English mother, Tim Kent has been a New Yorker since 1990. The shifting cultural voices of his childhood contributed a resonant respect for tradition, but also instigated an impish imagination to skew the traditions it honors. Kent’s paintings often directly reference historical artworks, in dialogue with his favorite influences. Introducing actual historical paintings and sculptures, or altered versions, into his paintings offers a play within a play in Kent’s own work. This conversation highlights the aesthetic context of his work with the goal of engaging the spectator’s own imagination.
