The Artist: Pini Siluk For ADON Magazine Issue #1
Pini Siluk, 29, Tel Aviv (IL) , A fine art hyper-realistic photographer.
The first time you meet him, you’re left with a feeling that Pini Siluk bears a striking resemblance to some of the superheroes and video game action figures that are commonly depicted in his artwork. Take Wolverine’s hair, Kent Clark’s face, and the Ryu’s (street fighter) arms. Put them all together and out comes Pini Siluk - a youthful, surrealist artist specializing in portrait and fine art photography.
In 1998, Siluk, at the age of 16, picked up a camera for the first time. Hired by an Israeli nightlife magazine, Layla(means night in Hebrew), his job was simple: snap lots of pictures at the best party spots in town. With no formalized training in the science and art of photography, Siluk embarked as a teenager on a journey to discover the world one picture at a time. The club scene was his classroom and party-goers were his subjects.
In 2000, Israeli life experienced radical change. Socio-political events, namely the Second Intifada, violently exploded onto the social landscape, creating dread among the general citizenry that an hostile action of terrorists can erupt at any moment. The society distribution was at its peak, the advocates of peace against the preach for war, the religious against the non-religious people, And between all of the above Pini found those that fell between the cracks - the Night life scene creatures that only wanted to escape to a better place. A place of peace, full of light, love and happiness. A magical place full of smoke, mist and deep base. This place was "THE CLUB"
The desire to escape has never been greater and it seems as if every week the parties became even wilder then before. Siluk’s early work captured the night life people’s escapist tendencies and their desire to conquer every week greater limits and to reach to a higher state of mind.
After graduating B.A. degree in communication and mass media from The College of Management - School of Communication, Tel Aviv in 2008, Siluk had amassed more than a million photos in the party scene, leading to his debut exhibition, “THE SiN.” This exhibition featured 24 large prints taken at after-parties, trance parties, gay parties, and love parades.
Pini Summarize a decade of documentary photographs he took from the Israeli nightlife scene . The culture, the fashion the sex, the drugs.... the SiNs.
The spirit of these images is perhaps best represented in a photograph that captured people celebrating at Tel Aviv’s gay parade along the Mediterranean Sea. the picture was taking on Shirazi(FFF) truck, cruising through the crowded liberated Ben Yehuda street on Friday noon.
At front and center stands a thickly muscled, shirtless man. His abdominal muscles demand attention, largely because of the large disco-ball that is placed directly in front of his face.
“THE SiN” to travel to various Israeli galleries, including Gallery Aaronson and Gallery Artura. and internationally in Berlin and Munich.
In 2009, Siluk realized that, in addition to documenting history, he could also direct it. This simple, yet profound idea led to start working on his next exhibition 2010, “TLV Blackbook.” the new series was shot in a period of one year, 6 session and consists 200 portraits of the characters commonly found in the Israeli party scene. From the hot stud to the top DJ to the drug dealers and strippers, , “TLV Blackbook” features all of the staple Tel Aviv nightlife figures standing in front of a line-up wall being asked to act as if they were got caught in the act at 04:15 a.m. and sent directly to the near police station to have them mugshot taken. “TLV Blackbook” also symbolizes the first time in Siluk’s career where he played an agentic role in the composition, lighting and directing of his work.
Between working on his exhibitions Pini got his first chance to shot a cover for the Israel most famous weekly magazine "Rating". After Rating chief editor was exposed on the streets of Tel Aviv to a Poster for a party that Pini had shot and graphicks that feature his unique style mixing photography with photoshop to deliver a mind blowing message.Pini pretty much got a free ticket to do what ever he want do with the celebrity on duty for this week. Pini quickly conquer the celebrity cover industry of Israel shooting in 2 years about 120 covers of Israel finest Celebrities for almost every known magazine printed in the Israeli print media. Being the first photographer shooting simultaneously for Marriv and its main competitor - Yedioth Ahronoth and all of them magazines - Rating, Pnai Plus, Sofshavoa, Sheva Leilot, and lately Globes and Israel Hayom.
In 2010, Siluk drew on four primary sources of inspiration for his next exhibition, “The Retouched.” Siluk was drawn to Philippe Halsman’s portraits of Dali and his ability to produce Photoshop-quality work 60 years before the computer had been invented. Siluk was also inspired by one of his childhood passions, the card series from the 90's, “Garbage Pail Kids.” Coupling these seemingly diametrically opposed works led to Siluk’s own card collection, “The Retouched.” Inspired additionally by the French graphic designer, Jean Paul Goude, particularly the latter’s retouching techniques, and the bright colors mixed with typography in Andy Warhol work led Siluk to incorporate Photoshop as one of his principal artistic tools into the body of his work. “The Retouched” is thus an amalgamation of Siluk diverse interests, photography, light, retouching, typography and most of all copyrighting. It’s a look that, once seen, is strikingly and easily distinguishable as his trademark stamp.
