Kevin Cyr
There are two main themes in ’s current work. One is an extensive series of fine oil paintings, or oil and silkscreen works, of vehicles that he spotted in New York. What is significant about his paintings, in particular of vans, is that he has both some very fine pen drawings as well as photorealistic images of vans and large old cars, the mobile canvases of NY City. At first sight, you see vans that look slightly used and that have been covered in graffiti, but if you take a closer look you will see that the vans have dents and are rusty, showing the steel underneath as a living and aging material.
From his paintings, he picks some favorites that he makes into die-cast miniatures, finished with the greatest attention to detail. The die-cast metal toy car may seem trivial, as millions of boys have played with such cars as some stage of their lives, but Kevin Cyr’s miniatures are works of art and have all the exquisite details of his paintings, including the full range from rust to graffiti.
The other theme is perhaps darker, but shows that there is hope if we think creatively. In a series of post-apocalyptic living spaces, most of them are transient or moveable, he shows how new living spaces can be made largely from found materials and objects, while providing both shelter and camouflage. While the living spaces are fully functional, they are aesthetically very strong in terms of post-modern and post-apocalyptic values. Sometimes these artifacts may not be what they appear to be, as things can get re-appropriated when used in such a setting. He calls these works his “Camper Kart project”.
In both themes or threads of his work, there is a transience of human life and culture that points towards an appreciation of what we have, now and here.
Kevin Cyr is originally from Canada and he is a graduate of Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. He is currently based in Brooklyn in New York. His work as been exhibited and published widely.
