David Darcy

My paintings, sculptural works, and installations draw viewers into pleasurable, contemplative expanses. They are intense abstractions of humanity marked by a balance of movement within the frame or installation space. They encase equal parts sensation and inquiry. When creating watercolour style paintings, I have adopted a signature process including Japanese Sumi-e inks. These are applied in much the same manner as watercolours, thought they inherently less yielding. That restriction allows for new approaches and methods. The results include brilliant, durable pigments rooted in mid-motion gestures. The palette and forms shift according to content and mood, but the inherent tenacity of effort remains consistent within this body of work. While giving credit to the advancements of the Abstract Expressionists, I take a decidedly contemporary approach. I use the movement of form and line to express desire and vitality. These methods extend the French Tachisme approach into this postmodern era. Key influences include Anselm Kiefer, Gerhard Richter, Frank Auerbach, and Norman Bluhm. Kiefer’s watercolours, and especially Essence/Ex-sistence, provide a favorable visual and philosophical point of departure. Richter’s adoption of chance operations and other experimentations support endless lines of inquiry. Auerbach’s approach to the paint medium emboldens my non-traditional methods and I affirm Bluhm’s commitment to pleasure. London