DAVID ESTEY’S heart is clearly with the abstract expressionists. The pieces in this series were painted with acrylic paint – sometimes scratched with graphite – on a synthetic paper originally manufactured in Japan that holds super sharp edges while allowing for manipulation. It is durable, recyclable, waterproof, and very smooth. David was intrigued when he heard about it. He started out painting only in black. He painted spontaneously, with total emotional output. He realized he could work the paint with other tools, and wipe it off, as well. He fell in love with the freedom this combination afforded him, and started to add color. The result is the best large body of work I have seen him produce. The exhibit is appropriately titled “Improvisations on Yupo,” representing 37 of over 200 pieces completed in the last 14 months.
In his words, “Working in acrylic on Yupo has enabled me to develop extraordinarily fresh, abstract expressions without any preconceived notions. Sometimes narrative references emerge and remain, but they are totally integrated with and subordinate to the aesthetic whole, securely grounded in the elements and principles of good design. The results can be felt viscerally in the heart and soul, with or without a narrative context”.
David Estey "Moon Blanket" 18" x 24" Acrylic on Yupo
“Improvisations on Yupo” runs through July 3.
* David Estey lives in Belfast, Maine. He holds degrees from Rhode Island School of Design and George Washington University. He has lived, worked, exhibited and taught art in Maine, the Mid-Atlantic States and North Carolina. His work can be found in public and private collections in much of the US and Canada, as well as Belarus, Paris, Rome, Tokyo, Vienna and undoubtedly many more places we have yet to discover. He has had several solo exhibitions in museums and galleries over the past twenty years. Maine Home and Design Magazine named him one of Maine’s most collectible artists.
