'Sundays With Chris' at DVF Gallery October 22nd

JOHN W. CODLING: SUNDAYS WITH CHRIS
DVF GALLERY
444 West 14TH STREET
NEW YORK NY 10011

Private Reception (By Invite Only / RSVP) October 22, 2009
Open to Public October 23 to November 1, 2009

New Yorker John W. Codling defies just about every pigeonhole you may be inclined to put him in; he's certainly neither your average Wall Street heavyweight nor your average artist. From October 22 to November 1, 2009 John Codling's much talked about Walken collection will be showcased exclusively at Diane Von Furstenberg's Gallery in the Meatpacking District.

Earlier this year, when his work first began to circulate amongst the downtown Manhattan scene, imaginations were soon hijacked by Codling’s commanding pop art and his blatant nonconformist approach. Ongoing intrigue continued as his collection grew, not only because of his unique style but because of his continual choice of subject -- the ultimate on-screen non-conformist and fellow New Yorker, Christopher Walken. Finally, to be unveiled, a world of Walkens’, created by one man, and inspired wholly by another.

Sundays With Chris transpired from a world of uncertainty as Wall Street began to implode. Codling became increasingly frustrated as the weight of Wall Street began to take its toll. As figures quickly faced south and the media onslaught seemed inescapable... one day, something within him switched. “I yearned for calm, a leader I could trust to guide me through the crisis. There were none found in the financial world so I shut off CNBC and logged out of Bloomberg. I found my leader in front of me on the canvas every Sunday. I wound up painting Christopher Walken."

And Sundays With Chris was born. ‘Walken This Way’, ‘Baby Walken’, ‘Walken In Colors’, ‘Father Walken’ and ‘I Cant Stop Walken’ are just some of the titles from this magnetic collection. Some might wonder if the wry-witted humor injected by Codling into his work is to carefully conceal the more somber side to his portraits. His inspiration, passion, and talent reach far beyond the techniques of painting, as the strokes reveal the honest emotion of loss, determination, and a drive that would soon bring him to create this series and what has quite possibly kept him sane all this time.

Codling has managed to capture and truly define resilience and rebellion, while embracing the eccentric approach to life as the very the core to survival. Walken is never vulnerable, nor is he weak (he rarely shows it, at least), and it is exactly this particular combination of artist and his muse that ensures the strength and solidity of Sundays With Chris doesn't just sit on the canvas, it leaves the gallery with you.



Profit from the sale of the artwork will go to Team Continuum to honor and support Codling’s dear friend Paul who founded Team Continuum, a non-profit organization assisting cancer patients and their families.

For further information on Team Continuum: www.teamcontinuum.net