David Flaugher
“Marketing”
June 27-July 25
ORG Contemporary
1610 Clay, Detroit MI (RIC building 2, third floor)
OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday June 27th 2009
David Flaugher describes himself as a critical skeptic who feels most comfortable communicating through material plays and arrangements. His incredibly flat works exhibit an acute balance of carefully selected objects, lines, brush strokes and constructions. At first sight each work sings out in its material glory, solidified in that which is physically real as we understand it. Paintings seem unfinished and consequently fail in convincing the viewer of any illusionistic effect. Purposefully left hangnails hold together a table fit for sitting, albeit realistically could never function properly as furniture. Drawings sit atop said table with paper just dirty enough to suggest casual neglect for Flaugher’s own work, when in fact this is miles from the truth.
The tiniest aspects of each work have not gone without consideration. There exists such a delicate balance and consistency in the use of each substance that one becomes convinced of the artists bond to his craft. The unpolished look of each piece intentionally focuses our attention on its material nature.
While the conceptual drive of David’s work suggests deep cognitive investigation, the physicality of the items creates restraint against full-fledged meditative consideration. A constant tug of war takes place between the flatness of the observed and the metaphysical realms they seem to suggest. The result of this play on perception is an experience left up for debate. Though each piece is clearly the bi-product of a path paved through restricted practice, the end result is an open field of thoughts left to be contemplated.