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My work is, and will continue to be, primarily about one thing -
Simple beauty.
I tell my students to imagine walking through a forest, then seeing a clearing ahead and coming to an open view of something like Yosemite Valley. There is a physiological, psychological and emotional response that hits one in the chest and sends a tingle down one's spine. It is the essence of beauty. In each of my paintings, it is my aim to capture and impart this essence unique to each subject. I always feel inadequate in my ability to achieve a modicum of what Mother Nature presents to us, but if I can capture even a small, reasonable amount of it, I feel that I may have helped others to see it in a different way or even for the very first time.
Many times my inspiration may be the human form along with something decorative, either ornate or simple, to compliment the figurative aspect of a composition. I am always intrigued by other artists and their craft. It's satisfying for me to incorporate textile design, decorative objects or architectural elements to enhance my compositions and add a dynamic to the work. Combining the natural landscape and a figurative element is also part of my visual thought.
Other times it may be the interaction of a mother and child or a natural landscape that seems haunted with a unique beauty that sends me to my easel. I am often finding myself picking models that are very intriguing to me and very beautiful in their own way, but may not be considered attractive in our society's stereotypical assessment. No matter the specific subject, I arrange the abstract elements to achieve an aesthetic balance and harmony, juxtaposing complex with simple; mass with detail; light with dark, etc.
Simple beauty is a timeless concept that can be appreciated on an innate level. There are aspects of the visual world that we, as humans, find attractive to our eye, heart and soul. It is a degree of that certain something that I find simple, yet profoundly beautiful, which I endeavor to capture on canvas.
I believe that in some circles there is a misunderstanding and criticism of "traditional" art subjects, such as figures, landscapes, even still lives. If done inadequately, they can seem very shallow. The subjects can be considered predictable, passé' or art that does not make one think.
I aspire to make one feel. My work is not about multi-layered metaphors or conflicts of my time. It is about helping us to remember what we are as feeling human beings who are affected by imagery, music and words. There is also the criticism of the subject having "been done before". Regardless of the precedence, I feel that a contemporary artist cannot help but put his/her own new influence into a familiar subject.
It seems, to me, that I have never been tasked, with the tools that have been given me, to be a historian, philosopher or prophet through my work. I simply feel that my fundamental goal, whether or not I live up to that challenge, is to spread a little beauty out into the world. I strive to convey the kind of visual stimuli that require nothing more than the image itself to understand or feel the aesthetic intention. If my work does not speak for itself, as a visual medium, I feel that I have not adequately conveyed my message.
I enjoy painting "my world" too. Capturing real moments in time, through "figurative genre", sometimes defined as a depiction of everyday life, has always been exciting and fulfilling. The impetus to paint a contemporary subject is still usually inspired more by aesthetic emotion or some moving emotional aspect of man than the need to capture the current day. I do reserve the right to never paint an image of someone using a laptop or wearing a Bluetooth device. It's just not me.
David Mueller
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