Wading to Viks 2017

David Michael Hinnebusch made “Wading to Viks” using big swathes of paint in strokes of blue, red, black, and yellow. I love how he's gone at it! The paint is applied with such a loose hand; it is like he's trying to capture a moment of pure feeling or memory. You can almost feel the splash of the waves and the warmth of the sun, can't you? I like to think of him standing back, squinting and thinking— how can I express the essence of this scene? A scene of a man wading through the water, carrying a child on his shoulders. The painting surface becomes a place where he can test out his ideas, letting the paint lead the way. I wonder if Hinnebusch was influenced by the work of other painters like Joan Mitchell, whose landscapes are so raw and emotional? For me, artists are constantly having a conversation with each other across time, bouncing ideas off each other's canvases. Painting lets us find new ways to express ourselves, embracing ambiguity and leaving room for multiple interpretations.