Orchid, 2013

Renowned for his figurative paintings that depict images sourced from existing visual materials such as television, print and film media, Luc Tuymans is an artist who explores the cultural and historical meaning of events, often providing a different context or perspective through his trademark choppy brushstrokes and a muted, darker palette. Tuyman's subjects range from historical world events such as the second world war, to the mediocrity of every day– among his most notable works is his Heritage series which was created in response to the Oklahoma City bombing; the paintings capture the artist’s notion of a ‘traditional American life’ with subjects including a working man, a birthday cake and a portrait. Of his unique method of transforming existing media into a form of evocative art, Tuymans has remarked “There is a physical element intertwined with the painting [of an existing photograph]. It shakes loose an emotional element within the viewer.” (Artist website)