Vikings 1997

Editor: Here we have David Michael Hinnebusch’s “Vikings” from 1997, a mixed media piece including acrylic paint. There’s such vibrant chaos here, with identifiable shapes buried under layers of expressive marks. What strikes you most about this work? Curator: The layers, undoubtedly. Let's consider the means of production. Look at how Hinnebusch builds up this surface, likely using a variety of tools and techniques, challenging the traditional notion of a pristine, untouched canvas. Do you see evidence of layering and scraping, maybe even collage elements beneath the paint? Editor: Yes, definitely. I see what looks like pasted paper scraps peeking through in a few spots. Curator: Exactly! These discarded materials, recontextualized, become part of the "high art" object. It pushes us to think about value, about what is deemed worthy of preservation and display. Moreover, what labor went into sourcing and manipulating these materials? Consider also, given the title, could the layered and chaotic quality somehow evoke the materials used for their ships and constructions? Editor: That's interesting. It makes me consider the social context of discarded materials. Were these materials readily available to the artist? Was there commentary around accessible means and labor being implied here? Curator: Precisely! And consider the historical context. This piece was made in 1997; perhaps this accumulation mirrors the mass consumption characteristic of that era. The "Vikings" of consumer society, perhaps? How does this consideration of materiality change your initial interpretation of "chaos"? Editor: It shifts it from a purely aesthetic assessment to a potentially critical commentary on the resources around the artist at the time. The layers suggest an active engagement with materials and the means available, rather than purely relying on new materials from traditional art suppliers. Curator: And that active engagement is what breathes meaning into the work, turning discarded components into a thought-provoking piece. Editor: It makes me appreciate how artmaking extends beyond traditional painting techniques and incorporates wider cultural dynamics of sourcing materials. Thank you!