Spotlight Artist

Dave Malone

West
Artist profile photo
Featured in New American Paintings

Artist Statement

I am intrigued by the interplay between the spontaneous initial act of making a mark on a surface and the discipline of the formal process. With this approach, the work evolves into what I would describe as scenes of microenvironments and abstract landscapes—at times atmospheric, layered, and textured by organic forms.

I begin with an unrestrained palette of color washes and random graphite drawings, allowing the work to build, as abstract forms and accidental visual elements emerge. These forms and elements represent shapes in nature such as stones, twigs, pods, blades, clusters, and at times geometric objects informed by architecture or industry. As I study these random references, I convert them to abstract images that become unique aspects within a given piece.

As the work develops, I apply a more deliberate and controlled approach, introducing formal attributes of rhythm, flow, repetition, composition, scale, balance, color, contrast, depth, and line. By creating this visual language, my aim is to harness the initial disorder of a new work and, ultimately, give it structure.

Artist's Additional works

Works shared by the artist outside of their featured New American Paintings selections

Featured artwork
Featured artwork

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