David Yang
I am still alive
I am an observational painter, primarily working in oil paint and gouache. I feel as though observational painting holds a certain quietness, or a monumentality that leaves nowhere to hide. In a painting made from life, there’s only the viewer, the canvas, and the scene. This simple and blunt approach to painting bleeds into all parts of my process; looking at the works of Lois Dodd, Alex Katz, David Hockney, and Josephine Halvorson, I like to tackle paintings with a formalist approach, and feel as though the handling of the paint, color, and light interactions in my work come through as the main subjects. I rarely use materials other than paint, medium, and brushes in the creation of my work. The work is meant to be straightforward and accessible, highlighting the quiet sincerity behind observational painting.
