Confluence: New Paintings by David Brewster

The Alumni Gallery at PAFA presents a collection of new landscape paintings by PAFA alumnus David Brewster ranging from industrial scenes to rural subjects.

In Confluence: New Paintings by David Brewster, the artist features his theatrical interiors and landscapes in one swift pass, with the graphic urgency of improvisational responses informing the energy of the mark. Central to his visual literacy is an enlightened response to nature, emphasizing a maximum of imagination and a minimum of intrusion.

Reminiscent of De Kooning's Action Paintings, Brewster applies gestural color strokes using paint rollers, rags, brushes, and his hands, wiping out paintings repeatedly before finishing. "My paintings sit within a tradition the French call premier coup, meaning 'all at once.' They are most often executed in one swift stroke," Brewster says.

Of his artistic process, Brewster explains: "I used to be dependent on brushes, but I've all but abandoned them because I now prefer to paint with my hands-both bare-handed and with latex gloves-and with rollers. I can achieve enormous initial coverage with my paint rollers, without the distracting, horizontal, furrowed marks left by brushstrokes. Using every aspect of my hand and fingers as a tool, I can apply and direct paint with a great sense of purpose and control."

Brewster has been the recipient of many awards, including Pollack-Krasner and Taconic Berkshire Grants. He has been awarded fellowships at the Ballinglen Arts and the Klots Foundation, and has completed commissions for the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and Vermont State House. His work is represented in private and museum collections, including PAFA, the Berman Museum, The Orton Foundation, Princeton University Art Museum, the Pennsylvania State Museum, the Wharton School of Business, and the W.P. Carey School of Business at Johns Hopkins University.

The public opening reception will be held on Friday, September 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Alumni Gallery. Brewster will discuss his work during a slide lecture on November 1, 6-7:30 p.m. at PAFA.       

In conjunction with the exhibit, PAFA's Continuing Education department will host a two-day Alla Prima Workshop with David Brewster on November 2-3.