q+a: yam shalev
Tchotchke Gallery: Can you take us back to the beginning and explain how you first got into painting? What drew you into the medium?
Yam Shalev: Well, as much as I can remember it was the first thing I liked to do and was actually good at. Talking about a very young age that I can barely remember. Afterward came the attention in art classes and such. But in general, my aunts were both artists so we had lots of oil paintings and sculptures around to keep my eyes curious.
TG: How has your practice and subject matter evolved since you first started painting?
YS: I started as figurative and moved into the still life afterward. But in general, I’ve always been somewhere between the hyper-realistic to some sort of pop-comic aesthetic. At first, I dived quite deep into post-digital representation but discovered quite fast that I want to be more personal, loose, and intuitive in my paintings.
TG: What is your creative process like? What is a typical day like in the studio for you?
YS: At the moment I’m focusing on being present and telling the story of “right here, right now.” A lot is going on in my life at the moment and I’m trying to keep reflecting and projecting as much as I can. So articulating the ideas for the paintings is the first step in the process. Afterward, I’m crafting compositions and manipulating the image in my sketchbook before I start working on the canvas. A day in the studio is quite different each time, but I always have my music or podcasts on and drink tea every half an hour (I stopped smoking recently so that’s instead).
TG: What is your overall favorite part of the painting process? The most challenging part?
YS: That’s a good question :) well, to craft the idea is definitely not an easy part, but once I get it and I’m ready to move onto the canvas, I definitely love the last layer (touch-ups) the most. This is when you can finally see the image and all the middle-stage is behind. When it comes to the hardest part, I think it’s the struggle between getting the objects detailed and realistic while keeping in mind the need to be intuitive and loose. I come from a hyper-realistic background, which always leaves me conflicted over the control of the object versus letting go, relaxing, and loosening up. That’s something that I always need to consider.
TG: How would your friends and family describe your work?
YS: I think my friends like my work since they can see me throughout the painting and the overall feedback is always good. As for my family, I must say that they’re my biggest supporters. Regardless of what I’m doing is good or not, they are always on the sidelines cheering and encouraging. My mom in particular.
TG: Did you discover anything new about your practice or yourself while making the works for That’s Showbiz, Baby?
YS: Absolutely! Regardless of the fact that it’s the first time I’m working with gouache and ink, which I’ve been wanting to do for a while. I truly enjoyed this pivot from my typical mediums. Working with gouache took me a while to adjust to different techniques in the painting process though it did encourage me to bring different storytelling elements when it comes to the idea behind the work. Overall, I’m grateful for the opportunity the show gave me to try something new but similar.