May I 2017

David Michael Hinnebusch’s, ‘May I’ is, for me, all about how the simplest marks can carry a world of meaning. I love the raw energy of the black lines against the white ground, they remind me of comic books, quick sketches and the kind of drawings you do when you are trying to figure something out. The figures have a tentative, almost vulnerable quality that is belied by their direct gaze. And then there's that slash of green and orange on the left figure’s shoulder, so unexpected! It’s a collage element, a piece of something else that's been stuck on, adding another layer of texture and a pop of colour. It disrupts the whole picture plane and adds an element of the absurd. Hinnebusch’s work shares some of that same directness and intensity as artists like Philip Guston, who weren’t afraid to embrace the messy, awkward aspects of painting. It's a reminder that art doesn't always have to be polished or perfect. Sometimes, it's the imperfections that make it so compelling.