David Brown – Happy Dance

www.ArtistDavidBrown.com

Messages from more innocent times.

Our world has changed dramatically, quickly, and completely. I present to you this collection of “pre-pandemic” work as a love letter from the past and reminder of more innocent times. Happy days are ahead and silver linings do surround us. I hope these whimsical images lift your spirits… even just for a moment.

Artist Statement

I approach the act of painting like a builder, using wax, spray paint, and print techniques to construct a multi-layered, multi-sensory experience. I am interested in observing, collecting and reflecting the visual cacophony of urban life. Layers record time, almost archaeologically, with image fragments and experiences accumulated in the wax.

Encaustic paint has become an integral part of my process. The bees wax is an organic material with a strong personality. Its versatility is demonstrated by the range of qualities, surfaces and textures it can yield. Throughout history bees wax has been used for embalming, preserving and healing. The wax and I have formed a partnership. It tells me where and how to proceed as I guide and tease the molten medium.

In my Painted Series, layers of wax are painstakingly piled on acrylic washes, oil, and spray paints. I add depth by weaving organic and geometric shapes, rendered in positive and negative form, through different levels. The final result is a thin sculpture with fragments of long forgotten messages resonating through.

In contrast, my Print Series is a quick, intuitive exploration of the wax’s character. Instead of adding layers, I remove wax with silicon tools making lines and textures. The sensual flow of the medium tracks the movement of my hand across the heated plate and creates an illusion of three-dimensions.

I think of my paintings and prints as contemporary landscapes that reflect the experience of living in an urban environment — an encapsulation of all the sensory inputs that bombard me everyday. I strive to represent time and space, sight and sound, in a quiet loudness.

About David Brown

A leading figure in Toronto’s creative community, David’s abstract encaustic paintings have been shown at galleries and museums across North America. His paintings are held in private and corporate collections in Canada, U.S., Europe and Asia. David has won awards in the art and design industry. In 1996 Toronto’s Design Exchange honored David’s work in “Type Culture”, an exhibition of top designers chosen for their pivotal influence on Canadian Typography. A graduate from the Ontario College for Art and Design (AOCA 1992), he was an Industrial Design faculty member from 1996 to 2006 and also operated a highly successful product design studio. The products he designed have been sold across North America, and his work has been published in books and magazines throughout Canada and the United States. His Downtown Toronto studio is located in the Lansdowne and Dupont artistic precinct.