Painter Santiago Michalek has a connection with cars. The artist previously owned a business restoring vintage Volkswagen bugs and buses, which has permeated his artistic life. During his 10-year career fixing these vintage vehicles, a variety of individuals with unique stories and situations passed through his shop. “No two stories were alike. Funny stories, sad stories, emotional and intimate memories, interesting…and life-changing stories,” he says. “I didn’t realize it but these are the moments that shaped my art career. These stories, the connection I was creating with complete strangers, are the same stories that I think about when I re-create [these feelings] in my paintings. I wanted to paint those stories and re-create the nostalgia that so many people had shared with me.”
Murphy’s Bus, oil, 48 x 72"Meyer Gallery in Park City, Utah, is holding a solo exhibition for Michalek from February 25 to March 18. “Santiago has been a gallery favorite for many years,” says gallery director Adam Hansen. “His work strikes a nostalgic chord and our collectors love his bold compositions and clean, almost Rockwell-esque style of painting.” In addition to cars and buses, the artist sometimes paints other modes of transport, like airplanes.
“This body of work feels very raw to me,” Michalek says. More than any of his previous paintings, this body of work is a sort of introspective of who the artist is as a person—a tiny glimpse into his life. “[It’s] my continued pursuit of balance, a lifelong pursuit of finding the truth in myself.” Balance, the artist elaborates, in color, in light and dark, and in texture versus smoothness.
Standing Guard (Union Pacific), oil, 80 x 60"One of the pieces in the show, Murphy’s Bus, is a great example of what makes the artist tick. The bus, built in the 1960s, has 60 years of stories behind it. “So much mystery and intrigue hidden in this little bus in the middle of nowhere…When was this bus created? What day? Who first owned this very bus? What was it used for? Was it always a work vehicle?...Where has it been and what amazing views has it seen through its windshield eyes? What stories could it tell?” Michalek inquires. “This last part is very personal…and mysterious,” he adds. “The story of Murphy’s Bus, of time, isn’t over. Its windshield eyes are once again [discovering] adventure and the wonders of the world one road trip at a time.” —
Meyer Gallery
305 Main Street • Park City, UT 84060
(435) 649-8160 • www.meyergallery.com
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