Wake up You Crashed Skater 2017

Curator: At first glance, I see a portrait of a seated figure surrounded by frenetic, gestural strokes. The palette leans towards greens, purples, and yellows, all fighting for space on the canvas. Editor: Indeed. We are looking at David Michael Hinnebusch’s “Wake up You Crashed Skater,” executed in 2017. Hinnebusch uses acrylic paint in a way that feels both spontaneous and deliberately unfinished. I believe this work offers an interesting commentary on the skater subculture. Curator: Oh, skater culture—yes, that adds a crucial layer. The somewhat disoriented pose of the central figure now reads less as simple melancholy and more like disorientation after a spill. The incorporation of what appears to be graffiti around the central figure would further locate this work firmly within a specific counter-culture moment. Editor: Precisely. The loose application of paint and the raw, almost naïve rendering, resonate with the anti-establishment ethos often associated with skater and graffiti art scenes. I’m curious about how Hinnebusch might see these communities relating with public and commercial visual spheres. Curator: Agreed, and Hinnebusch’s style shares qualities with Pop Art too. His use of high-key colors, combined with the accessible subject matter and comic-like flatness speaks to the Pop sensibility of appropriating everyday iconography. It's interesting to view his contribution alongside artists like Warhol. Editor: And from a purely formal standpoint, look at how he creates depth. The composition uses overlapping forms and variations in line weight to push and pull our focus. Although flat, this visual strategy adds interest to the work, almost like it’s on the verge of collapsing in on itself. Curator: It all emphasizes a sort of instability and that the status quo is about to tip, which links with countercultural aesthetics from skateboarding to Pop art. I think understanding the cultural milieu is fundamental in reading this artwork. Editor: Definitely. Seeing how such pieces relate to each other on the grand historical scale allows a better understanding of the historical context in which this acrylic painting appeared.