On the Air and In the Air 2017

David Michael Hinnebusch made this painting, On the Air and In the Air, with what looks like acrylic and ink, layering colour over scribbled, scratchy outlines. You can see he’s feeling his way through the painting, making adjustments and corrections as he goes, leaving a kind of visual record of the process. Look at the figure’s blue striped shirt and then the planes of orange and red, punctuated by black bars behind him. The paint isn’t trying to be smooth or hide itself; it’s kind of gloppy and immediate. The lines aren’t precious either; they zig and zag, filling in the background. The way Hinnebusch uses color and line is really reminiscent of artists like Alfred Jenson or even some of Philip Guston’s later, more cartoonish paintings. But while those artists were always wrestling with the weight of art history, there’s a kind of carefree, outsider quality to Hinnebusch’s work. You get the sense he’s just having fun, making the kind of art that feels both personal and universal.