Preferring subjects that depict ordinary people in quiet public settings, painter David Cunningham will feature his latest oils during an upcoming solo exhibition. Where can you find them?
“Every painting must be about something,” writes artist David Cunningham. And for him, strangers sitting in cafés, walking along city streets, or waiting for trains connect him to his blue-collar upbringing.
Opening January 9 at Minneapolis’s Gallery 360, Cunningham will showcase his latest works during a solo exhibition entitled “Sidewalks of the City.” As its title indicates, the exhibition will feature works by Cunningham that focus on people in urban settings, often standing or walking along sparsely populated sidewalks and streets.
David J. Cunningham, “Rain,” oil on panel, 36 x 48 in. (c) David J. Cunningham 2016
Classically trained and particularly drawn to French Academic art, Cunningham has pushed himself to bring traditional techniques into more contemporary subject matter. The resulting works, such as “Rain” and “Washington Ave,” have a captivating simplicity and isolation that often recall Edward Hopper’s masterpiece “Nighthawks”— an iconic painting of 20th-century modern nightlife.
During time spent living abroad in southern Argentina, Cunningham developed an affinity for 19th-century tonalists George Inness and James McNeill Whistler. The influence of these painters can be seen in Cunningham’s soft, atmospheric brushwork, which lends itself well to the subjects and emotional tone of his works.
“Sidewalks of the City” opens on January 9 and will hang through February 18 at Gallery 360 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
To learn more, visit David J. Cunningham.
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