Claudia Pearl Cathy Shanna and Melissa 2017

David Michael Hinnebusch made this painting, Claudia Pearl Cathy Shanna and Melissa, with what looks like acrylics and maybe some collage to build the figures and shapes, all working together in a happy, messy way. Looking closely, you can see how he layers strokes of greens and pinks to construct a kind of fantastical portrait-garden. The figures emerge from the paint, each one a little ghostly and uncertain. It's all about the physicality of the medium here: thick in places, transparent in others, the surface has a real presence. Notice the little flourishes of white highlighting around the figures, quick gestures that add a sense of animation and energy. Hinnebusch seems to be in conversation with artists like outsider artist Forrest Bess, both drawn to a visionary, personal iconography, embracing the strange and the beautiful in equal measure. It’s a good reminder that art isn’t about answers, it’s about opening up space for dreaming.