A+ 2012

David Michael Hinnebusch made this painting, “A+”, using bold, expressive strokes and a high-key palette. I love how Hinnebusch embraces process; you can almost feel the energy of his movements across the canvas. The materiality here is striking. The paint is applied in layers, thick in some areas and thinned out in others. Look closely at the way the blue paint drips and pools, creating a sense of depth and movement in the water. The bright yellows and reds contrast with the blue, adding to the painting's intensity. The figures are rendered with a raw, almost childlike simplicity, which is echoed in the scrawled signature in the corner. This reminds me a bit of some of the early expressionist painters, like Kirchner, who were also interested in capturing raw emotion through bold color and gestural mark-making. Ultimately, this painting invites us to embrace ambiguity and find our own meaning within its vibrant chaos.