A forerunner of the post-painterly abstraction movement, contemporary artist Gary Komarin approaches each composition with a pure openness to inspiration. With every brushstroke, he builds a visual interpretation of his mindset in that moment, never knowing what he's going to paint next. Komarin asserts that, for him, "the best paintings are the paintings that paint themselves."
Komarin invites risk into his abstract work, and employs daring in every element of his pieces. From his adventurous deployment of spackle and house paint as mediums to his playful use of color and imperfect lines, he pulls forms from a backdrop of consciousness, rather than merely delivering images to a surface. He enjoys instilling a child's sense of wonder into his abstractions and still-lifes, invoking a toddler's experience of "seeing things without knowing what they are."
Born in New York City, Komarin is the son of a Czech architect and Austrian author. He attended art school at Boston University, where painter Phillip Guston became a mentor. Much of Komarin's work nods to Guston, without mimicking or replicating the latter’s signature cartoonish style.
Komarin has exhibited in the United States, Asia, the United Kingdom and throughout continental Europe. In 1996, his work was included in an exhibition at 41 Green Street in New York. He has received numerous awards, including the New York Foundation for the Arts grant in painting, the Joan Mitchell Prize in Painting and the Edward Albee Foundation Fellowship. Komarin lives in rural Connecticut, where he continues to create new work.
Find original Gary Komarin paintings, drawings and mixed media works on 1stDibs.
Vessel VI
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Vessel VI, 2020 Mixed media on paper 76.0 x 58.0 cm Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin finds room ...
Mixed Media
Vessel VII
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Vessel VII, 2020 Mixed media on paper 76.0 x 58.0 cm Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin finds room...
Mixed Media
Vessel IX
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Vessel IX, 2020 Mixed media on paper 76.0 x 58.0 cm Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin finds room ...
Mixed Media
Creme on Orange with Hints of Lemon and Lime
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Creme on Orange with Hints of Lemon and Lime, 2023 Mixed media on canvas 127 x 121.9 cm 50 x 48 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths...
Mixed Media
A suite of Blue Sea, Salina
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin A suite of Blue Sea, Salina, 2023 Mixed media on canvas 152.4 x 121.9 cm 60 x 48 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and h...
Mixed Media
Rue Madame in Red, Rico Tati
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Rue Madame in Red, Rico Tati, 2023 Mixed media on canvas 24 x 36 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gar...
Mixed Media
Swimming Pink, Luxor
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Swimming Pink, Luxor , 2023 Mixed media on canvas 24 x 48 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komari...
Mixed Media
The Ballad of Leandro and Luz
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin The Ballad of Leandro and Luz, 2022 Mixed media on canvas 152.4 x 182.88 cm 60 x 72 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle an...
Mixed Media
Rue Madame in Red, Roma
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Rue Madame in Red, Roma Mixed Media on canvas 182.9 × 152.4 cm 72 x 60 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint...
Mixed Media
$25,300
Cake
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Cake, 2023 Acrylic on wood panel 50 x 24 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin finds room in c...
Acrylic, Wood Panel
$25,300
Cake
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Cake, 2023 Acrylic on wood panel 50 x 24 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin finds room in c...
Acrylic, Wood Panel
$25,300
Cake
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Cake, 2023 Acrylic on wood panel 50 x 24 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin finds room in c...
Acrylic, Wood Panel
$25,300
Cake
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Cake, 2023 Acrylic on wood panel 50 x 24 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin finds room in c...
Acrylic, Wood Panel
$25,300
Cake
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Cake, 2023 Acrylic on wood panel 50 x 24 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin finds room in c...
Acrylic, Wood Panel
$25,300
Cake
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Cake, 2023 Acrylic on wood panel 50 x 24 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin finds room in c...
Acrylic, Wood Panel
$16,100
Cake
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Cake, 2023 Acrylic on paper 35 x 24 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin finds room in contem...
Paper, Acrylic
$16,100
Cake
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Cake, 2023 Acrylic on paper 35 x 24 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin finds room in contem...
Paper, Acrylic
$16,100
Cake
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Cake, 2023 Acrylic on paper 35 x 24 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin finds room in contem...
Paper, Acrylic
$15,710
Vessel
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Vessel, 2024 Acrylic on canvas/wood panel 76.2 x 61 cm 30 x 24 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary K...
Canvas, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$15,710
Vessel
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Vessel, 2024 Acrylic on canvas/wood panel 76.2 x 61 cm 30 x 24 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary K...
Canvas, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$15,710
Vessel
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Vessel, 2024 Acrylic on canvas/wood panel 76.2 x 61 cm 30 x 24 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary K...
Canvas, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$15,710
Vessel
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Vessel, 2024 Acrylic on canvas/wood panel 76.2 x 61 cm 30 x 24 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary K...
Canvas, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$15,710
Vessel
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Vessel, 2024 Acrylic on canvas/wood panel 76.2 x 61 cm 30 x 24 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary K...
Canvas, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$25,300
Cake
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Cake , 2023 Acrylic on wood panel 127 x 61 cm 50 x 24 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin fi...
Acrylic, Wood Panel
Small Canvas
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Small Canvas, 2024 Oil on canvas 35.6 x 27.9 cm 14 x 11 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin ...
Canvas, Oil
Small Canvas
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Small Canvas , 2024 Oil on canvas 35.6 x 27.9 cm 14 x 11 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin...
Canvas, Oil
Small Canvas
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Small Canvas , 2024 Oil on canvas 35.6 x 27.9 cm 14 x 11 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin...
Canvas, Oil
Small Canvas
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Small Canvas, 2024 Oil on canvas 35.6 x 27.9 cm 14 x 11 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin ...
