The work of David Urban is defined by bold collisions of line and shape, clashing tones and kinetic brushstrokes. Urban builds his dynamic paintings, layer upon layer, incorporating the traditions of still life and landscape, abstraction and realism. Rhythmic geometries conjure up networks of boards, beams and girders. His work explores the physical presence of sound, with a strong sense of connectivity and rhythmical structure. Urban produces forms that engage the viewer, pursuing an endless investigation into how and why we perceive images.

 

Urban is deeply engaged in the history and methodology of paint and in the act of painting itself. Strong brushstrokes and charcoal drawing are bedded within thickly applied paint. His work explores the interplay between representation and abstraction, simultaneously presenting two disparate threads of modern painting.

 

A true Renaissance Man, Urban is a scholar of art history, literature and music. He has a Masters in English literature and is trained in several instruments. He studied the work of early modernist painters, including Piet Mondrian and Henri Matisse. His artwork is a culmination of these creative pursuits and investigations.

 

Urban completed both of his undergraduate degrees at York University in 1989, graduating with a BA in English Literature and a Visual Arts BFA specializing in Painting and Drawing. He received his graduate degrees, an MA in English Literature and Creative Writing in 1991 from the University of Windsor and an MFA in Visual Arts in 1994 from the University of Guelph. Urban has had 30 solo exhibitions and participated in nearly 40 group exhibitions. Urban joined Queen's University in March 2012 as the Koerner Artist-in-Residence, an annual professional residency in the Fine Art Program. His work is in numerous private and public collections including the National Gallery of Canada; Musée des Beaux Arts, Montreal; and the Art Gallery of Ontario.