Faris McReynolds & Luke Whitlatch

Echo These Words to Strangers

June 14 – August 3, 2024

Group of abstracted people at the beach, by Faris McReynolds

Faris McReynolds

Where From Here, 2024

Oil on canvas

17 7/20h x 18w in
44.07h x 45.72w cm

FM_002

Group of abstracted people at the beach, by Faris McReynolds

Faris McReynolds

Common Ground, 2024

Oil on canvas

16h x 16w in
40.64h x 40.64w cm

FM_003

Group of abstracted people at the beach, by Faris McReynolds

Faris McReynolds

Now That You're Here, 2024

Oil on canvas

16h x 19 3/4w in
40.64h x 50.17w cm

FM_004

Group of abstracted people at the beach, by Faris McReynolds

Faris McReynolds

With Us, 2024

Oil on canvas

18 1/2h x 18 1/2w in
46.99h x 46.99w cm

FM_005

Crowded beach scene, - painting by Faris McReynolds

Faris McReynolds

Meet Under the Sun, 2024

Oil on canvas

18h x 18w in
45.72h x 45.72w cm

FM_001

Abstracted bodies at the beach, by Faris McReynolds

Faris McReynolds

Echoes Abroad, 2023

Oil on canvas

18h x 18w in
45.72h x 45.72w cm

FM_006

Abstracted bodies at the beach, by Faris McReynolds

Faris McReynolds

Slap/Wreck, 2023

Oil on canvas

18h x 18w in
45.72h x 45.72w cm

FM_007

Abstracted bodies in the water, by Faris McReynolds

Faris McReynolds

Blue Vault, 2023

Oil on canvas

18h x 18w in
45.72h x 45.72w cm

FM_008

Abstracted bodies in the water, by Faris McReynolds

Faris McReynolds

Measured Islands, 2023

Oil on canvas

16h x 20w in
40.64h x 50.80w cm

FM_010

Figures in the waves at beach - painting by Faris McReynolds

Faris McReynolds

A Closer Shore, 2023

Oil on canvas

16h x 20w in
40.64h x 50.80w cm

FM_011

Two figures with outstretched arms in water - painting by Faris McReynolds

Faris McReynolds

Bridge 2, 2023

Oil on canvas

18h x 18w in
45.72h x 45.72w cm

FM_009

Abstracted person in the water, by Faris McReynolds

Faris McReynolds

Dive Up, 2024

Oil on canvas

9h x 12w in
22.86h x 30.48w cm

FM_012

Abstracted person in the water, by Faris McReynolds

Faris McReynolds

Flash 2, 2024

Oil on canvas

9h x 12w in
22.86h x 30.48w cm

FM_014

Head in the waves, painting by Faris McReynolds

Faris McReynolds

Break, 2024

Oil on canvas

9h x 12w in
22.86h x 30.48w cm

FM_013

Abstract painting by Luke Whitlatch

Luke Whitlatch

As I choke these words out, 2024

Oil, acrylic and dye on linen

24h x 18w in
60.96h x 45.72w cm

LW026

Abstract painting by Luke Whitlatch

Luke Whitlatch

They can't loose the dogs on us because the dogs like us more than the dogs like them, 2024

