It’s a world where vanity and self-obsession obscure our genuine selves, and where we are lost in the mundanities of media, commerce, and the uncertainties of our daily lives. Stacy Lundeen makes work that attempts to offer a candid reflection of and reaction to our shared humanity. He entices the viewer to engage with both fundamental and minute aspects of human nature, embracing our vulnerabilities and imperfections as the unique complexities they are. Imperfections are interesting. Perfection is not, it’s boring and it doesn't exist. Lundeen’s paintings are a tribute to all the little complexities of existence, weaving humor and narratives that delve into the abstract and subjective themes of human frailty, failure, guilt, shame, and vanity.
The paintings are created with loose, loopy, gestural mark-making, where he hopes to capture the essence of moments and emotions and render them quickly and with little preplanning. Each work is a new exploration, not only of a new subject or object or situation, but in a sense, how to even paint. As Lundeen describes, he feels like every time he approaches a new work he’s learning how to paint again, and learning to like and appreciate the imperfections he produces.
Lundeen largely uses vibrant pastel colors. Sometimes this is a deliberate choice in an attempt to infuse the compositions with a sense of optimism and attractiveness, even when he’s dealing with heavy or grotesque subjects. Subconsciously it may be that he lives and works in Vancouver BC, a frequently dark, gray, and rainy city, and that bright palette is a coping mechanism to battle his S.A.D.’s.
Making a painting or any work of art is an effort to offer viewers an opportunity for introspection and self-discovery. Lundeen often thinks of one specific person or people he knows who he wants to respond to his paintings in an ongoing, imaginary and inconclusive conversation. His hope is that whoever views his work will turn into that person, get the joke, relate to the shame, feel the guilt or at least empathize with it, and all become friends and help each other.
Lundeen’s paintings are a reminder that it's our flaws that make us beautifully human. Let's bridge the gap between the mundane and the profound, and embrace the complexities of life with a smile and an understanding heart.
Stacy Lundeen’s exhibition Keep it Together, Man is on view in the Members’ Gallery from October 20 - November 25, 2023.
Stacy Lundeen Born 1979 is a contemporary artist who lives and works In Vancouver, Canada. Lundeen moved to Montreal in the early 2000s and studied at Concordia University working toward a BFA and spending much of his 20s and 30s working in and around Montreal's Art community . Lundeen had his first solo Exhibition in 2010 at the Khyber In Halifax, NS. and has exhibited at multiple venues throughout Canada. Currently a prolific artist who deals with humor, failure, and themes of empathy in his colorful paintings, Lundeen is also the director of SLENDER, a contemporary art space in Vancouver, BC dedicated to group exhibitions with themes and work centered around the idea of Levity.
Learn more about Stacy Lundeen by visiting their Instagram.
Keep it Together, Man in the Members Gallery, 2023.