Art Now! Presents: David Urban

Art Now! Speakers' Series Presents Art in the Public Sphere Winter 2018 

With Special Guest David Urban, Artist

The art practice of David Urban is defined by bold collisions of line and shape, clashing tones and kinetic brushstrokes. Urban builds his dynamic paintings, layer upon layer, into a strange borderland between abstraction and representation. Rhythmic geometries conjure up networks of boards, beams and girders. These improvisations incorporate the traditions of still life and landscape, abstraction and realism within an abstract framework. Urban produces forms that confound in their perception and pursues an endless investigation into how and why we see. Urban reflects on music, childhood and the primacy of the imagination, becoming a summation of thematic ideas pursued in his paintings. He is deeply implicated in the history and methodology of paint. Urban is a poet and a musician, playing several instruments and investigating the physical presence of sound. His work explores the interplay between representation and abstraction, while maintaining a strong sense of connectivity and rhythmical structure. He integrates both real and abstract elements, simultaneously presenting two disparate threads of modern painting. Urban completed both of his undergraduate degrees at York University in 1989, graduating with a BA in English Literature and a Visual Arts BFA specializing in Painting and Drawing. He received his graduate degrees, an MA in English Literature and Creative Writing in 1991 from the University of Windsor and an MFA in Visual Arts in 1994 from the University of Guelph. Urban has had 30 solo exhibitions and participated in nearly 40 group exhibitions. Urban joined Queen’s University in March 2012 as the Koerner Artist-in-Residence, an annual professional residency in the Fine Art Program. His work is in numerous private and public collections including the National Gallery of Canada; Musée des Beaux Arts, Montreal; and the Art Gallery of Ontario. 

The Department of Visual Arts at Western University is pleased to present the Art in the Public Sphere series of speakers and exhibitions. This important series provides unique opportunities to engage with local, national, and international artists, curators, and scholars. All events hosted at Western University are free and are open to the public. The Winter 2018 series is organized by Prof. Colin Carney as part of ongoing academic offerings at the Department of Visual Art at Western University. 

Most of the lectures are held at 7pm in the North Campus Building, room 113 except for the Jessica Patricia Kichoncho Karuhanga Artist Lecture Thursday, March 15 6:30pm-7:15pm at Museum London & the Opening Reception at McIntosh Gallery for “If You’ve got It Flaunt It” with Allyson Mitchell January 25. Please consult the Western Calendar for updates.