Karel Funk’s oil paintings remain unwavering in their concentration on well-made outerwear. At 303 Gallery, in his first gallery show in New York since 2010, Mr. Funk continues to meticulously render the heads and shoulders of subjects who have their backs to the viewer and are wearing bright nylon parkas with the hoods up, silhouetted …
Karel Funk’s oil paintings remain unwavering in their concentration on well-made outerwear. At 303 Gallery, in his first gallery show in New York since 2010, Mr. Funk continues to meticulously render the heads and shoulders of subjects who have their backs to the viewer and are wearing bright nylon parkas with the hoods up, silhouetted …
A realist painter who uses the term “urban voyeurism” to describe his approach, Karel Funk createsportraits of subjects at odd close-up angles, as though they were standing next to you on a crowdedtrain or bus. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba—where he still lives—Funk studied at Columbia University.Combining an interest in the Old Masters with skateboard fashions, …
Karel Funk talks about painting hoodies in the style of the Old Masters Read More »
Praised by the New York Times as “outstanding” and “suffused with an unexpected spirituality,” Karel Funk’s paintings have been purchased by the likes of the Guggenheim, the Whitney, the National Gallery of Canada, and the Art Gallery of Ontario. The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG) show Karel Funk, on view until October 2, is the first major survey of Funk’s oeuvre …
The Voyeuristic Work of Karel Funk, National Gallery of Canada Read More »
Hyperrealist artist Karel Funk’s paintings to be shown in Winnipeg Marsha Lederman The Globe and Mail Published Sunday, Jun. 05, 2016 12:00PM EDT Winnipeg artist Karel Funk has received international attention for his hooded figures – stark and contemporary urban works that at the same time draw heavily on historical religious art. Read more
Karel Funk creates astonishingly detailed and hauntingly quiet paintings that at once rely on and challenge conventional notions of portraiture. Historically, portraits were painted with an agenda. Preeminent figures with the means to commission such work were portrayed to emphasize real or desired attributes, seeking to command admiration and respect from the viewer. Most often …
Karel Funk’s hyperrealist painting immediately commands attention. Influenced by 17th century Dutch and Flemish painters and by Renaissance portraiture, Funk depicts torsos and heads of young men clad in windbreakers and hoods. The rendering, especially of the skin and fabric, is remarkable. The originality of Funk’s art rests in large part on the tension that …
