David Hutchinson

Lives and works in Pound Ridge, NY

Artist statement

I paint and draw abstract compositions that describe how new thoughts are formed through contemplating the relationships between visual language and written language. I grew up in rural Louisiana where my only access to paintings and sculpture was at the local churches. In the 1960’s my parents purchased a set of World Book Encyclopedias and my mind was blown when I discovered, in book A, the larger world of art. I ate it up. I was already drawing and painting but my nascent art life quickly blossomed after I learned that art was much more huge and complicated and wonderful. Fast forward to my moving to NYC in the very early 1980’s where the nightlife, streets, galleries and museums opened my eyes further. I recall standing in front of a huge Pollock painting at MoMA and was very surprised at my strong emotional reaction, an experience I did not anticipate through contemplation of the same painting in World Book. I discovered that, for me, images were primarily about communication and conveyance of intention. In the mid 90’s I entered into graduate school to study philosophy. I did this because I initially planned to become an art theorist and critic (I studied continental philosophy for many years, majoring in aesthetics). I came out of my graduate school studies an artist with the belief that making art was a bigger effort: to ‘show you’ rather than to write about it. My motivating interest was, and remains, exploring the nature of meaning and emotional/cultural...

Artwork