Western Art Carves Out a New Space by Revisiting Midcentury Style

The look of the 1950s and 60s shapes the focus of Kevin Chupik’s iconography
Setting Sun

Setting Sun 48″ X 36″ – Acrylic on Birch. | Photo: Kevin Chupik

The work of artist Kevin Chupik juxtaposes traditional Western imagery with settings of vintage modernity. Irony and humor are woven into the conceptual constructs of his paintings further enhancing their appeal. “The result is a synthesis of rural and suburban worlds and breathing fresh insight into elements that don’t normally combine,” explains Chupik.

Chupik earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Texas Christian University, and Master of Fine Arts from the University of Colorado Boulder. A resident of Aledo, Texas, Chupik says his inspiration comes primarily from his 40-year experience living in the American Southwest. He has been an exhibiting artist for over 25 years and his originals and prints are collected throughout the US, the UK, Australia, and Canada.

Kevin Studio

Kevin in the studio. | Photo: Kevin Chupik

A mountain biking accident during young adulthood left Chupik in a wheelchair and posed a choice between reinventing himself or “being miserable.” Chupik chose the former and focused even more heavily on his contemporary work. An enthusiast of nostalgia, Chupik invites viewers of his paintings to engage in a mash-up of midcentury retro nostalgia.

Bone Collector Hr

Bone Collector 54″ X 36″ – Acrylic on Birch. | Photo: Kevin Chupik

Chupik’s art stems from an inspiring and invigorating contemporary viewpoint. Many of his paintings feature lone cowboy figures facing the future with a look of pensive uncertainty, leaving an open-ended conclusion up to individual interpretation. His work is thought provoking and connects the improbable to pop-art plausibility. Chupik’s paintings realize today’s clash between a modern lifestyle and the wild, untamed West, resonating with even the most casual viewer.

Deep End

Deep End 24″ X 34″ – Acrylic on Birch. | Photo: Kevin Chupik

Finding success on Instagram’s social media platform enables Chupik to sell his paintings directly to collectors. His work is largely sold-out through February 2025, but he will participate in a SoHo, NYC exhibition on September 9-10 of this year. The Arcadia Contemporary Gallery will be home to the show organized by French American painter and graphic designer, Mark Maggiori. Chupik’s paintings will be featured alongside work by Western Contemporary artists at the top of their field.

“The hybridization of the beauty of the West, its characters and mythology, and the contrast between pop culture and iconography is very comfortable for me,” notes Chupik. “It is all a part of where I came from and what makes me who I am.”

The Storyteller Web

The Storyteller 36″ X 48 – acrylic on Birch (This painting will be available at the Far West show in NYC Sep 9 -10. | Photo: Kevin Chupik

Categories: Artists & Artisans