Kim Dingle: Restaurant Mandalas at Andrew Kreps Gallery

Like the traditional mandala, there is indeed something calming and meditative about Kim Dingle’s new exhibit ‘Restaurant Mandalas’, which I think was what Dingle had in mind when she painted these pieces.

Full Service - Restaurant Mandala, 2012/2020
oil on canvas, 48 x 48 in

In the year 2000, Dingle set up a restaurant called ‘Fatty’s’ at her studio in Los Angeles. For more than ten years, she and her partner ran the restaurant, mainly servicing the local community under sometimes extremely difficult conditions.

These paintings, her ‘restaurant mandalas’ tell the story of her daily routine while she was running the restaurant which included; food preparation, maintenance and cleaning.

Purple Ottomans - Restaurant Mandala, 2012/2020
oil on canvas, diptych, 86 x 60 in

Most of these pieces have a ‘fly on the wall’ fell to them, Dingle used the restaurant floor plan as the basis for her work and it is fascinating to see the layout.

Not sure it was something that I was supposed to notice, but I was surprised by how much of the restaurant wasn’t actually made up of tables. There was a lot more kitchen, food prep and bathroom area than I’d imagined.

Help Wanted - Restaurant Mandala, 2012/2020
oil on canvas, 48 x 48 in

I find Dingle’s colour schemes particularly striking, I’d be interested in knowing how her restaurant was actually decorated to know if it matches any of the pieces, or if the colours are all related to her mood while she was painting.

Kim Dingle’s Restaurant Mandalas is on view until 17th October at Andrew Kreps Gallery, 22 Cortlandt Alley, New York, NY 10013. Find out more on their website.