San Burro 2017

Curator: This painting is titled "San Burro," an acrylic on canvas by David Michael Hinnebusch, created in 2017. Editor: My initial feeling is… joyful chaos. The color palette is almost aggressively vibrant, yet there's something inherently innocent and playful in the composition. Curator: It's fascinating how figuration is implied rather than explicitly stated, right? There are suggestive forms that are somewhat familiar: the hint of a donkey, maybe a saint… Editor: I read those forms very differently, to be honest. To me the figure is obscured but present and possibly points towards societal figures being caricatures of the animal. It raises questions about our relationship with labor, class, and representation. Curator: That is insightful. These symbols resonate differently through cultures. This figure, seemingly simple, is loaded. Visually, the application of acrylic resembles Fauvism or Abstract Expressionism. The heavy strokes, dripping lines – there's a performative aspect. The image references cultural memory in the making, almost. Editor: Yes! There’s definitely something being processed here, socially and politically. Abstraction becomes a veil, obscuring power dynamics. It makes me consider labor exploitation within contemporary agriculture. It could even be a commentary on performative activism. The 'San' title mocks saintly acts or social saviors of sorts... Curator: Very clever. Even those geometric shapes aren't mere aesthetic choices. It seems to intentionally push boundaries and invite discussion through ambiguity. Editor: Right! Hinnebusch utilizes a very intentional vocabulary of forms to spark conversations. Art should shake our assumptions and challenge pre-existing notions, in any case. Curator: Precisely. It highlights how potent visual language remains, even in its fragmented state. Editor: Absolutely. I leave feeling challenged to critically engage with cultural and power dynamics. Curator: It leaves me feeling fascinated by how symbols and archetypes continue to morph in collective awareness.