shay kun

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"We aspire to be first; we want our memories to make us first and in many cases it requires manipulating past moments. It is this tension between memory and perception that informs my work." | Shay Kun

Shay Kun’s Painted Landscapes Capture the Ephemerality of Memory

Israeli-born artist Shay Kun creates paintings that portray windows bespeckled with the shimmering droplets and streams of water that rain leaves behind. Delving into perception and memory, the artist presents images that are familiar—like the view from behind a windshield of a car while driving on a nondescript highway in the rain—and prompt nostalgia through his photo-realistic precision. “The recurring theme of these raindrop paintings is the clarity of the water, the path the water has traveled to its location, and the nostalgia such images invoke,” Kun has said. “These images fade into the distance and become part of our memories. I am trying to capture how distorted our memories of these events are. The reality as it happens—looking out of a window on a rainy day—is never remembered exactly as it was.” These works took the fore Bill Lowe Gallery last month in “Corners of Our Mind.”

Kun is inspired by the detailed landscape paintings of the American West by Thomas Cole of the Hudson River School. He typically creates idyllic, naturalistic landscapes incorporating unusual people or objects like acrobats, soldiers, or race cars. These visual disruptions are meant to be absurd or even surreal. “I don’t paint from real life. Everything is artificial,” he once said. “I’m not one of those painters sitting in Central Park, overwhelmed by what’s in front of me. I like things that have been thoroughly chewed already; reproduced a hundred times.”

Hot-air balloons are featured in Kun’s “Lift Off” series, the significance of which can be traced back to his childhood; Kun’s parents carried a set of carved toys modeled after hot air balloons to Israel after escaping the Holocaust. In Outlander (2012), four multi-color hot air balloons float above bright green, lush trees and water delicately tinged by the sun.

The paintings in Kun’s teardrop series don’t incorporate as many pastiche elements, but they are grounded by the same question: When does reality end and fantasy begin? Sometimes we’re drawn to things and we don’t know why; we’ll gaze at them, trying to figure out what’s out of place. Colors are impossibly vivid or objects are off-kilter. And as much as Kun’s teardrop paintings look real, they are structurally imperfect. Kun plays with scale in order to subtly manipulate his painted reality. The raindrops and shadows can’t exist in real life as they do in his work, so Kun continues to remind us that nothing is exactly as we remember it.

- Melissa Smith for Artsy Editorial

artist statement

My work deals with memory and perception. The recurring theme of these raindrop paintings is the clarity of the water, the path the water has traveled to its location and the nostalgia such images invoke. Like a film noir still, this painting confronts the viewer and brings forth memories from previous times. The fuzzy, off-center colors behind the window are just as we think they should be. As we drive along the interstate of our lives our memories grow hazier in the distance much like looking through the side windows of a moving car and only seeing colors without clear, definitive shapes. 

These images fade into the distance and while we may remember their general shape or color, they are no longer present and instead become part of our memory. How distorted our memory of these events are is what I am trying to capture. The reality as it happens—looking out of a window on a rainy day—is never remembered exactly as it was. Even as memories fade or age, we transform this prior reality. Individually we take details and exaggerate them to fit our needs. Maybe we finished in third place in that race but it was the best race we ran and as such in its retelling we finished second because the other racer had a false start that the officials missed. We should have “been first.” We aspire to be first; we want our memories to make us first and in many cases it requires manipulating these past moments. This very idea informs my recent body of work.

artist bio

BORN | Israel in 1974

EDUCATION
2000 | MA in Fine Art, Goldsmiths College, London, England
1998 | BA in Fine Art, Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem, Israel

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2014
Untitled, Michael Schultz Gallery, Berlin, Germany

2013
An Extra, Hezi Cohen Gallery, Tel-Aviv, Israel
Feast and Famine, Linda Warren Gallery, Chicago, IL

2012
Domestic Sticky Wildlife, Martine Chaisson Gallery, New Orleans, LA
Be First, Be Smarter or Cheat, Benrimon Contemporary, New York, NY

2011
Rebreather, Lamotagne Gallery, Boston, MA
VOLTA NY, “Take Off,” New York, NY

2010
Exfoliations, Benrimon Contemporary, New York, NY
Overcast, Hezi Cohen Gallery, Tel-Aviv, Israel
Slack Tide, Lamontagne Gallery, Boston, MA

