Throughout his career, David Aylsworth has deftly embraced ambiguity in the painterly process, one where the resulting canvas lives on not so much as an end product but more as a space for an ongoing adventure. Even characterizing Aylsworth’s painting as purely nonobjective is not exactly right; canted horizon lines, overlapping forms and wide expanses admit an ambiguous depth into his compositions. The seeming nonchalance radiating from his shapes and palette is in fact a purposeful irreverence. Imperfection is embedded in his method, as edges are never quite smooth, colors are scumbled or applied wet-on-wet, and surfaces expose thinly veiled revisions. The exuberance of Aylsworth’s painting is a survivor’s vitality, one that sees adventure in uncertainty, and values ingenuity over faultlessness.
Alison de Lima Greene of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston recently noted:
“Over the past three decades, David Aylsworth has built up a remarkable body of paintings that are sensual, humorous, at times wry, and always bursting with love. Grounding his pictorial vocabulary in the non-objective language of such early modernists as Marsden Hartley and Arthur Dove, Aylsworth has also remained steadfast in his commitment to finding fresh inspiration in the world around him as he consistently renews his painting practice through trial, error, and resolution.”
DAVID AYLSWORTH: A Dish You Wish You Had Took
Exhibition Dates: April 3 – June 19, 2021
Open House: Saturday, April 3, 2021 from 11am – 5pm
HOLLY JOHNSON GALLERY
1845 EAST LEVEE STREET #100
DALLAS, TEXAS 75207
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