oil, dye and acrylic on canvas

24h x 24w in
60.96h x 60.96w cm

LW027

Abstract painting by Luke Whitlatch

Luke Whitlatch

They haven't always been so thin, 2024

Oil, acrylic and dye on linen

24h x 18w in
60.96h x 45.72w cm

LW020

Abstract painting by Luke Whitlatch

Luke Whitlatch

Thermal pool sirens all sound the same, 2024

Oil, dye and acrylic on canvas

24h x 36w in
60.96h x 91.44w cm

LW028

Abstract artwork in yellow by Luke Whitlatch

Luke Whitlatch

I Thoroughly swept that floor, 2024

Oil, acrylic and dye on linen

24h x 18w in
60.96h x 45.72w cm

LW025

Abstract artwork in black by Luke Whitlatch

Luke Whitlatch

This painting is not a stranger, 2024

Oil, acrylic and dye on linen

24h x 18w in
60.96h x 45.72w cm

LW021

Abstract artwork in teal by Luke Whitlatch

Luke Whitlatch

Toast to Telegraph Hill, 2024

Oil, acrylic and dye on linen

24h x 18w in
60.96h x 45.72w cm

LW024

Abstract painting by Luke Whitlatch

Luke Whitlatch

Speak Of the Brass Badger, 2024

Oil, acrylic and dye on linen

24h x 18w in
60.96h x 45.72w cm

LW023

Abstract painting by Luke Whitlatch

Luke Whitlatch

Bein' Alone is All These Hills Know How to Do, 2024

Dye, acrylic and oil on canvas

18 1/2h x 24w in
46.99h x 60.96w cm

LW018

Abstract artwork in beige by Luke Whitlatch

Luke Whitlatch

The Bridal Trail Dreadnaught, 2024

Oil, acrylic and dye on canvas

48h x 60w in
121.92h x 152.40w cm

LW022

Press Release

Tracey Morgan Gallery is pleased to present Echo These Words to Strangers, a two-person exhibition of paintings by Faris McReynolds & Luke Whitlatch. This is our first exhibition with McReynolds, and our second with Whitlatch. An opening reception is scheduled for Friday, June 14 from 6 to 8 PM. 

Stylistically, this exhibition spans from the precision-heavy abstraction of Whitlatch, to the expressive figuration of McReynolds. While the work may be aesthetically quite different, the two artists share a rebellious intention behind their practices, mining ideas of real and imagined spaces rendered on medium and small-scale canvases.

Luke Whitlatch paints what he calls “portraits of the subconscious” and explores “the human urge to see the unseen.” Highly influenced by his upbringing in Wyoming, his paintings are representations of the myths and storytelling prevalent in the Western region of the U.S., in combination with the storytelling of the Appalachian region he now calls home. Visually, his soft, blended backgrounds are punctuated by crisp lines cutting across the canvas, reminiscent of a dream state interrupted by reality.

Much of Faris McReynolds’ work straddles the line between figuration and abstraction, focusing more on the energy and movements of his subjects than on the subjects themselves. His recent paintings weave together ideas of leisure and chaos, utilizing a snap-shot aesthetic to look at how humans exist together in shared spaces, often by showing abstracted bodies in pastoral landscapes. The work is impulsive and intuitive as McReynolds’ gestural strokes and vibrant colors lend a sense of urgency and energy while maintaining a feeling of calm and relaxation. 

With a friendship and individual art practices that date back over 25 years, the two artists have shared a painting studio more than once, played in bands together, and been next-door neighbors. Mutual influence from this long-standing relationship is inevitable, and a shift in the recent work from each artist shows their previously divergent work moving closer together; with this, the time felt apt to explore these notable overlaps in a joint exhibition. 

Faris McReynolds is a Los Angeles-based artist and musician. His paintings have been shown in solo exhibitions around the world and have been featured in Details, Art Papers, Flash Art Magazine, Tema Celeste, and ArtWeek. McReynolds grew up in Richardson, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, the son of an Indian-American mother and an American father. He spent his childhood between Texas and Bombay, and appeared in the 1985 Bollywood movie Shahadat, when he was eight. From 1990-1998, he played bass guitar in Dallas based skate-punk band Family Values. During that time, they toured the American Southwest. He started publicly showing his paintings in 1998, and in 2000, he received his BFA from Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles.

Luke Whitlatch received a BFA from Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA in 2001 and is a recipient of the Baldessari Award. His work has been exhibited at numerous national venues including shows in Los Angeles, New York City, and Wyoming. His work has been published in the Columbia Art and Literature Review, Huffington Post, Modern Painters, and Voyage LA. He currently lives and works in Asheville, NC.