1992, Tea Party, 18x24 inches, oil on stretched canvas, by Kenney Mencher
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This is a handmade work of art NOT a print
Shipping takes 3-4 Weeks
This painting is part of my Fresh Finds project, where I’m revisiting older work from the 1990s. I painted Tea Party in 1992 while I was living in Davis and showing at John Natsoulas Gallery. The label from that show is still on the back.
At the time, I was heavily influenced by the Bay Area Figurative painters, and I was also thinking about how language worked in queer culture. “Tea party” was a term that, depending on context, could mean a gossipy get-together or something more coded—like a cruisy encounter in a place like a subway. This painting hints at that underground vibe without being explicit.
I based it on a reference image of three guys coming out of a subway, one of them grabbing his crotch. I really liked the dramatic lighting—sort of backlit with yellow and orange, like a blast of energy behind them. It’s painted in oil on canvas with loose brushwork and bold color.
I framed it at the time using some leftover molding from a friend’s framing shop. The reddish-brown frame is original to the piece.
Details
Title: Tea Party
Artist: Kenney Mencher
Year: 1992
Medium: Oil on stretched canvas
Size: 18 x 24 inches (painting), approx. 19 x 25 inches framed
Frame: Original reddish-brown wooden frame from salvaged molding
Condition: Excellent, original label on back from 1992 gallery show
Project: Part of the Fresh Finds archive series
Keywords
gay art, subway painting, 1990s figurative art, Bay Area Figurative, Kenney Mencher, original oil painting, tea party slang, gay culture art, underground scene, framed canvas art, male figures painting, fresh finds project, backlit painting, John Natsoulas Gallery
FREE SHIPPING
This is a handmade work of art NOT a print
Shipping takes 3-4 Weeks
This painting is part of my Fresh Finds project, where I’m revisiting older work from the 1990s. I painted Tea Party in 1992 while I was living in Davis and showing at John Natsoulas Gallery. The label from that show is still on the back.
At the time, I was heavily influenced by the Bay Area Figurative painters, and I was also thinking about how language worked in queer culture. “Tea party” was a term that, depending on context, could mean a gossipy get-together or something more coded—like a cruisy encounter in a place like a subway. This painting hints at that underground vibe without being explicit.
I based it on a reference image of three guys coming out of a subway, one of them grabbing his crotch. I really liked the dramatic lighting—sort of backlit with yellow and orange, like a blast of energy behind them. It’s painted in oil on canvas with loose brushwork and bold color.
I framed it at the time using some leftover molding from a friend’s framing shop. The reddish-brown frame is original to the piece.
Details
Title: Tea Party
Artist: Kenney Mencher
Year: 1992
Medium: Oil on stretched canvas
Size: 18 x 24 inches (painting), approx. 19 x 25 inches framed
Frame: Original reddish-brown wooden frame from salvaged molding
Condition: Excellent, original label on back from 1992 gallery show
Project: Part of the Fresh Finds archive series
Keywords
gay art, subway painting, 1990s figurative art, Bay Area Figurative, Kenney Mencher, original oil painting, tea party slang, gay culture art, underground scene, framed canvas art, male figures painting, fresh finds project, backlit painting, John Natsoulas Gallery
FREE SHIPPING
This is a handmade work of art NOT a print
Shipping takes 3-4 Weeks
This painting is part of my Fresh Finds project, where I’m revisiting older work from the 1990s. I painted Tea Party in 1992 while I was living in Davis and showing at John Natsoulas Gallery. The label from that show is still on the back.
At the time, I was heavily influenced by the Bay Area Figurative painters, and I was also thinking about how language worked in queer culture. “Tea party” was a term that, depending on context, could mean a gossipy get-together or something more coded—like a cruisy encounter in a place like a subway. This painting hints at that underground vibe without being explicit.
I based it on a reference image of three guys coming out of a subway, one of them grabbing his crotch. I really liked the dramatic lighting—sort of backlit with yellow and orange, like a blast of energy behind them. It’s painted in oil on canvas with loose brushwork and bold color.
I framed it at the time using some leftover molding from a friend’s framing shop. The reddish-brown frame is original to the piece.
Details
Title: Tea Party
Artist: Kenney Mencher
Year: 1992
Medium: Oil on stretched canvas
Size: 18 x 24 inches (painting), approx. 19 x 25 inches framed
Frame: Original reddish-brown wooden frame from salvaged molding
Condition: Excellent, original label on back from 1992 gallery show
Project: Part of the Fresh Finds archive series
Keywords
gay art, subway painting, 1990s figurative art, Bay Area Figurative, Kenney Mencher, original oil painting, tea party slang, gay culture art, underground scene, framed canvas art, male figures painting, fresh finds project, backlit painting, John Natsoulas Gallery
