Raking Sand Rand 2017

David Michael Hinnebusch painted "Raking Sand Rand" around 2001 somewhere on Venice Beach, Los Angeles, probably using acrylics and whatever else he had to hand. Look at the scene he’s conjured, all hot pinks and oranges, sliced through with the darker blues and blacks of what looks like writing. I can imagine Hinnebusch working really quickly, building up the layers of paint, letting things drip and pool, then scratching back into it all. The paint is applied in these bold, confident strokes, almost like he's carving out the image from the chaos. The figures feel so present, like they're caught in a moment of reflection or conversation. What I really like is how he makes you feel like you're there, too, right on the beach with them, watching the world go by. It reminds me of Guston, or maybe Twombly, in the way he embraces the messiness of life. We're all just raking sand, aren't we?