Mike Klung
Nature has always served as a muse for artist Mike Klung.
While growing up in the South, he spent countless hours as a child exploring the woods, climbing high into the trees where he sat surveying the landscape. It was the love of this quiet, reflective scenery that eventually drew him to his art.
After more than a decade as a businessman in the art world (framing other artists' works), Klung yearned to express himself artistically as a painter.
Klung's earliest paintings reflect a traditional, muted tone and somewhat safe approach to landscape. His work quickly evolved though as he began to create contemporary, surreal depictions of landscapes, with colorful cotton candy shaped trees and metallic backgrounds reflecting mysterious light.
At first glance, his paintings create a sense of tranquility and whimsy, with odd shaped shrubs and trees, often painted in blues, oranges and cranberry colors. Buried in Klung's landscapes, one often finds pieces of wood or screens and other textures.
Upon closer inspection, a viewer will note how his paintings recall a mood or a sense of time or place long forgotten, but still captive within one's self. According to Klung, the meaning one applies to his paintings is reflected in each individual's past.
Klung's latest paintings are moving from canvas to surfaces such as plexiglass and sheet metal. The plexiglass concaved pieces create a contemporary twist to his well approached landscapes, adding an expansive sense of movement and depth. With his use of convex and concave shett metal, Klung adds a strong and dramatic feel to his contemporary landscapes.
No matter the surface, Klung's paintings continue to grow in popularity.
He is represented in New Mexico exclusively by Reflection Gallery.