Karel Funk
May 8 – August 30, 2009
Onofrio Gallery
Karel Funk’s paintings are made with layers of thin paint that reflect light, influenced by Dutch and Flemish painters of the 17th century and Renaissance portraiture, as well as by American figurative painters from the past 20 years and their relationship to photography-based work. The tenderness of each painstaking detail that goes into Funk’s handling brings the viewer closer to the subjects, even as they turn further away from us.
Funk's recent paintings of male figures have increased in scale and proportion. The images of his figures end just above the waist and, as is typical in Funk’s work, stand against a flat white ground. This perspective allows the figures, which were seen previously only from the shoulders up, a certain degree of freedom by revealing the subject's posture.
While these paintings are essentially portraits, the earthy palette of Funk’s new work begins to allude to the sky and/or landscapes. Wrinkles and ridges are at once minute yet monumental. Although no reference to the model's gender is given, the stance of each sitter seems distinctly masculine.
Past works have been presented at the Musee d'Art Contemporain de Montreal; Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki; the Prague Biennale, Prague, Czech Republic; and the Marella Arte Contemporanea in Milan, Italy. His work is included in the collections of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, among others. Funk resides in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
The public opening reception for Karel Funk is at the Rochester Art Center on Friday, May 8 at 8:00 pm. Tickets are free for Rochester Art Center members and $5 for non-members. Cash bar by Sontes; hors d’oeuvres by Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe catering. The reception is followed by Flux, the Art Center’s late night art and music event featuring Switzerlind and Black Lacquer.
A full-color exhibition catalogue will be available for purchase at the Rochester Art Center Gallery Shop.