First Street Gallery is pleased to present Leaving Eden, an exhibition of paintings by Kathi Packer. In her new series, Packer continues to situate herself, as the protagonist, in allegorical and narrative scenes engaging nature. There is an underlying theatricality in her vision. The paintings are suffused with an unpredictable and outlandish juxtaposing of elements creating other worldly tableaus. Packer’s personal experiences and private musings are synthesized into complex but subtle statements on the global eco-political situation and the typically tenuous relationships of humans and nature.

In these works, her complex compositions shift between representation and surrealism. Using self portraits that are seamlessly merged into complex enigmatic landscapes, she creates a cacophony of visual clues that open windows to her grand and often tender world view. An iconic sphere and all that it represents, contrasts with the density of a ubiquitous bamboo thicket where life can flourish or perish. Packer is clearly not only dealing with paradox in her content, but also expressing opposing artistic impulses in her process. Broad, expansive strokes suggest space while at other times the artist indulges in a pleasurable moment depicting some finer detail such as a facial expression. Her love of a painterly surface and the immediacy of the process allows for a stroke that can also slow down to persuasively render the fold of a ribbon.

Artistic influences are part of Packer’s personal vision. Carlo Crivelli, Lucas Cranach, and Balthus remain important sources for the artist especially for their use of symbolism, color and narrative mysticism. In Leaving Eden Packer has found new inspiration by embracing a palette that evokes pre-18th Century “miniatures” from India with their use of rich saffron yellow, cinnabar red, verdigris, violet and gold. Other important sources are modern dance, film, and theater where the message focuses on the body and how it conveys emotion, movement, identity and relationship to context.

Kathi Packer’s work is in the collection of the New Britain Museum of American Art and in corporate and private collections throughout the United States. Her paintings and drawings can be viewed at: www.kathipacker.com, www.firststreetgallery.net and www.artincontext.org

Kathi Packer: Leaving Eden opens October 30th and runs through December 1st, 2007.

A reception for the artist will be held Saturday, November 3rd; 3:00 to 5:30 pm. Gallery hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. The gallery is located at 526 West 26th Street, Suite 915 New York, NY between 10th and 11th Avenues.