THE RECORD PAINTINGS (2022 - PRESENT)

In this series Jac Lahav mines their substantial vinyl record collection to produce over 200 paintings of celebrated record covers. Lahav became fascinated with vinyl after discovering a Russian bootleg of Sonic Youth’s iconic 1988 album “Daydream Nation” with the artist Gerhard Richter’s painting Kerze (Candle) featured on the album cover. Richter’s work confronts history through combining painting and photography. Lahav’s work considers the back and forth of history, the transaction of ideas of both our personal and collective past, capturing a momentary flicker in time.

Lahav applies his unique skill set to breathe new life into these musical portraits, drawing inspiration from the fluidity and resonance of the artists’ touring exhibitions “48 Jews” and “The Great Americans”. Each painting carries the weight of nostalgia, music, and artistic expression, transporting viewers to an analog oasis in our digitally focused world.

Recently, Lahav has been integrating the works of art history notables such as Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, Francis Bacon, and Sol LeWitt. He mines these artists archives to discover what music they collected and listened to. Lahav has collaborated with the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center and the Francis Bacon Estate to delve deeper into the connection between visual representation and music.