Biography
David E. Richardson is from Waterford, Michigan. From an early age, he was taught to draw and paint by his mother who was an artist and art teacher. Richardson studied biology and art while attending Harding College in Searcy, Arkansas. Although his primary medium is oil, he also works in acrylic and metal. His latest work was completed while living in Seoul, Korea.
Email: dave@derichardson.com
About the Work
My brother, also a painter, says it best - that the pieces should speak for themselves. However, I will say this...
Mostly I take subject matter for my paintings from my immediate surroundings. My work has aspects of the landscape I live in, although that may not be evident at first sight. I spent two years living and painting in South Korea and religious symbols, business logos, and graffiti played a great visual role in my work. Many of the symbols used in my Expatriate and R series were derived from the symbols I observed in the gritty urban landscape of Seoul.
Other things that play a role in my work include anything I happen to be reading as well as what I am focusing on in conversations and reflection about art and life. When I started the series on Homer's Iliad in 2002, a motif that figured in the work was inspired from an extended stay in Japan.
I use both oil and acrylic in different moments. That prevents me from being too formulaic with the medium. It makes me work harder, searching for new solutions to technical problems related to painting. I often start using acrylic, then paint over it with oil. Arshile Gorky would refer to the creative process as the Creation Chamber, and that's where I try to paint every day.
-David Richardson