COMING SOON
Spacewalk Series
The minimal compositions of the Spacewalk series feature three consistent elements - earth, void, man - all hanging delicately in the balance. The intrepid lone astronaut alludes to both the ‘creative condition’ and the paradox of the status of man over life on Earth but his inability to survive without the planet’s support.
In ancient times Socrates wrote that "Man must rise above the Earth—to the top of the atmosphere and beyond—for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives". After seeing Earth from the outside, astronauts often talk of a perspective-altering experience described as the Overview Effect. This phenomenon produces a cognitive shift of awareness derived from a profound feeling of awe producing a unifying sense of inter-connectivity with the planet and all life upon it.
Keywords:-
human condition, zen, contemplation,
solipsistic, societal, paradox,
Man, drifting, splendid isolation, existentialism, metaphysics,
Rothkoesque, abstract-expressionism, vastness, minimalism,
infinity, colour field, space, depth, detachment, tranquility, quietude
David OM's process involves the interpretation of scientific representations whilst ruminating on the metaphysical. His often minimal, zen-esque compositions present an intuitive point of departure towards what lies beyond.
Selected for the biennial John Moores Painting Prize, the UK's most prestigious painting award. Also a recurrent exhibitor at Royal Mall Galleries, a finalist for the Discerning Eye, Lynn-Painter Stainers awards in addition to Cork St and involvement with the Royal Society of British Artists. The artist has provided extensive interviews for the international press and his work has featured on television including BBC4 and Sky Arts. David OM's art is held in collections spanning the globe.
Distant astronauts drift before infinity in splendid isolation, surveying the earth below, experiencing the cognitive shift in awareness brought about by the Overview Effect. Miniature figurines gaze outwards through trompe d'oiel windows created by the frame that stretches the canvas; presenting the back of the canvas in this manner suggests that the image lies somewhere in the infinite yonder, communicating a huge sense of scale.
David OM's art often operates at a place amidst optically perceived physicality and the point at which the imagination becomes conducive to metaphysical contemplation. Artistic mechanisms that he employs often include juxtaposition and binary aesthetics. Wonder and nihilism oscillate, the relatively micro near gazes out to the macro far as he manipulates devices in order to engineer re-codifying shifts of objecthood. Breaking through the local void of quotidian drudgery, his canvases convey infinite possibilities.
"Essentially I am drawn to the power of vastness and the context of the wider picture; the compelling journey from that which is constricted within to the cusp of the infinite. An existential undertow may be detected from ruminations on the metaphysical aspects of time and space. I seek to instil a pure sense of wonder in my work that will guide the viewer to tap into the awe of the sublime and transport the individual. I am particularly fond of a David Lynch quote postulating that the restrictions of the film making process do not apply to the field of painting and that indeed ‘painting is infinite’."