2009
Opportunities multiply as they are seized, David Castillo Gallery, Miami, FL

2008
Nails & Feathers, BUIA Gallery, New York, NY

2007
Old Flames Don't Die Out They Build New Fires, Tavi Dresdner Gallery, Tel-Aviv, Israel
Perversion Is The Love We Feel When Others Feel Love, SEVENTEEN Gallery, London, UK

2006
Melting Midlands, BUIA Gallery, New York, NY

2005
I Care Because You do Too, BUIA Gallery, New York, NY

1999
Desktop-The Reunion, Efrat Gallery, Tel-Aviv, Israel

1992
Gesher Gallery, Tel-Aviv, Israel

SELECT GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2014
Black and White, Lamontagne Gallery, Boston, MA

2013
PAN Amsterdam, Leslie Smith Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
I Love Shanghai, Art Labor Gallery, Shanghai, China
Contemplation, The Project Room, Chicago, IL
Jew York, Untitled Gallery, New York, NY
100 Little Deaths, BravinLee Programs, New York, NY

2012
Summer Exhibition, Zemack Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv, Israel
Figuration Y?, Galerie Favardin & De Verneuil, Paris, France
Illoulian Contemporary, Los Angeles, CA
SIGHT (UN)SCENE, Benrimon Contemporary, New York, NY
Good Intentions, Hezi Cohen Gallery, Tel-Aviv, Israel

2011
Russ and Liz Ultimate Playlist, Four Eleven Studio, Provincetown, MA
Update your Reality, Alexander Ochs Galleries, Berlin, Germany
Art Cologne, Alexander Ochs Galleries, Cologne, Germany
Savage Grace, Russell Projects, Richmond, VA
Pulse NY, Benrimon Contemporary, New York, NY
Fresh Paint, Israeli Art Fair, Tel Aviv, Israel

2010
The Law of the Jungle, Lehmann Maupin Gallery, New York, NY
Interrupted Landscape, Champion Contemporary, Austin, TX
Generations, DNA Gallery, Provincetown, MA
Fresh Apples, Hezi Cohen Gallery, Tel-Aviv, Israel
Sky Was Yellow, Sun Was Blue, Russell Projects, Richmond, VA
LABA, 14TH Street Y, New York, NY
The Artist's Guide to the L.A. Galaxy, West Los Angeles College Art Gallery, L.A. 

2009
Animamix, The Shanghai Contemporary Art Museum, China
Golden Record: Sounds of Earth, The Collection, Lincoln, England
Three Painters, BUIA Gallery, New York, NY

2008
In Your Face, BUIA Gallery, New York, NY
Pole Shift, Project Gentili, Berlin, Germany
Somewhere To Elsewhere, Linda Warren Gallery, Chicago, IL
Pulse Art Fair, Saatchi online, New York
Golden Record, Collective Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland
Fresh Paint, Israeli Art Fair, Tel Aviv, Israel
London Confidential, MEWS 42, London, UK
Artfutures, Bloomberg Space, London, UK

2007
Holiday!, BUIA Gallery, NY
…A Landscape Show, Samson Projects, Boston, MA
Slick Art Fair, Vanessa Suchar, Paris, France
Sunny, Clear and Cool, BUIA Gallery, NY
The Most Curatorial Biennial, Apexart, NY
The Juddykes, John Jones Gallery, London, UK
Subreality, Aftermodern Gallery, SF
Reddot Art Fair, Vanessa Suchar booth, New York
Invisible Jet, Buia Gallery, NY

2006
Winter Salon, Lesley Heller Gallery, NY
Bridge Art Fair, Vanessa Suchar, Miami
Art 212, Aftermodern Gallery, NY
Learning How to Make New Friends, Mackb Gallery, Florida, U.S.A
Shifting Landscapes, Aftermodern Gallery, SF
Breezer, BUIA Gallery, NY
Draw_Drawing 2, The Foundry (in conjunction with London Biennial), London, UK
The Pop Art Show, The Kaufmann Arcade, NY

2005
Children of the Grave, the Agency, London, UK
Our World, World Arts Media, New York, NY
Utopia, Fournos Center For Digital Art, Athens, Greece
Poles Apart / Poles Together, 51st Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy
In the Ring, BUIA Gallery, New York, NY
This dream, America, Art League of Long Island, Dix Hills, NY
Tsunami Benefit Auction, at Philips de Pury, New York, NY
Wandering, a part of Artis05' (Israeli Art Week), Makor, NY
"...and death", New Space Gallery, Manchester College, CT

