David McDonald
Downtown Music, Wood, Acrylic, 102" x 32" x 34", 2010
David McDonald is a sculptor and painter although he sees his activity as one single entity. Both his sculpture and paintings are constructed objects that are assembled one line, one material, one square at a time. They are accumulations that function both on a micro scale of detail and individual lines and units, and macro objects that are a unified whole. His work is often discussed in terms of architecture, particularly vernacular architecture. In fact McDonald’s interest lies more in those fragments of architecture or building materials whose purpose is hard to identify.
Did someone start to build something then quit, was this part of something bigger and only a part has survived, or did someone just leave some things lying around that have coalesced into something interesting? His work is meant to allude only to itself rather than as a representation of some other thing, much like these fragments do due to their lack of context and a knowledge of their original purpose on our part.
McDonald has upcoming group shows at ACME, Post, Carl Berg Projects and Shoshana Wayne Gallery, all in the Los Angeles area. Creatively, this year has seen David re-engage with painting after a few years away from it and to develop a new series of medium scaled sculpture in wood and concrete. David also continued to teach at New Roads High School and Crossroads High School. This summer, he will be teaching for his third year at California State Summer School for the Arts, an intensive but rejuvenating experience that will consume his July.
