A Very Bad Influence

myplasticheart presents “Monkey in the Middle,” featuring new works by Ken Keirns. Using his multitude of self-taught skills as a painter, Ken frequently depicts women as well as monkeys with human-like qualities in diverse emotions and circumstances. A west coast based artist, Ken’s main focus is working with oil paint which he showcases in a variety of paintings and custom figures for the exhibit. Oil paint is a type of slow-drying paint that consists of particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil, commonly linseed oil. The viscosity of the paint may be modified by the addition of a solvent such as turpentine or white spirit, and varnish may be added to increase the glossiness of the dried film. Oil paints have been used in Europe since the 12th century for simple decoration, but were not widely adopted as an artistic medium until the early 15th century. Common modern applications of oil paint are in finishing and protection of wood in buildings and exposed metal structures such as ships and bridges. Its hard-wearing properties and luminous colors make it desirable for both interior and exterior use on wood and metal. Due to its slow-drying properties, it has recently been used in paint-on-glass animation. Thickness of coat has considerable bearing on time required for drying: thin coats of oil paint dry relatively quickly. Established in 2004, myplasticheart is a toy store and gallery dedicated to bringing the best in both the designer toy and contemporary art world together in one place. Located in the Lower East Side in New York City myplasticheart provides one of the largest selections of designer art toys anywhere. From mini figures to plush to art books and prints you will find a wide range of unique art and design products related to the designer toy culture. The myplasticheart gallery hosts monthly exhibits showcasing many contemporary underground pop and urban artists and illustrators from all over the world. myplasticheart has exhibited works by Julie West, Chris Ryniak, Shawnimals, Andrew Bell, Scott C., and Aya Kakeda to name a few. You can learn more about our gallery and shows at myplasticheartnyc.com myplasticheart also operates mphlabs, the division of the company responsible for product development in the form of limited edition art and design collectibles. Since 2006 mphlabs has produced various projects with many local artists as well as artists from overseas. You can learn more at mphlabs.com Mo. - closed Tu. - Sa. - 12:00 pm - 07:00 pm Su. - 12:00 pm - 05:00 pm Ken Keirns is a Northern California artist who grew up in Flint, Michigan. After spending nearly a decade in Chicago, Ken moved out West in late 2007 to paint full-time and complain about the lack of snow. While his primary focus has been working with oil paint, he has been known to deliver the odd sculpture, toy prototype or mixed media piece. His recurrent subject matter revolves around cranially endowed women and monkeys interlaced with personal experiences, dreams, and the occasional bad pun. Ken's education was in graphic design. He only took a few formal painting classes -- he is mostly self-taught through research and trial & error.