Kristy Stubbs Gallery is pleased to present 21 & Under, an exhibition of work by the Fairmont’s artist in residence, 16-year-old photographer Brent McKeever. The exhibition will be on view at The Fairmont Hotel Gallery, located at 1717 N Akard St, Dallas, TX 75201, from April 6 – March 1, 2018. The gallery will host an opening reception with the artist in attendance on Friday, May 11, 5-10 pm with a dinner following in the home of the gallerist.
Brent McKeever’s interest in professional photography was piqued when he attended an event hosted by friends and models, Faith and Cambrie Schroder. He observed young photographers skillfully documenting the festivities, and the genuine happiness reflected in the faces of their subjects. This experience was a catalyst to the young artist, inspiring him to evolve beyond the “selfie” trends of Instagram and into the world of artistic photography. McKeever turned his lens upon his hometown of Malibu California, or as he calls it, “the land of beautiful people,” and began capturing images his friends and fellow high school students. In an interview with Galore Magazine, the McKeever stated, “when I started to step behind the camera, I began to take notice of all this beauty that surrounded me.” That beauty is precisely what McKeever has captured in his photographs. He is extremely adept at capturing the unique and often secret lifestyle of his Malibu peers. It is the commonality of youth that grants him access to teenage parties and a look into the life of the rich and famous, affording him a transparent and uninhibited insight that would be unavailable to an older photographer.
Yet, what started as a hobby for Brent quickly turned into a passion. Citing Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin as main influences, McKeever experimented with various settings and social situations, eventually realizing that his strength and preference lay with swimwear and beach shoots. He has since professionally partnered with both modeling agencies and brands, including NEXT Models, Galore Magazine, Elite Models, L.A. Models, Wilhelmina Models, Brandy Melville, Lolli Swimwear, Mary Grace Swimwear, Planet Blue, and San Lorenzo Bikinis.
This exhibition features photographs ranging from candid to commercial captures, in black and white, and color. With the exception of a few new works, this show is traveling from the Arthur Roger Gallery in New Orleans to the Fairmont in Dallas. The images are companied by video excerpts from the artist’s Instagram account and made complete by emoji-imbued comments.
THIS exhibition has inspired young Dallas patrons of the gallery whose work will also be exhibited: Photographs by Frey Kim, who was born September 2009. in: Bariloche (Patagonia), Argentina and has lived there as well as New York City, Miami, Boulder & Denver Colorado and now resides in Dallas. He is a 3rd grader at Parish Episcopal School and aspires to be an artist, architect, and sword fighter.
In his spare time he draws, builds Robots, and trains in Jiu Jitsu.
Kristy Stubbs Gallery opened in Dallas in 1994 with the landmark exhibition “PARIS>TEXAS … MATISSE to BATES”. The gallery represents fine paintings, sculpture and works on paper from the last century. And as the inaugural exhibition implied, artists range from European and American Impressionist and Modern masters to the best of Texas’ own contemporary artists.
From early Monet Impressionist works, to the best of contemporary paintings and sculpture, the KRISTY STUBBS GALLERY remains preeminent in Dallas as the place for advice and guidance in pursuing and evaluating great works of art.
She has had pop-up galleries in the prestigious Highland Park Village, a sculpture garden on Fairmount street in Uptown and now a pop-up gallery in the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Dallas.
