Breaking Bad Waves 2017

David Michael Hinnebusch’s “Breaking Bad Waves” is a painting that’s really about the pleasure of seeing. The colours seem thrown down, but look closer, there’s a logic to it. The textures vary, from smooth washes to scratchy lines. The brushstrokes reveal the artist’s hand, full of doubt and resolution all at once. There’s a collage element too, of a human figure, with scrawled words that invite a reading, but frustrate any linear narrative. And that hot pink! It feels like the colour is breaking through, pushing against the black lines, injecting a bit of playful energy. Like Philip Guston's late work, it embraces a kind of visual cacophony, yet every element feels deliberate. It’s like Hinnebusch is saying, "Here’s everything, all at once," inviting you to make sense of it. Is sense-making even the point? Or can we just enjoy the ride?