The "complexities of our existence" become complex only after we examine them in a simple context or frame of view. Dave Kinsey's Man from Topanga is (obviously) a profile portrait of someone - good proportion, fine use of line, excellent detail - but it is also a marvelous example of how color can delineate emotional depth and even afford a thoughtful musing or two about those aforementioned complexities.
The somber expression of the gentleman hints at a mood of ennui; he is "whole" and "transparent" at the same. The cigarette seems forgotten and the black descending vertical off-center from his face implies a casual disinterest in whatever he may be hearing. Not to suggest that Kinsey is being derivative, but here is a disciplined and imaginative style that prompts favorable comparison to the post-war German expressionists or the visceral (albeit less horrific) immediacy of Francis Bacon.
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About the Artist
Location: California
Dave Kinsey was born in Pittsburgh in 1971, attending the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and the Art Institute of Atlanta before moving to California in 1994 to pursue a career as a designer and fine artist. His work attempts to capture the universal essence of the human condition mainly through a symbolic portrayal of contemporary life. Utilizing a range of mediums, he constructs multi-layered, textured environments that echo the complexities of our existence.
His fine art has been shown in galleries and museums worldwide—among these have been exhibitions at the URBIS Museum in Manchester, UK, NEXT Chicago, Joshua Liner Gallery in NY, Alice Gallery and Art Brussels in Belgium. His work has been featured in multiple local and international print and online publications from The New York Times and Washington Post to The Citrus Report. He has also been invited to speak at institutions such as the Pasadena Art Center, UCLA, Montserrat College of Art and the Semi-Permanent conference in Sydney, Australia.
Find out more @ http://kinseyvisual.com
