David Barnes
Artist Statement

In recent years I have been trying to create images that reflect the precarious time in which we live, while simultaneously addressing more universal themes of our human life such as transience and beauty. The series “Night in America” began during the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests. These paintings are essentially a response to the rise of authoritarianism in the United States. Most of my imagery for these paintings has come from stills of amateur videos posted online. These images change and become “distilled” through the painting process. I want my work to combine confrontation and contemplation. To have political agency, but also to address the traditional artistic concerns of form and craft.