Inside Friedrich Kunath’s Fantastical LA Studio

Drawing inspiration from Romanticism, American popular culture, and his own personal history, Friedrich Kunath imbues his art with a myriad of seemingly disparate references and resonances, navigating the murky spaces between irony and sincerity, tragedy and comedy. “I create these images to hold onto these moments,” Kunath says of his latest paintings, which he will exhibit in Aimless Love, his first solo show with Pace, on view in New York from November 7 to December 20.

For this film accompanying Aimless Love, the artist takes us inside his expansive Los Angeles studio, which is home to objects and spaces that continue to inspire him. Joined in conversation by his studio manager Grant Tyler, Kunath speaks about working with wet impasto on his canvases and embedding ephemeral feelings and experiences into his new works.

A new monograph from Monacelli tracing Kunath’s work from the last 30 years—which features a new essay by Naomi Fry, staff writer at The New Yorker—will be available to purchase on-site at the gallery during the run of the artist’s show.