Kim Boerner

Artist Statement

Kim Boerner
Artist Statement

My paintings express the intimate emotions and struggles of people. They might be anxious, or in transition. Their feelings may be public or private. I want to create, as John Berger said, "the beauty which expresses hope";.

I aim to paint that beauty that is in those who ask for/demand change, relief, or a better life. The people I paint may be vulnerable, but are never just victims.

Taking a situation in the world or in my community, I paint a private environment that tells a story.
Some of my figures are complete, others exist as incomplete gestural bodies. By leaving out some of what we usually see,!I focus on that beauty which goes beyond differences.

My work is influenced by my teaching experience with teens in Oakland, California, and my union leadership and activism with my peers.