Canvas, Oil
Small Canvas
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Small Canvas, 2024 Oil on canvas 35.6 x 27.9 cm 14 x 11 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin ...
Canvas, Oil
Small Canvas
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Small Canvas, 2024 Oil on canvas 35.6 x 27.9 cm 14 x 11 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin ...
Canvas, Oil
Small Canvas
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Small Canvas , 2025 Oil on canvas 35.6 x 27.9 cm 14 x 11 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin...
Canvas, Oil
Small Canvas
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Small Canvas, 2024 Oil on canvas 35.6 x 27.9 cm 14 x 11 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin ...
Canvas, Oil
Small canvas
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Small canvas , 2024 Oil on canvas 35.6 x 27.9 cm 14 x 11 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin...
Canvas, Oil
Small Canvas
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Small Canvas , 2024 Oil on canvas 35.6 x 27.9 cm 14 x 11 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin...
Canvas, Oil
Small Canvas
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Small Canvas , 2024 Oil on canvas 35.6 x 27.9 cm 14 x 11 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin...
Oil
Small Canvas
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Small Canvas, 2024 Oil on canvas 35.6 x 27.9 cm 14 x 11 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin ...
Canvas, Oil
Small Canvas
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Small canvas, 2024 Oil on canvas 35.6 x 27.9 cm 14 x 11 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house paint, Gary Komarin ...
Canvas, Oil
Cake Painting (Yellow, Blue)
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin Cake Painting (Yellow, Blue), 2019 Mixed media on paper 129 x 60 cm 51 x 24 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop cloths, spackle and house ...
Paper, Mixed Media
A Suite of Blue Sea, Majorca
By Gary Komarin
Located in London, GB
Gary Komarin A Suite of Blue Sea, Majorca, 2024 Signed by the artist Mixed media on canvas 152 x 122 cm 60 x 48 inches Eschewing traditional materials in favor of tarps and drop clo...
Mixed Media
Orange Cake Stacked on White
By Gary Komarin
Located in Fairfield, CT
Unique; Water-based enamel paint on paper stacks
Enamel
Red Cake Stacked on White
By Gary Komarin
Located in Fairfield, CT
Unique; Water-based enamel paint on paper stacks
Enamel
Cake Stacked: White on Turquoise
By Gary Komarin
Located in Fairfield, CT
Unique; Water-based enamel paint on paper stacks
Enamel
Cake Stacked: Bright Pink on White
By Gary Komarin
Located in Fairfield, CT
Unique; Water-based enamel paint on paper stacks
Enamel
Mixed Media Painting by Gary Komarin 'The French Wig (white)'
By Gary Komarin
Located in White Plains, NY
'The French Wig (white)' 2015 by American artist, Gary Komarin. Mixed media on canvas, 14 x 11 in. Wigs are among Komarin’s most recognizable idiosyncratic images. This faux naive wo...
Canvas, Mixed Media
Mixed Media Painting by Gary Komarin 'The French Wig (blue)'
By Gary Komarin
Located in White Plains, NY
'The French Wig (blue)' 2016 by American artist, Gary Komarin. Mixed media on canvas, 14 x 11 in. Wigs are among Komarin’s most recognizable idiosyncratic images. This faux naive wor...
Canvas, Mixed Media
Price Upon Request
A Wilder Blue
By Gary Komarin
Located in Fairfield, CT
Born in New York City, the son of a Czech architect and Viennese writer, Gary Komarin is a risk taker in contemporary painterly abstraction. Komarin’s stalwart images have an epic quality that grip the viewer with the idea that he or she is looking at a contemporary description of something timeless. For painter Gary Komarin, abstraction has never been a formal dead end. Rather, it has allowed him to challenge the limitations of the style - to make painting ‘include more’ precisely because a recognizable image excludes too much. Komarin has been called a “painter’s painter”. His status in this regard is based on the authenticity of his work, its deep connection to the tradition of Modern painting as well as its sustained individuality as an utterly personal voice. Like many of the best artists of his generation he is indebted to the New York School, especially his mentor Philip Guston with whom he studied at Boston University where he was awarded a Graduate Teaching Fellowship. Komarin has been particularly successful at filtering these influences through his own potent iconography. “From these seemingly unlovely methods Komarin gets paintings that vibrate with historical memory, echoing such things as Matisse’s driest most empty pictures. Robert Motherwell’s spare abstractions of the 1970’s, or the early New Mexico and Berkeley paintings...
Enamel
Price Upon Request
CAKES STACKED/SINGLE SACK (yellow on green)
By Gary Komarin
Located in Fairfield, CT
Art in America Sarah S. King July 2003 Komarin’s most successful works are serial - such as the Pop-artish “cake” images - in which versions of a crudely outlined central image...
Price Upon Request
CAKES STACKED/SINGLE SACK (white on blue)
By Gary Komarin
Located in Fairfield, CT
Art in America Sarah S. King July 2003 Komarin’s most successful works are serial - such as the Pop-artish “cake” images - in which versions of a crudely outlined central image are...
Paper, Acrylic
Price Upon Request
Duke and Wigmore Series #1
By Gary Komarin
Located in Fairfield, CT
Born in New York City, the son of a Czech architect and Viennese writer, Gary Komarin is a risk taker in contemporary painterly abstraction. Komarin’s stalwart images have an epic qu...
Acrylic, Archival Paper
Price Upon Request
CAKES STACKED/SINGLE SACK (green on pink)
By Gary Komarin
Located in Fairfield, CT
Art in America Sarah S. King July 2003 Komarin’s most successful works are serial - such as the Pop-artish “cake” images - in which versions of a crudely outlined central image are...
Oil