Hollyword 2012

Curator: Standing before us is "Hollyword," a mixed-media piece completed in 2012 by David Michael Hinnebusch. It integrates acrylic paint and diverse techniques associated with mural and graffiti art. Editor: Immediately, I’m struck by the rawness. It’s almost aggressive, a cacophony of color and texture slapped onto the canvas. It feels less composed and more… unearthed. Curator: Indeed. I see Hinnebusch grappling with identity in a post-industrial landscape. Notice the central figure; a partially nude male figure rendered with vulnerable human qualities. How does this representation intersect with themes of masculinity present in the piece, would you say? Editor: For me, it’s all about the material itself. That figure, those figures… they're built with layered meaning, a rejection of traditional craft norms in favour of pure, unfiltered expression. It reflects an appropriation, of using anything at hand. Curator: And those cloud-like shapes, one containing "word" in disjointed letters, the other holding what seems to be a primitive pinkish character with wild abandon, reminiscent of street art – these function, to me, as symbols of language's power, yet also the disruption it can bring to social order. There are layers upon layers. What could these visual metaphors imply, do you think? Editor: Consider the drips and splatters, the chaotic layering. This work refuses the slickness of consumerism, using "low" materials and graffiti-style elements to reclaim public space, albeit on canvas. There is clearly the material and the cultural commentary embedded in its layers, as well as its intentional defiance of established art boundaries. Curator: Right! The artist actively reframes the relationship between high art and vernacular visual culture. A democratization of image-making through the integration of graffiti's immediate and provocative voice. Editor: I agree, it makes you want to touch it! Not in a reverential art-viewing way, but to examine what's underneath and how it was applied to make such complex layers of meaning visible in the artwork. Curator: For me, understanding "Hollyword" lies in understanding how Hinnebusch positions himself and his subjects within a larger sociopolitical dialogue. What does the integration of "street art" and traditional painterly elements say about the shifting power dynamics within artistic creation? Editor: Exactly, by deconstructing norms and highlighting its materiality and methods of production, we understand the socio-economic environment influencing it all. I think it is really telling, the amount of cultural influences the piece reveals through its creation, medium and presentation. Curator: That said, examining art through its intersectionality brings an extra-dimension. By delving into cultural narratives and material usage in his work, Hinnebusch gives his painting a renewed sense of social purpose and context. Editor: Agreed. It forces us to question the perceived value, but moreover, to truly re-examine where art and life begin!