Dave Eassa creates paintings and sculptures that cross the boundaries between these two art forms. He uses thick layers of oil paint—some applied with a large gage syringe—to create highly textured, dimensional paintings. His sculptures, many carved from insulation foam, are treated in very much the same way, making them appear to be paintings come to life.
These techniques mark an important departure from Modern art ideals outlined by art critic Clement Greenberg. Greenberg believed that each medium should remain true to its characteristics and not try to imitate any other medium or any object from life. In Greenberg’s eyes, painting should be about color but remain flat and sculpture should be geometric and devoid of any applied color. Eassa’s dimensional paintings and painted sculptures break with these tenets, still very prevalent among Baby Boomer artists teaching in universities.
In late 2016, Eassa was very influenced by the Matisse/Diebenkorn exhibition at the Baltimore Museum of Art. He adopted a more reductive style of painting, in which he aimed to express himself in only five or six colors. However, Eassa’s paintings retain the appearance of having three-dimensional objects slapped onto their surfaces. Henri Matisse’s Large Reclining Nude became the muse for all of Eassa’s figures, male and female, during this period.
These techniques mark an important departure from Modern art ideals outlined by art critic Clement Greenberg. Greenberg believed that each medium should remain true to its characteristics and not try to imitate any other medium or any object from life. In Greenberg’s eyes, painting should be about color but remain flat and sculpture should be geometric and devoid of any applied color. Eassa’s dimensional paintings and painted sculptures break with these tenets, still very prevalent among Baby Boomer artists teaching in universities.
In late 2016, Eassa was very influenced by the Matisse/Diebenkorn exhibition at the Baltimore Museum of Art. He adopted a more reductive style of painting, in which he aimed to express himself in only five or six colors. However, Eassa’s paintings retain the appearance of having three-dimensional objects slapped onto their surfaces. Henri Matisse’s Large Reclining Nude became the muse for all of Eassa’s figures, male and female, during this period.
