Robert Pokorny b.1969 Merced, CA is an American contemporary visual artist living and working in Los Angeles, California. Pokorny’s work has been exhibited extensively nationally as well as internationally and is held in public and private collections worldwide. Pokorny has been featured in Art Maze Magazine, Amadeus Magazine, Arte Al’ Limite, Cool Hunting, Juxtapoz, Maps, Sound & Vision Podcast and Voyage LA. His recent solo exhibitions include ‘State Of Mind’, 2023 at NBB Gallery, ‘Inside Out’, 2023 at Steve Turner, ‘Thinking, Staring & Smoking’ 2021 at Johansson Projects and ‘Modern Guilt & Blue Skies’ 2020 at Ampersand Gallery. In 2019, his book ‘Drawings’ was published by Ampersand Editions and debuted at the LA Art Book Fair. Pokorny holds a MFA from California State University Long Beach.
I use portraiture as a device through which a dialogue is opened between the artist and viewer, the artist and the outside world. Portrait as an expression of myself, the practice of the studio, the intentional dialogue between my own vision and great painters from the past. These portraits do not convey one person in particular but pictures of us all—the rich diversity of human dialogue, the moments of deep conflict, the pleasure of pure harmony and the journey of aging. My paintings are a personal marker of this time period, capturing moments that are seemingly absurd, sometimes humorous, but completely sincere.
Education
MFA, California State University Long Beach, 2011
Solo Shows
State Of Mind, NBB Berlin, Germany 2023
No Running By The Pool, Steve Turner, Los Angeles, CA 2023
Inside Out, Steve Turner, Los Angeles, CA 2023
Thinking, Staring & Smoking, Johansson Projects, Oakland, CA 2021
Modern Guilt & Blue Skies, Ampersand Gallery, Portland, OR 2020
Dialogue, Ampersand Gallery, Portland, OR 2019
SATURATION, Max L. Gatov Gallery, Long Beach, CA 2010
Transitions, M Modern Gallery Palm Springs, CA 2008
The Red Zone, Alpha Cult Long Beach, CA 2007
Group Shows
Post Picasso, Mayoral, Paris 2023
NBB Paperworks Vol III, NBB Gallery, Berlin, Germany 2022
NBB Paperworks Vol II, NBB Gallery, Berlin, Germany 2021
It’s Smaller Than I Thought, Safe and Sound Gallery, Burlington, VT 2021
Left Coast Connection, Ringling College of Art + Design, Englewood, FL 2021
Summer Spectacular, Hey There Projects, Joshua Tree, CA 2020
Within the Distance, Johansson Projects, Oakland, CA 2020
Derivations, Art on Paper, Aureus Contemporary, New York, NY 2018
Land Purchase, Ampersand Gallery, Portland, OR 2017
Thanks For Sharing - The Art of Instant, Global Inspiration, Port Townsend, WA 2017
Five Year Anniversary Exhibition, Phone Booth Gallery Long Beach, CA 2013
Palos Verdes Art Center All-Media Juried Exhibition, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 2012
2CC 10th Anniversary Celebrating a Decade of Art 2nd City Council, Long Beach, CA 2011
Insights 2010, University Art Museum CSULB Long Beach, CA 2010
Movers & Shakers, POVevolving Los Angeles, CA 2009
Looking Glass, Thinkspace Gen Art Vanguard, Miami, FL 2008
Abstraction Distraction, M Modern Gallery Palm Springs, CA 2008
Jump Start, Applegate Gallery Santa Monica, CA 2008
The Summer Show, Applegate Gallery Santa Monica, CA 2007
Everything but the Kitschen Sync Group Show, La Luz De Jesus L.A, CA 2006.
The Graphic Noise Show, MODA Museum of Design Atlanta, GA 2006
Fairs
Untitled Art Miami, Steve Turner, FL 2023
Untitled Art Miami, Johansson Projects, Miami, FL 2022
CAN Art Fair, Johansson Projects, Ibiza, Spain 2022
Expo Chicago, Johansson Projects, Chicago, Il 2022
Untitled Art Miami, Johansson Projects, Miami, FL 2021
Derivations/Formations, SCOPE, Aureus Contemporary, Miami, FL 2017
Primitives/Derivations, SCOPE, Aureus Contemporary, Basel, CH 2017
Derivations/Formations/Primitives, Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary, Aureus 2017
Contemporary, Miami, FL 2017
Derivations/Formations, SCOPE, Aureus Contemporary, Miami, FL 2016
Primitives, Art Copenhagen, Aureus Contemporary, Copenhagen, DK 2016
Primitives/Derivations, SCOPE, Aureus Contemporary, Basel, CH 2016
Primitives/Derivations, ARTNY, Aureus Contemporary, New York, NY 2016
Primitives/Derivations, Art Wynwood, Aureus Contemporary, Miami, FL 2016
Primitives, SCOPE, Aureus Contemporary, Miami, FL 2015
Derivations/Formations, Aqua Art Fair, Aureus Contemporary, Miami, FL 2015
Primitives, Texas Contemporary, Aureus Contemporary, Houston, TX 2015
Primitives, Art Fair Cologne, Aureus Contemporary, Cologne, DE 2015
Primitives, ArtSouthampton, Aureus Contemporary, Bridgehampton,NY 2015
Primitives, ArtMiami NY, Aureus Contemporary, New York, NY 2015
Formations, Off Course Art Fair, Aureus Contemporary, Brussels, BE 2015
Derivations/Formations, SCOPE, Aureus Contemporary, Miami, FL 2014
Awards
Palos Verdes Art Center Board of Trustees Award 2012
Beverly G. Alpay Award for Working Visual Artists 2011
Windes & McClaughry Corporate Gallery Award 2011
2CC 10th Anniversary Celebrating a Decade of Art 1st Place 2011
G.E.S.S. Scholarship CSULB 2010
Dean’s Purchase Award CSULB 2010
Joy of Life Scholarship CSULB 2009
Richard and Johanna Baker Scholarship CSULB 2008