The Nature of Suggestion

Our newest exhibit titled “The Nature of Suggestion” features talented local artist David Sites. Although David has a formal art education, he doesn’t pretend to be an art expert. David would be more comfortable describing his relationship with art as one of appreciation. He recognizes its inherent value, but understands that to some people there are other things that may have a higher priority. David himself has been fortunate enough to lead a life full of artistic expression and is even more fortunate to see his own art be appreciated by others.

That life did not come on a silver platter. After three years of eating, drinking and sleeping art at York Academy of Arts in Pennsylvania, David found an entry-level position at an outdoor advertising company. After several years of less than glamorous work in the maintenance department and a stint as an assistant sign painter, David got the opportunity to become a full time pictorial artist. For 15 years David loved the challenges clients would bring to the table and the satisfaction of seeing the finished product. As the industry transitioned to printed billboards, sign painting became a casualty of the technological revolution. Since then, David focused on his graphic design knowledge and started designing billboards.

Without the challenge that he enjoyed from painting billboards, David took this opportunity to concentrate on his fine art. Having spent the majority of his career working in realism, David took on the challenge and the risk of abstraction and impressionism. As the title of his new exhibit suggests, David prefers to “suggest” rather than “tell” the viewer exactly what to see. Perhaps some of this suggestion stems from David’s process, in which he relies solely on his memory as reference. His paintings, which use minimalist color palette, are created by applying gestured strokes to Masonite board and then scraping, blending and softening until David decides the piece is finished. His landscapes almost seem to be out of focus photographs that imitate the way distant memories appear in our minds.

The shift away from realism may seem unexpected for someone who made it their livelihood for nearly two decades. However, the freedom of both expression and interpretation are precisely what David loves. Instead of painting billboards, which are intended to send clear messages, often lacking in subtlety, his landscapes allow him to be subtle in content and form.

Join us Thursday, September 5th at 7PM for the opening of David’s show, where you can meet David hear him speak about his art!

Please take a moment to RSVP if you plan to attend:
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Thank you and we hope to see you Thursday.