David Dornan collects things—honey bear jars, Tabasco bottles and even a paint-spattered apron a worker was wearing in a store’s paint department. He says, “I’m particularly interested in the discarded, overlooked item and how I can bring it back to people’s attention—because it’s always going to touch someone’s heart in some way.”
Santa Fe Nectar, oil on canvas, 32 x 36"
There is a feeling of nostalgia when one looks at a seemingly haphazard assemblage of objects or even a paint-covered Tabasco bottle that you’ve probably never seen. The painted objects are recognizable but not painted in a tromp l’oeil manner where the painter’s hand is not evident. Up close, Dornan’s paintings are about paint and the ways he applies it.
Work Horse, oil on canvas, 45 x 50"
He explains, “At a distance my paintings are depictions of familiar objects—cups and bottles, studio objects on a palette and, more recently, flowers—but the up-close view exposes the abstract juxtaposition and layering of paint, not the three-dimensional imagery. You can see the splotches, handprints, scratches—evidence of the way I put paint on canvas. There is interaction between the two-dimensional and three-dimensional aspects of my paintings. When I am painting, a visual dialogue develops between the medium’s inherent qualities (value, color, texture, fluidity, etc.) and the form I am trying to depict.”
Paint Demo II, oil on canvas, 20 x 22"
The objects, their color and form, are enhanced by light, whether in 12-inch paintings of single rose blossom in a transparent glass jar or a 50-inch scene of an artist’s studio. The subtlety of light and color is often achieved by his applying thin layers of paint from a spray can—and not just a store-bought spray can, but one that is pre-pressured with a propellant into which he loads the precise pigment he wants to use.
Dornan also pushes painting into the realm of synesthesia, a phenomenon in which the arousal of one sense is precipitated by the stimulation of another. He observes, “I am most engaged and fascinated when my work is primarily visually stimulating. Some of my paintings may imply meaning to the viewer, but I hope the visual dynamics and excitement rise above issues and ideas. I want my viewers to feel their sight.”
Tower III, oil on canvas, 32 x 26"
An exhibition of his recent work at Meyer Gallery in Santa Fe will open with a reception on June 14 from 4 to 6 p.m. and remain on view through June 27. —
Meyer Gallery 225 Canyon Road, Suite 14 • Santa Fe, NM 87501 • (505) 983-1434 • www.meyergalleries.com
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