David Barnes
The precarious or uncertain nature of our lives is the subject of my
work. This theme is mirrored in the construction of the artworks.
Mine are relatively thin paintings with little underpainting and
an economy of actual brush marks. The intent and cumulative
effect, when viewed from a distance, is one of a solid image with
weight, light, and three dimensions. On closer inspection, the few
essential brushstrokes, made with restraint and speed, produce
an image that appears to hover, either contracting into solidity or
exploding apart.
The significance of the imagery is intentionally open-ended. I
direct the viewer’s gaze toward the periphery, the ignored, and
the after-the-act. Detritus, rubble, a hole in the ground, and
glimpses of industrial architecture depict liminal spaces that
subtly evoke violent change. The individual objects within the
paintings—a puddle, a mailbox, a plane overhead—bring the
viewer to the threshold of banality or collective anxiety.
My objective is to point to life’s precariousness, its transient
nature, and its beauty.