The Scottish-American naturalist John Muir wrote, “I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.”
In a statement for his exhibition, New Landscapes, at Gallery 1261 in Denver, David Grossmann writes, “Over the past year and a half so much of the world around me has shifted toward a new reality, and these paintings have taken shape during that season. The shutdowns and unrest made nature even more of a refuge to me than before; I watched the colors of the sky, wandered through the woods, and somewhere along the way, I shed a bit of my anxiety. In that process of letting go I thought about how intricately the landscapes around me have shaped my inner landscapes through each chapter of life.”
Dusk in the Wildflower Meadow, oil on linen panel, 30 x 50"
Grossmann’s landscapes have their own inner-outer quality. “I have the composition worked out ahead of time,” he explains. “Design is always important—how the shapes interact with each other. The textures and colors evolve as I paint. It’s a joy for me to lean into the more intuitive part of the process.” The top layer of paint is often applied with a nearly dry brush. He says, “I lightly drag the brush across the surface and the paint picks up the texture of earlier brushstrokes as well as the texture of the linen panel. Up close you can look down into the layers of paint to the warm glowing base of burnt sienna.”
Flight into Golden Sky, oil on linen panel, 18 x 24"
He often has five to 15 paintings in his studio in different stages of completion. They converse with one another and with the artist. As each painting progresses, it suggests directions for the artist to pursue. In Composing Dusk in the Wildflower Meadow, he knew he wanted a large blue-green field with the trees floating in the landscape. “I knew there would be flowers,” he observes, “but I didn’t know there would be that many.” In the upper right corner, there is a cropped section of dusky sky suggesting a world outside the frame.
Ducks and Last Light Reflected, oil on linen panel, 12 x 12"
The woven and painted textures of his paintings invite viewers to experience their place in the web of existence—their “inner landscapes.”
“The power of art is engaging people’s imagination,” Grossmann says. “If I say too much, I squander that opportunity. When I condense and simplify, I leave space for people to feel something themselves.”
New Landscapes runs November 6 through 30. —
Gallery 1261
1261 Delaware Street, Suite 1 • Denver, CO 80204
(303) 571-1261 • www.gallery1261.com
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