1994, Pieta, 11 x 11.5 inches, oil on gessoed paper, by Kenney Mencher
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This ships from Round Lake Beach, Illinois. A suburb outside of Chicago.
I use UPS and sometimes US Post.
This piece is called Pieta, and I painted it in 1994 using oil on gessoed watercolor paper. It’s about 11 x 11.5 inches and was made using the same technique I used for some of my experimental landscapes—gessoing heavy watercolor paper taped down to boards. It gave the surface texture and a clean holding line once I peeled the tape, which I always loved.
The image is based on a photo I saw in a newspaper—a woman holding a man (I think it was her son) who had been shot. She was trying to help him, but from what I could tell, he was already gone. The people around her were trying to pull her away. It felt instantly iconic to me, like a modern version of the Pietà, and I knew I wanted to paint it in a way that was abstract enough to blur the specific details and let the emotion take center stage.
I’ve always been moved by stories like this, and I’ve supported causes like the Johns Hopkins Center Against Gun Violence—though now I more often give to the ACLU. That emotional and political undercurrent runs through a lot of my work, especially pieces like this. With the rise of authoritarianism and ongoing violence, this painting feels as relevant now as it did back then.
The style is intentionally raw and expressionistic. I used thick brushwork, minimal detail, and a cool, muted palette with some flashes of warmth in the hands and faces. The figures are loosely defined, their gestures more important than the accuracy of the anatomy. Her hands are clasped as if in prayer—it's chaotic and tender at the same time.
Compositionally, the piece is asymmetrical, but the action spirals inward to the center, drawing your eye to the connection between the two central figures. I wanted it to feel both crowded and intimate, like the moment was collapsing in on itself.
This painting is now part of my Fresh Finds project—a collection of works I’ve pulled from my archive to share with collectors. These are original, early pieces that I’ve held onto for years. They’re personal, handmade, and a big part of my development as an artist. I’m releasing them now because they still speak to where I came from and what matters to me.
Details:
Title: Pieta
Year: 1994
Medium: Oil on gessoed watercolor paper
Dimensions: approx. 11 x 11.5 inches
Unframed
Signed on the front
Part of the Fresh Finds archive release
Based on a news image, painted in response to gun violence
FREE SHIPPING Shipping takes 3-4 Weeks
This ships from Round Lake Beach, Illinois. A suburb outside of Chicago.
I use UPS and sometimes US Post.
This piece is called Pieta, and I painted it in 1994 using oil on gessoed watercolor paper. It’s about 11 x 11.5 inches and was made using the same technique I used for some of my experimental landscapes—gessoing heavy watercolor paper taped down to boards. It gave the surface texture and a clean holding line once I peeled the tape, which I always loved.
The image is based on a photo I saw in a newspaper—a woman holding a man (I think it was her son) who had been shot. She was trying to help him, but from what I could tell, he was already gone. The people around her were trying to pull her away. It felt instantly iconic to me, like a modern version of the Pietà, and I knew I wanted to paint it in a way that was abstract enough to blur the specific details and let the emotion take center stage.
I’ve always been moved by stories like this, and I’ve supported causes like the Johns Hopkins Center Against Gun Violence—though now I more often give to the ACLU. That emotional and political undercurrent runs through a lot of my work, especially pieces like this. With the rise of authoritarianism and ongoing violence, this painting feels as relevant now as it did back then.
The style is intentionally raw and expressionistic. I used thick brushwork, minimal detail, and a cool, muted palette with some flashes of warmth in the hands and faces. The figures are loosely defined, their gestures more important than the accuracy of the anatomy. Her hands are clasped as if in prayer—it's chaotic and tender at the same time.
Compositionally, the piece is asymmetrical, but the action spirals inward to the center, drawing your eye to the connection between the two central figures. I wanted it to feel both crowded and intimate, like the moment was collapsing in on itself.
This painting is now part of my Fresh Finds project—a collection of works I’ve pulled from my archive to share with collectors. These are original, early pieces that I’ve held onto for years. They’re personal, handmade, and a big part of my development as an artist. I’m releasing them now because they still speak to where I came from and what matters to me.
Details:
Title: Pieta
Year: 1994
Medium: Oil on gessoed watercolor paper
Dimensions: approx. 11 x 11.5 inches
Unframed
Signed on the front
Part of the Fresh Finds archive release
Based on a news image, painted in response to gun violence
FREE SHIPPING Shipping takes 3-4 Weeks
This ships from Round Lake Beach, Illinois. A suburb outside of Chicago.
I use UPS and sometimes US Post.
This piece is called Pieta, and I painted it in 1994 using oil on gessoed watercolor paper. It’s about 11 x 11.5 inches and was made using the same technique I used for some of my experimental landscapes—gessoing heavy watercolor paper taped down to boards. It gave the surface texture and a clean holding line once I peeled the tape, which I always loved.
The image is based on a photo I saw in a newspaper—a woman holding a man (I think it was her son) who had been shot. She was trying to help him, but from what I could tell, he was already gone. The people around her were trying to pull her away. It felt instantly iconic to me, like a modern version of the Pietà, and I knew I wanted to paint it in a way that was abstract enough to blur the specific details and let the emotion take center stage.
I’ve always been moved by stories like this, and I’ve supported causes like the Johns Hopkins Center Against Gun Violence—though now I more often give to the ACLU. That emotional and political undercurrent runs through a lot of my work, especially pieces like this. With the rise of authoritarianism and ongoing violence, this painting feels as relevant now as it did back then.
The style is intentionally raw and expressionistic. I used thick brushwork, minimal detail, and a cool, muted palette with some flashes of warmth in the hands and faces. The figures are loosely defined, their gestures more important than the accuracy of the anatomy. Her hands are clasped as if in prayer—it's chaotic and tender at the same time.
Compositionally, the piece is asymmetrical, but the action spirals inward to the center, drawing your eye to the connection between the two central figures. I wanted it to feel both crowded and intimate, like the moment was collapsing in on itself.
This painting is now part of my Fresh Finds project—a collection of works I’ve pulled from my archive to share with collectors. These are original, early pieces that I’ve held onto for years. They’re personal, handmade, and a big part of my development as an artist. I’m releasing them now because they still speak to where I came from and what matters to me.
Details:
Title: Pieta
Year: 1994
Medium: Oil on gessoed watercolor paper
Dimensions: approx. 11 x 11.5 inches
Unframed
Signed on the front
Part of the Fresh Finds archive release
Based on a news image, painted in response to gun violence
