Van Art by Kevin Cyr

These painting by Kevin Cyr reminded of of the series of photos which I wrote about here last week. Like Joe Steven's Vans and the Places They Were, the paintings feature lots of classic American vans documented side-on. The vans, which were from Brooklyn, New York, are all heavily graffitied and most are in a state of disrepair with rust visible around their edges.



Kevin Cyr painted the vans in a simple style which gives them the look of miniatures or zoological studies. Their plain, single colour backgrounds show them divorced from reality although their customized paint schemes show that they are anything but.

Cyr seems to have a preoccupation with vehicles - his other work includes paintings of lorries and campervans. He even creates die-cast miniature vans with an amazing eye for detail. Cyr says that he sees beauty in vans which to others may look unkempt:

In a culture in which people are easily lured by the appeal of status-enhancing symbols, I find beauty in derelict cars and unkempt landscapes. I have always been interested in painting vehicles and scenes that have defined the evolution of the American landscape.

Cyr has exhibited around the world and his work has been featured in numerous magazines. He has paintings of vans for sale with 20x200.com who specialize in affordable art in editions of 200. See more of his work at his site kevincyr.net.