Siluk’s evolution as an artist continued with a quantum-leap moment that took place during a low point in his personal life. With heartache plaguing him in the aftermath of a high blood test results for his monthly Hemoglobin A1C diabetic test, Siluk decided to privately transform his internal pain by photographing himself in his studio. Working from a shadow-like inner state, Siluk embodied this pain in its physical form. He took the commonly known Rubber bands use to squeeze the arm till the veins come out and tightly wound them all over his body. While he stood naked, thriving in pain, grief manifested all over his body, the camera snapped picture after picture.
After watching the photos Pini realize that he got something great in his hands. something new and totally different from anything he had done before. Enthusiastic from the results he immediately contact his friend, mentor and main curator, Doron Polak and with his help started the new series which he still work on - "Bodies/Die Abetic" and showcased in London at 2012.
This work sowed the seeds for his 2012 exhibition, “Take it Off.” curator by Doron Polak. When he was creating this work, Siluk was influenced by the 30 self-portraits that Van Gogh produced between 1885-1888. In “Take it Off,” Siluk produced self-portraits while taking on the role of Da Vinci, Dali, Van Gogh, Frida Kahlo as well as others .In order to produce this work, Siluk decided it necessary to spend a day outfitted, made up and hair designed as each of these characters in order to capture their essence. He stepped in front of the lens only after he had test the light, props and composition on his assistant and went on to get into subconscious mode to feel what it was like to be these artists. in “Take it Off,” Siluk brings his own interpretation to the body language and portraits of towering artistic figures, thereby inviting viewers to investigate the mysterious world of his art.
After deep research on all these iconic artists Pini felt involve with Frida Kahlo and Van Gogh after realizing for the first time that they had the same reasons he had for doing the self portraits. Pini explain, at the beginning of shooting the self portraits i did not had money to pay for crew, models, set and props. i was there and i was free. all Van Gogh needed was a mirror and just like him Pini used a 21 century mirror that attached to an aluminum's body with an image sensor. have to work only with yourself fulfill Pini because he know for sure that he is the most open minded person he had ever meet to do all the crazy things goes through his brain.
Siluk is an evolving artist that defies word, category and definition. He certainly began his career as a documentary photographer in Israel’s party scene, but he has gone on to become much more than that. As a person living with diabetes, Siluk is reminded on a daily basis of the finite nature of life as well as of his own mortality. Having recently invited by his friend the photo realistic painter Yigal Ozeri Pini relocated to New York City, interested in creating timeless pieces of art.
Recent exhibitions:
The SiN – The Roof club, Tel Aviv(IL), 2008.
The SiN – Aharonson Gallery, Ramat HaSharon(IL), 2008.
The SiN – Artura Studio, Tel Aviv(IL), 2008.
The Secret Art – Bank Leumi collection – Mani House, Tel Aviv(IL), 2008.
BODIES – Macondo Gallery, London(GB) 2008.
Artists, Creators and Designers – the gallery of WIZO Academy of Design & Education, Haifa(IL), 2009.
Come Play With Me – ZOA Gallery of Zionist Organization of America, Tel Aviv(IL), 2009.
Berlin Art Fair – annual art fair in Tempelhof, Berlin(GR), 2010.
Tel Aviv Calling – MBF Kunstprojekte gallery, Munich(GR), 2010.
Tel Aviv Calling – Die Bank Gallery, Munich(GR), 2010
Tel Aviv Calling – Mitcham Hatachna Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv(IL), 2011.
Vanila sex – Rugin – the art of modern home design, Tel Aviv(IL), 2011
Secrets from in between rooms – Exclusive lighting furniture, Tel Aviv(IL), 2011
The Retouched – Dizingof Center Gallery for contemporary art – Tel Aviv(IL), 2011.
Trans-Egeria - ReflexGallery, 62, rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau – 75001 Paris (FR)
The History of Israel Rock – Zaritsky Artists House – Tel Aviv(IL), 2011.
Art Plates London - by Doron Polak & Henie Westbrook, 100 YEARS GALLERY (EN), 2012.
Recent Works - Blagoevgrad Bulgaria city hall, Blagoevgrad(BL), 2012.
TAKE IT OFF - Montefiore Auction House, 36 Gordon st, Tel Aviv (IL), 2012.
