Rise 2017

Curator: What an explosion of colour! It’s vibrant and overwhelming, almost feverish. Editor: Indeed. We are looking at “Rise” by David Michael Hinnebusch, completed in 2017. This piece combines mixed media including acrylic paint and collage techniques to produce something quite striking. Curator: Striking is one word for it! I see a portrait struggling to emerge from a sea of abstraction. The face, rendered in pinks and reds, looks almost distressed amidst the geometric shapes and chaotic brushstrokes. I wonder what personal turmoil informed this… Editor: Formally, consider the layering of colour planes. Note the tensions established by the overlaid collage elements disrupt the coherence of the human figure. This disrupts any classical reading of portraiture, inviting more subjective interpretation through the language of abstract expressionism and Pop Art. Curator: It reminds me of peeling away layers of identity, like excavating the raw emotion underneath a constructed persona. There’s something inherently modern about it, a struggle with visibility, almost… Editor: It embodies the modern spirit perfectly. We see this internal conflict communicated through fragmented forms and discordant colours, an active interplay. And note how Hinnebusch allows certain aspects of the underpainting to bleed through. It generates a kind of visual breathing room amidst all of this… Curator: A breath caught in a storm, maybe. But, the very title, "Rise," offers a sense of optimism amidst the apparent chaos and inner struggle. A hopeful counterpoint that insists the figure is breaking free or maybe rising above! Editor: Yes, that subtle indication counters any purely negative readings, instead encouraging thoughts related to a continual evolution of identity, or as a commentary to a transforming urban environment in post-industrial modernity. I am struck with its synthesis of formal innovation and potential thematic depth. Curator: It is truly memorable. A bit messy, a lot brave, and profoundly evocative. It's as if you catch a glimpse of somebody else's intimate thoughts on their journey through this life!