Staff Reports | Happenings & Events
Abstract painter David Michael Slonim is set to unveil his latest exhibition, “The Magician’s Nephew,” at Bonner David Galleries New York from Sept. 11 through Oct. 18.
Mr. Slonim will be in attendance to discuss his work with collectors during a special reception from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11 at the gallery at 22 E. 81st Street, No. 1 in New York City.
This highly anticipated exhibition will feature approximately 16 paintings, each a testament to Slonim’s distinct artistic process and his ongoing exploration of themes that resonate deeply with the human experience, according to a press release.
“’The Magician’s Nephew’ combines my love of paint texture and color, fascination with astronomy, and a childlike playfulness,” Ms. Slonim said.
“I see in it echoes of artistic heroes like Miro, Calder, and Picasso, but also my internal filtering of pop culture imagery like toy packaging and the original Star Wars posters. For me, A painting is not an explanation to be understood—It’s an invitation to an experience. What’s important is how it makes you feel.”
And in this way, Mr. Slonim connects the emotions behind these new works in much the same way a musician releases a new song.
“A good painting is music for the eyes, meant to energize the spaces you live in, and the people in those spaces,” Mr. Slonim said.
“When a harmony suddenly falls together on the canvas, it is almost always a shock. As I paint, I’m continuing to play with the tension between structure and spontaneity as I work with line and color. It’s part intuitive improvisation, part classical training and discipline, allowing each piece to develop according to its own internal logic.”
While Mr. Slonim’s paintings build upon his previous works, he believes that no theme is predetermined. Instead, themes emerge organically through his creative process. His studio, a sanctuary for such exploration, often reflects the chaotic nature of this process: charcoal drawings, miniature oil studies, and scattered canvases cover tabletops and floors, embodying the iterative nature of his art.
