WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?
Current show at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art
In response to several of the readers of this blog who have been asking for more insight into the meaning behind my new work, I thought this week I would give you a behind the scenes tour of what my current work is all about by sharing my artists statement. Most of you have either seen my new work in person or in the photos of this blog over the last year. For those of you thinking about writing your own artists statement or who have attempted to write your own statement, hopefully reading mine will inspire you to re-visit yours or write your very first artists statement.
Here goes:
I create images that depict the "weight of feelings". My figures are made of darkness, mystery and emotion and I paint the emotional tone that surrounds us. My work is an investigation of the struggle for understanding complex emotional issues. Emotion is the surest sign that we are alive; it is the deepest motivator as well as the lifeblood of this work. My work speaks to our deepest and most commonly shared emotions in an attempt to dare the viewer to access and reveal their own emotions.
My figures have perceptible emotional qualities even without clear delineation of facial features. I work to reinvent the figure both in terms of the formal aspects of portraying it and its ability to convey emotions. I confront the darkness of the spirit, both inner and outer, wrestle it into vivid pictorial expression and make it beautiful. The work is not about negativity and despair, but about the mystery of shared existence and the conflict between our ego and our authentic self.
I create images that are bold yet sensitive, powerful yet quiet, emotional yet introspective. My process allows me to invest painting with a maximum amount of thoughtand emotion about the human condition. The work includes a blend of abstract and realistic elements and reveals the sense of tension and harmony between them.
The act of making marks on a surface is a process, a journey filled with exploration and discovery. I search to find a magical balance between the two. The work is an arena of struggle where desire, chance, skill, ideas, media and surface are all engaged in an interchange resulting in a collection of marks that reveal the process and ultimately the finished work. This process is one of creating and destroying and of the relentless search to find the right line, tone, smudge, color, edge, drip and texture.
Each piece tells a narrative of its own making. I use recognizable imagery as a vehicle for emotional expression, underscored by passionate handling of the materials. This emotional content gives the figures power and intensity. Working this way allows me to offer a straightforward emotional experience and provide an open-ended narrative for the viewer to explore their own emotions.
Best,
David