Bright Dog 2017

David Michael Hinnebusch made this painting, Bright Dog, with a bold use of line and color, like jazz for the eyes. There's an immediacy to the work, a sense of the artist working quickly and intuitively. Looking closely, you see that the paint is applied in layers, with some areas thick and opaque, and others thin and transparent, revealing the colors underneath. The black lines that define the dog's form are energetic, almost frantic, but they also have a playful quality. See the way the paint drips down the canvas? It is a record of the artist’s process, of gravity and chance at play. This piece reminds me of some of Joan Miró’s playful, dreamlike compositions, where recognizable forms emerge from a field of abstraction. Like Miró, Hinnebusch embraces ambiguity and allows the viewer to bring their own interpretations to the work. It’s a reminder that art is a conversation, an open-ended exchange of ideas and experiences.