Brian McPartlon: The Shape of Color

The Shape of Color is a curated selection of McPartlon's recent work. Pieces in the show range from his small works on paper to his large 8’ x 6’ acrylic paintings on canvas. The artwork is grounded in a sense of place, and his use of color and abstraction convey a profound sense of optimism.

McPartlon studied art at the San Francisco Art Institute and founded in the 1970’s the leading, casual “alternative space” 63 Bluxome Street Gallery in SoMa. He has lived and worked in Santa Fe for the past 40 years where he has supported the Arts, and local artists. He is well known in the community on account of his roofing business that has provided jobs and allowed McPartlon to raise a family and to paint without constraints. Painting has not been his livelihood, but it has sustained his inner life. McPartlon paints every day (for the past 60 years) often late into the night. Stepping into his spacious studio, one is struck by the number of paintings being worked on. The work starts on the floor and migrates to the wall where pieces are finished. Canvases fill the floor and line the walls.

His works have been on exhibit in New York, San Francisco, and Santa Fe, NM. Notable shows include Art of Heart, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Downtown Center and The Gold Show, Linda Durham Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM.