Kate Barrengos

In my current series, \"Architectural Play,\" I explore the power of historic architecture through still life paintings of wooden toy blocks. Having grown up in the midwest where the tallest structures were mostly cottonwoods and silos, these buildings represent adventure and history to me. The exaggerated perspective gives the blocks a monumental feel. Three large paintings put the blocks in the context of a room interior. Twelve 18\" x 14\" paintings were inspired in part by the travel journals of John Singer Sargent. Through a child\'s eye, I sought to show how architecture is a lasting reflection of our culture, and an emotional connection to our past.

Kate Barrengos maintains a studio in Marin County, California, were she has lived and worked since 2000. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, she moved to San Francisco after graduating from college with a BS in Biology in 1988. She studied painting, drawing, sculpture, and art history at several institutions before receiving an associate\'s degree in Fine Arts at College of Marin. Selected exhibitions include: \"Architectural Play,\" Thompson/Dorfman Partners, Mill Valley, California. \"Marin Arts Open Studios,\" Mill Valley, California. \"Delicious,\" Studio Gallery, San Francisco, California, 2011. \"Sweetheart Show,\" College of Marin Gallery, Kentfield, California, 2011. \"Tiny,\" Studio Gallery, San Francisco, California, 2011. \"Small Wonders,\" Marin Arts Gallery, San Rafael, California, 2010. \"Local Production,\" Noci, Mill Valley, California, 2010. \"Conversations,\" Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, Novato, California, 2008. \"Faces of the Fallen,\" College of Marin, Kentfield, California, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, 2004-5.