Category Archives: Lectures and Workshops

University of Arizona Museum of Art Lecture (updated)

Lecture 01

UAMA Lecture Joe Forkan 01

My exhibition of the Lebowski Cycle at the University of Arizona Museum of Art ended recently. I got to wrap it up the week before by giving a talk about the work for a nice crowd at the museum. Great to have the work up in Tucson and to see so many old friends at the talk, including my favorite professor from my undergraduate days, Classics professor Dr. David Soren, whose classes I took at UA back in 1987 and 1988! A real treat to catch up with this brilliant man after all that time. (I’m showing my age, because it didn’t occur to me to take a selfie with him…)

lecture 02

UAMA Lecture Joe Forkan 02

The lecture was fun for me, (what’s not to like about talking about painting, and a big body of work I spent 5 years making)? It was much easier, and a lot more effective, to talk about the paintings when they were actually in the room. Talking about paintings from slides somehow does not have the same effect.

Tucson Sky

Tucson Sky

In my lecture, I was going to explain how growing up in Tucson was responsible for my love of color as a painter. I think the sunsets that whole week explained it a lot better.

Raft of the Medusa - installation shot

UAMA Raft of the Medusa – installation shot

The installation shots really help to give a sense of the scale of these paintings. So much of what I was after here was the impact that the old master narrative paintings have because of their size, their physical presence, which never translates in photos or on the internet.

Exhibition - installation shot

UAMA Lebowski Cycle Exhibition – installation shot

It was great to have the work up at the University of Arizona, my alma mater, in my hometown. That had a nice symmetry. Thanks to everyone at the Museum, and to everyone who came out for the lecture. Thanks to Eric Stoner for the installation & lecture photos. 

Lebowski Talk flyer

Opening Reception • The Lebowski Cycle • The University of Arizona Museum of Art

The University of Arizona Museum of Art in Tucson, Arizona is hosting an exhibition of The Lebowski Cycle in the museum’s Main Gallery from May 28th through September 25th, 2016.

The exhibition will include all 15 of the large-scale oil paintings from the cycle.

An opening reception will be held on June 2nd from 5-7 pm at the museum.

Supper at Emmaus (After Caravaggio) • Joe Forkan 2006-2009 oil on linen 96?x 38?

Supper at Emmaus (After Caravaggio) • Joe Forkan 2006-2009 oil on linen 96?x 38?

I am particularly looking forward to this show, as I largely grew up in Tucson, and received my BFA in Studio Art from the University of Arizona. The UA Museum of Art was also the first art museum I went to when I was young, and it will be great to have my work shown there.

 

The Lebowski Cycle – New Painting and Upcoming California Exhibition of the Lebowski Cycle *updated*

The Incredulity of St Thomas 1000 color adjust

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas (after Caravaggio) • Joe Forkan 2014 Oil on Linen 72″ x 40″

l am pleased to announce the upcoming exhibition of The Lebowski Cycle at College of the Canyons Art Gallery in Santa Clarita, CA, from Oct 28 – Dec 10, 2014.

There will be an opening reception and artist talk Tuesday, October 28th from 2-5 pm, as well as a closing reception from 3-7 pm on Dec 6th.

The exhibition will include all 14 of the original large scale paintings from the Lebowski Cycle, plus a recently completed 15th painting from 2014, The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, seen here.

Lebowski Cycle at College of the Canyons1000

The Lebowski Cycle installed at The College of the Canyons Art Gallery

 
Hours and directions to the gallery can be found here.
 
I’ll be posting additional information about the show and more about this painting soon.
The Incredulity of St Thomas detail color adjust 1000

Detail • The Incredulity of Saint Thomas (after Caravaggio) • Joe Forkan 2014 Oil on Linen 72″ x 40″

 

The Lebowski Cycle at Flecker Gallery, Selden, New York • Extended until Dec 2, 2013 •

A new exhibition of paintings from the Lebowski Cycle opens next week at the Flecker Gallery in Selden, New York. I am working to finish printing limited edition giclees of many of the paintings, which should be available soon. Catalogs from the show will also be available. Please check back or leave your email address in the comments section and I will email you with information when they are available.

The Raft of the Medusa (After Géricault) • Joe Forkan 2011, oil on linen, 84" x 144"

The Raft of the Medusa (After Géricault) • Joe Forkan 2011, oil on linen, 84″ x 144″

The Flecker Gallery is pleased to announce that it will host The Lebowski Cycle: Paintings by Joe Forkan from October 17 through December 02, 2013.

An opening reception and gallery discussion will take place on Thursday, October 17 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.  The event is open to the public and light refreshments will be served.

The Lebowski Cycle: Paintings by Joe Forkan
October 17 – November 12, 2013

Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday from 10AM until 3PM.  For additional information, please call 631-451-4093 or visit fleckergallery.org

 
Matthew Neil Gehring
Gallery Director and Curator, Flecker Gallery
Suffolk County Community College
Ammerman Campus
533 College Road
Selden, NY 11784

The Lebowski Cycle at MOCA Jacksonville • Feb. 3 — April 1, 2012

I was recently invited to do a painting workshop and a series of lectures at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville as part of the Barbara Ritzman Devereux Artist Workshops, in coordination with The Lebowski Cycle exhibition at The Museum of Contemporary Art in Jacksonville, (where I also gave a lecture on the Lebowski Cycle). I also spoke at Florida State University in Tallahassee.

These photos are of the exhibit at MOCA Jacksonville, which is up through this Sunday.