2004
Boundless Joint, Oslo, Norway
The Peekskill Project, HVCCA, Peekskill, NY
Wandering Library, Book Art Museum, Lodz, Poland
Draw_Drawing, Gallery 32 (in conjunction with London Biennial), London, UK
Primo, Buia Gallery, New York, NY
Feast or Famine: Artists and Food, DNA Gallery, Provincetown, MA
Social Order, Buia Gallery, New York, NY
Raid Projects, The Armory Show, New York, NY
Sub-Plot, Barthelemy Gallery, New York, NY
The Mouth Breathers, Nurture Art Gallery, New York, NY

2003
Banners III, Lubbock, TX
The Bill Clinton Show, Locus Media Gallery, New York, NY
Puppy Love, Pelham Art Center, Westchester, NY
Eickholt Gallery, New York, NY

2002
PoT, Joint Exhibition, Gallery Fortes Villaca, Sau Paulo, Brazil
PoT, Joint Exhibition, Liverpool Bianalle, Liverpool, England
Artists Respond, Joint Exhibition, Somerville Museum of Art, Boston, MA

2001
Hi Falutin’, Hi Kickin’, VTO Gallery, London, England
Egotripping, Anthony Wilkinson Gallery, London, England
Plastic Sheet, A.A. Silver Gallery, Tel-Aviv, Israel
Cream, Rosenfeld Gallery, Tel-Aviv, Israel
Glamour Hammer, The Boxing Ring, London, England

2000
Assembly, Royal College of Art and Goldsmiths College, Stepney City, London, England
Master’s Degree Show, Goldsmiths College, London, England
Outhouse, The Rich and Famous Gallery, London, England
Brainstorm, Curators’ Space, Goldsmiths College, London, England

1998
Graduates’ Exhibition, Fine Arts Department, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem

RESIDENCIES
2004
Makor Artist in Residence, 92nd Street Y, New York, NY

PROJECTS
2005
Homeland Lessons, Loushy Art & Editions, Tel Aviv, Israel
A Shell of A Man, Loushy Art & Editions, Tel Aviv, IsraeL

BIBLIOGRAPHY
2013
Tomer Ganihar, “Pop surrealist Shay Kun says the Holocaust is in his
DNA”, Haaretz Newspaper, February 6th, 2013
Shay Kun/ Linda Warren Projects, New Art City Chicago, Feb 2nd, 2013

2012
'Shay Kun Feast & Famine and Doug Fogelson: Potpourri', The Visualist Chicago, Dec14th, 2012
Sapna Mthur, 'Natural Causes Have Surreal Effects', EMAHO Creative.Journalism¸ Sept 13th, 2012
Amir Fallah, 'Shay Kun's Photo Realistic Dreamlike Paintings' , Beautiful/Decay Mag, Aug 31st, 2012
Katya Tylevich, ‘Holocaust Toys’, Elephant Magazine, Issue #11, Summer 2012
Charley Cameron, Pelican Bomb, “Last Call: Shay Kun at Martine Chaisson Gallery,” March 28th, 2012
Jarring Earth Invaders, Huffington Post, February 6, 2012

2011
Ryan Max, Rooms Magazine, Issue #7, December 2011
Cate McQuaid, “Making their concept accessible,” Boston Globe, December 20, 2011
Shane Ferro, “Expanding to Los Angeles, the Affordable Art Fair Hopes to Woo a New Pool of
Budget- Conscious Buyers,” Artinfo.com, August 26, 2011
Martina Kaden, ‘Three Young Israelis Show Their Art.’ B.Z. Berlin newspaper, July 29, 2011
Ebony Bolt, Pulse Art Fair Event Review – Get the Latest Scoop on the NYC Fair, Splash Magazines, March 16, 2011
Leor Grady, ‘Masoret Avangard,’ Yedioth America, March 9, 2011
Little Red Riding Hood to the Fighter/On Our Radar, Huffington Post, February 6, 2011
Armory Week Daily Spotlight, Pulse NY, ARTLOG, February 17, 2011

