“Dig,” 2016 - Oil on canvas - 54 × 66 × 1 in

John Krausman Lark (born Lansing, Michigan, 1982) is a representational painter who creates oil on canvas paintings that depict interactions between figures and environments. In 2012 he received an MFA from New York Academy of Art. His interest in art dates back to his childhood years in Michigan, where he frequently visited the Detroit Institute of Art and the Cranbrook Art Museum and developed a connection with and enthusiasm for abstract expressionism, minimalism and pop art. Lark graduated with a BFA, Cum Laude, in 2005 from University of Michigan School of Art and Design where his concentration was in figure painting and printmaking.

He later studied abroad in Florence, Italy where his appreciation for Renaissance and Baroque periods blossomed. After graduation, Lark moved to New York City and took a post-baccalaureate semester at Columbia University. He realized his primary interests lay in representational painting and began graduate studies at the New York Academy of Art where he developed the style for which he is known today. His work has been featured in a number of exhibitions and will be featured in a solo show at The Untitled Space, Summer 2021. Lark lives and works in the Lower East Side neighborhood of New York City.

A selection of his work is currently up through April 30 for an online only exhibition at The Untitled Space.

Interview by Tyler Nesler

Growing up in Michigan, you frequently visited the Detroit Institute of Art and the Cranbrook Art Museum, where you developed an early exposure to pop art and abstract expressionism. Later, you studied abroad in Florence, Italy where you gained an appreciation for the Baroque and Renaissance periods. How do you think the absorption of all these different styles from different time periods ultimately influenced your current painting style?

I learned about art history in the way that many things are learned — in reverse chronological order. My fascination with the predominant work of the time made me curious to explore the context from which it came about. Like many of the modernists, I became inspired by the less talked-about, past forms and movements that I began to discover. The past movements I became drawn to were largely figurative and, despite having more painterly dexterity, they were more rudimentary to me, intellectually at least, and seemed to be closer to the essence of experience and expression.

I learned how to paint in a similarly reverse way. My natural inclinations with the paintbrush are very heavy handed. Instinctively I paint with hard edges and big blocks of color. During my exploration into pre-modern movements I became seduced by the subtleties of representational art, the different atmospheres that can be produced, the way a form can turn and the way depth can be created. I began trying to combine these representational techniques, which I have really had to work on, with the parts of my painting that are more instinctual to develop a picture. I take inspiration from all the painting I am aware of, mix that with my experiences and try to paint something that reveals my understanding of contemporary life.

“Horror,” 2015 - Oil on Linen - 54 × 50 × 1 in

Much of your work features figures arranged collage-like within vaguely suburban indoor or rural outdoor environments. When you begin a painting, do you have any sort of compositional starting point which might act as a focal point for the viewer, or is your approach more fluid and random?

When I begin a painting I have a pretty good idea about how I want the major forms of the painting to look in terms of object, environment and character arrangement. Sometimes I will need to edit something out or add something in as the painting develops, when things are either too balanced or not balanced enough. I do, however, leave a lot of room for color, value and texture composition to emerge organically while I am working. Paint does so many beautiful and unpredictable things and I am still working on better embracing those interesting areas when they magically reveal themselves. Harmonizing those spontaneous areas with the heavily choreographed areas is key.

“The Island,” 2017, Oil on linen - 38 × 46 × 1 in

The immediate impact I experience when viewing much of your work is a strange mix of disorientation and titillation -- there is a kind of explosion of various naked body parts overlapped into sexualized positions or even placed into collections of appendages in the general form of a whole body or face (your painting "Officer" is a superb example of this). What would you say is your personal intent with these surrealistic arrangements? What particular issues or meanings are you exploring with this style?

I think this can, and should, be looked at a number of ways. I think the bodies composed of other bodies can be seen as a nod to humanity’s connectedness, how we are literally products of interactions between flesh and how our own identities are made from the people we come into contact with. Our families and communities, inspirational figures in our lives and even the historical figures that we choose to learn about help define who we are. More nefarious readings could include ideas that we are wholly consumed by the opinion of others or that we rely on our most basic thoughts and desires to dictate our behavior or even that those desires may not be entirely our own. The paintings may suggest that we are the products of what we are shown and what we consume, corrupted by exploitative marketing influences. I have been making a lot of paintings with hats as signifiers, like the police officer painting. I am very interested in the way symbols create an identity, be it occupational, societal or political. I am not especially interested in providing a definitive resource for how my paintings should be interpreted; it is for the viewer to have their own perspective and hopefully invent a range of other interpretations that make the paintings relatable to them.

“Officer,” 2020 - Oil on Canvas - 40 × 30 × 1 in

Who are some contemporary artists also working in a similar collage-like or overlapping figurative style that influence you?

I really admire Sheida Soleimani’s wok. Her collage images find a way to be incredibly distinctive in a medium that is heavily explored by artists and designers. I am not always clear on what the content is, but her use of imagery, scale, repetition and texture produce a powerful, authentic and accurate-feeling report on the state of life today. The work makes sense in a nonverbal way that transcends rationality and speaks to a greater truth. I also look at Katherina Olschbaur’s work, where shape and color are used to a collage-like end, reminiscent of cubism and Matisse’s decoupages. I identify with and enjoy the repetition of objects and figures that give the work a sense of duality or make available room for multiple interpretations of reality. I look at Henry Taylor also. There is a lot of collage-feel with his work, bold color and hard edges. I look at Cecily Brown as well; her figurative work is almost mosaic.

“Man in Four Places,” 2017 - Oil on Linen - 54 × 66 × 1 in

Conversely, are there any contemporary artists with very different styles from yours that have also had a strong impact on your work?

I don’t often look at contemporary work that isn’t in some way addressing the same visual issues that I am investigating and, with that said, there isn’t much work out there that isn’t addressing some aspect of what I am grappling with visually or thematically. Some artists check more of those boxes and I can look at them while addressing multiple issues and some I just turn to for a single tip or a creative spark or an attitude. I have been a fan of Raymond Pettibon for many years and I still look at his work regularly; his irreverent and antagonistic drawings were a huge force in my early years as an artist. He really spoke to my prolonged adolescence. His old work comes from such an unexpected and flippant perspective. Using minimal compositional tools, line drawing and text, he makes such powerful images, laying bare cultural absurdities, giving the downtrodden, violent and unconventional a luster and juxtaposing incongruous thoughts. He exposed me to new ideas about interconnectedness. For me he was a shaman of the underground.

“Western,” 2019 - Oil on Canvas - 24 × 18 × 1 in

Are there any specific ways that you anticipate your work evolving over time? Do you have any ambitions to work in other media such as sculpture or installations, or do you feel that oil painting is your most effective medium for expression?

I see my work over time becoming more painterly. I have been doing this a long time and still feel like I am just beginning to scratch the surface of what can be achieved with the medium as far as texture and illusion. I also see a return to a brief period where I was making screen print paintings. It’s a way of working that mirrors a lot of the repetition in my practice and it could help build some interesting patterns.

John Krausman Lark - Online Exclusive is up through April 30 at The Untitled Space.

View more of John’s work on his site and Instagram

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