Oil on printed advertisement for kitchen devices, painted in 2001. This Beetle emerged from the form of a kitchen device and took on something of a flamingo in the process: curved, delicate, and slightly comic. The car remains recognizable, yet its usual solidity gives way to a more decorative and animal-like presence. It is a Volkswagen turned into a small gesture of elegance and humour
The Car Portraits 2001–2010
The Car Portraits (2001–2010) is a long-term body of work created over roughly a decade: paintings made directly onto found printed media (magazines, catalogs, advertisements). Each piece is a one-off physical work; this token is the studio edition release of the motif. Lytke creates his paintings by working directly on photographs or printed matter, generating a distinctive interplay between painting and photography. Characterised by a restrained use of colour and isolated, objective elements, his works evoke openness and transformation. They offer a subtle commentary on the relationship between image and representation in contemporary culture, while challenging the conventions of media imagery by infusing them with a more art-historical significance. The Car Portraits, oil or later acrylic on pulp, comprise over hundred works primarily created between 2001 and 2010.. All digital versions reflect the character and size of the original works – some of which are miniature pieces, painted in formats smaller than a matchbox.