2010
Saatchi Online, Shay Kun Featured at ‘The Law of The Jungle’ at Lehmann Maupin, December 7, 2010
Tara Kyle, DNAinfo, “Israeli Artist Puts New Twists on Hudson School,” September 29, 2010
Anthony Haden-Guest, The New York Observer, “Back in the New York Groove, The Author Comes Home and Finds the Art World Changed,” p.50-51, September 28, 2010
Daniel Zilberberg, Interview, “Checking In,” walla culture section, September 14, 2010
Eiseley Tauginas, Blackbook Magazine, “Industry Insiders,” August 2010
Kate McQuaid, Boston Globe, “Echoing and altering the landscape,” February 3, 2010
Critics Pick, ‘Slack Tide’ at Lamotagne Gallery, Boston Globe, 2010

2009
LoDown Magazine, October Issue no.168, Berlin, Germany 2009
Maznaim Magazine, September Issue no.4, Israel (cover back and front) 2009
Biscayne Times, Art Listings, Printed Edition, March 30th, 2009

2008
Brooks, Kimberly. "The Election and Art Swimming in My Head," The Huffington Post, November 3rd, 2008
Art Futures: The altruistic art fair, Art World Mag, Feb- March, Issue 3, p.11, 2008
Arts Council UK, “News: Artfutures - Own Art” , February 15th, 2008

2007
Meredith Etherington-Smith, “Letter from London”, Artinfo.com, January 26, 2007
Shay Kun At Seventeen, Artdaily.org, February 11, 2007
Beth Greenacre, Artrabbit.com, January 30th, 2007
John Stones. “American Dreams”, Design Week Magazine, January 11th, 2007
Tiffany Martini, “Subreality, A New View Of Pop Art”, The SF Examiner, April 3rd, 2007
Dana Gilerman, “A Free Developing Market”, Haaretz Newspaper, February 7th, 2007
Shay Kun at Seventeen, re-title.com, February 5th, 2007
John-Paul Pryor, “Shay Kun Chocolate’s Box Paintings”, Dazed Digital, February 1st, 2007
Jane Neal, Shay Kun: Saatchi Online Critic’s Choice, August 6th, 2007
Kende Gyorgy, “Exhibitions”, Uj Kelet Hungarian Weekly, December, 2007
Meni Peer, “Maga Shel Rahav”, BIG TIME Magazine, p.54, October 2007
Megan And Murray, “A Landscape Show At Samson Projects”, September , 2007

2006
Shay Kun, BA, MA, Cocksoft Art News, December 24th, 2006
Merrily Kerr/ Ruth Perez Chaves: Shay Kun, Recent Paintings 2006-2008 (Cat.) 
Mary Evangelista, “On Art”, Maariv Weekend Edition, 14 July, p. 10
Megan Voeller, ‘Lat Rites Of Summer’, Creative Loafing, 25 October, 2006

2005
Tochin Andrea, “Wandering”, NY Press, January, Volume 18 No.3, P.48, 2005. 
Consulate General of Israel Cultural Department, January-February, 2005. 
Whats Up! whatsupnyc.com, New York, NY, January, 2005
Moyal, Raviv. “The Big Apple Falls Close to the Tree.” Maariv International Ed., 14 January. p. 46

2004
Cerbini, Lorenza, “Alla Buia Gallery si Festeggia con ‘Primo,’” America Oggi, 27 June, 2004, p. 9. 
Jon Elliot, "The Mouth Breathers at NURTUREart." The Greenline, 11-29 February, 2004, p. 11. 2003 New York Magazine, (Intelligencer section), “The Bill Clinton Show”, New York, NY, October. 

2002
PoT Exhibition Catalog, Sau Paulo, Brazil, September. 
“Artists Respond,” Art New England Reviews, New England, September. 
Maariv America, weekend edition, New York, September. 

2001
Time Out Magazine London Art Review, London, England, May. 
Time Out Magazine London Art Review, London, England, March. 

2000
Assembly Group Exhibition Catalog, London, England, October. 
Goldsmiths Master’s Thesis Exhibition Catalog, London, England, July. 

1999
Ouie Kelete Hungarian Weekly Paper, Jerusalem, Israel, May. 
Studio Art Magazine, Tel-Aviv, Israel, May. 

1995
Jewish Week News, Art Section, New York, December 1995