Sad, but happy, is the atmosphere Haim Levac creates in his oil paintings. Mainly inspired by watching people in the cities of their habitat, Haim questions life. He discusses fatal topics with a generous dose of humor. Haim never explains the exact meaning of his paintings, but rather gives the viewer the opportunity to interpret them.
Haim finds a lot of people are scared of art. They worry they won’t get the meaning and don’t trust their instincts. Especially when it comes to painting, people are really afraid to talk about it. Most of the curatorial texts meant to compliment or explain work, only make it worse because they define something that should be allowed to be understood through uniquely individual perspectives. Haim would much rather have a group of people sit around and chat about what the pieces bring to mind.
From Haim’s brush to your ears
Haim’s creative process starts from simply observing. Imagine you see a guy on the train biting his fingernails in such a way that it looks like he is eating his hand. In order to capture the essence of the experience, Haim dances around it rather than trying to capture it in a still. It is more important to listen to the canvas during the moment of creating a painting, the same way you observe any other happening. When you get fixated on one idea it doesn’t allow for the transfer of real life to canvas to develop and grow organically and can give a fake translation.
shoes make the painting
Haim expresses emotions to situations through objects or moments in time. For example it could be more powerful to transmit a feeling through the plight of a shoe than a sad face. That may sound random, but think about it. Our shoes do tell a lot about who we are and what our priorities are. His use of objects and fragments of bodies or time give us a snapshot of a whole. The time before and after are left for us to flesh out.
images by PILOTENKUECHE or supplied by artist
When people tell Haim what they see in his work, he says, “Yes, that’s it.” This may or may not be his original intention. Once the painting is there, the prompt is lost. It is important that the audience responds. In our ever-changing world, meanings are not static. Intonation is more relevant than definition.
sharing is caring
Haim is not giving answers to big questions, but he allows us to find new ways of looking at things from everyday life. It is important to have a free way of seeing the same thing and to be able to share your experience with each other. For example in one of the latest paintings, Haim began with depicting a piece of paper. In the end someone saw it as a toaster with bread crumbs. This difference is where both happiness and sadness come from.
written by Atex
You can find the latest work by Haim Levac on his website, instagram and at our upcoming exhibitions.
Deeply Pelusa Life
Vernissage
Sat 20 Aug 7PM
Performance 8PM
Open
Mon 22 – Thur 25 Aug
4-8PM
Alte Handelsschule
Giesserstr 75
Dreamy Cube Curve
Vernissage
Sat 17 Sept 7PM
Performance 8PM
I am where you are
Open
18, 20, 21 Sept
4-8PM
PILOTENKUECHE
Franz-Flemming-Str 9