Painting an Icelandic Horse in Norway.

Accepting the torch from the grand tradition of European painting, I am most influenced by Titziano, Da Vinci, and Rembrandt. Unlike these painters of the past that have based their narrative imagery on the Bible and fables, I compose scenarios that are sourced from life experience. However, my intention is to bring to light moments that contain a sense of mythology. Informed by the studies of Jung and Joseph Campbell, I strive to construct archetypes: stories that contain significance without a heavy stamp of cultural conditioning. A quality in these scenarios and interactions between players and symbols comes forth that they are somehow familiar despite being viewed for the first time.

In todays technological mayhem, it has become more challenging to maintain the sense of meditative calm required to keep ourselves open to experiences of mystery. Our upbringing in society has trained our minds to think rationally and this has lead to a neglect for these faculties of our mind that exist for the experiencing the fantastic, wonderful, and enigmatic in life. For me the slowness of painting provides an important counter point to the acceleration of modern culture. In the stillness of the handcrafted image, I reflect my experiences.

David MoleskyRome, ItalyMay 2013

Scout, 2012oil on linen

9 x 12 inches

Hussar, 2013oil on twill linen60 x 80 inches

Chariot, 2007/2011oil on canvas

16 x 20 inches

Man with Two Horses, 2011oil on twill linen79 x 95 inches

Profit, 2007oil on canvas on wood

10 x 14 inches

Svarten, 2007/12oil on canvas

16 x 19 inches

Horses, 2007/2010graphite on paper

16 x 20 inches

DAVID MOLESKY!davidmolesky.com415-844-0828

EDUCATION:

1999! University of California at Berkeley, Bachelor of Arts! Dept. of Art Practice & PreMed emphasis in Neurobiology

1997! Universitas Gadjah Mada, Semester Abroad, Jogykarta, Indonesia

STAGIAIRE:

2006-8!Apprentice to Odd Nerdrum. Iceland, Norway, and France

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS:

2014! Copro Gallery, Santa Monica, CA (forthcoming)

2013! A Long Moment: Allegories. a.Muse Gallery. San Francisco, CA (forthcoming)

2012! AIR/WATER, the fridge, Washington, D.C.

2011! Protean Dreams, Artspace 712, San Francisco, CA! A Journey Back, 12 Gallagher Lane, San Francisco, CA! Smoke, Basement Gallery, Oakland, CA! Eclipse of an Undercurrent, Marjorie Evans Gallery, Sunset Cultural Center, Carmel, CA

2010! Turbulent Mirror, Rae Douglass Gallery, Berkeley, CA! Spume, Canessa Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2007! Equinox, Terrence Rogers Fine Art, Santa Monica, CA! Northern Lights, Radhus, Tonsberg, Norway

2005! Recent Landscapes, Las Fuentes Villa, Carmel Valley, CA! State of Being, Municipal Building, Raleigh, NC

2004! Pan in Arcadia, Lisa Coscino Gallery, Pacific Grove, CA

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:

2014! Suggestivism, Copro Gallery, Santa Monica, CA (forthcoming)

2013! Risky Risqué, Long Beach Art Museum, Long Beach, CA (forthcoming)! Summer Group Show, Copro Gallery, Santa Monica, CA (forthcoming)! Suggestivism: The New Horizon, Rene Museala, Cosenza, Italy (forthcoming)! Suggestivism Rome, Mondo Pop, Rome, Italy! Surreal Salon, Baton Rouge Gallery for Contemporary Art, Louisiana

2012! 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss, Santa Barbara, CA! Suggestivism NYC, Bold Hype Gallery, New York, NY!

2011! Suggestivism, Grand Central Art Center, Cal State Fullerton, Santa Ana, CA! 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss, Santa Barbara, CA

2010! A History of Flight, Terrence Rogers Fine Art, Santa Monica, CA! Empty Time, The Fridge Gallery, Washington, D.C.! 100 Artists See Satan, Grand Central Art Center, Cal State Fullerton, Santa Ana, CA

2009! The Genesis of Bay Area Figurative Art Now, Art Space 712, San Francisco, CA ! Kitsch mer unn kunst, Telemarksgaleriet, Nottoden, Norway

2008! Kitsch Biennale, Pasinger Fabrik, Munich, Germany

2007! Intimate Landscape, Sesnon Gallery, University of California, Santa Cruz

2006! All Wet, Lisa Coscino Gallery, Pacific Grove, CA

2005! Auto Show, Charles Campbell Gallery, San Francisco, CA! My California, National Steinbeck Center, Salinas, CA

2004! Art of the Mediterranean Games, Italian Institute of Culture, San Francisco, CA! Objects of Obsession, Lisa Coscino Gallery, Pacific Grove, CA

SELECTED TRAVEL AND RESIDENCES:

2013 Morris Graves Foundation. Artist in Residence, Eureka, CA

2012 Morris Graves Foundation. Artist in Residence, Eureka, CA

2010 Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club. Artist in Residence Award, Monterey, CA

2009! Fine Art Base. May Artist in Residence,, Sand City, CA

2008! Fundacia Nakjelska. Late Spring Artist in Residence. Naklo Palace, Poland! Jackowo Dolne. Spring Artist Retreat, Poland! Vienna. Summer-Winter Studio, Austria!1999! Rome. Summer Studio, Italy

SELECTED PRESS:

2013! Infinite Water. Works and Conversations. Whittaker, Richard. Infinite Water. May 2013! Art Nouveau. Martin, Paley. Flying Planes and Talking Paint. January 9, 2013! MWAH. bb publications. January, 2013 pg. 51

2012! The Surfers Journal. Escalante, Greg & Spoor, Nathan. Politics of Paint. vol 21.5, pg. 70-77! Heaven. Art of Elysium, Audi, & Relativity Media. Paper Chase Press. pg. 61

2011! A Long Moment. Van Proyen, Mark. Protean Dreams Monograph. Electric Works, SF. ! Suggestivism: A Survey of Contemporary Artists. Spoor, Nathan. Berkeley: Ginko Press. pg. 178-179! Odd Nerdrum: Kitsch, More than Art. Tuv, Jan-Ove; Li, Bjorn; and others. September. pg. 314! San Francisco Examiner. Flood, Greg. “A Journey Backʼ - David Molesky at 12 Gallagher.” December 2 ! Studio Visit Magazine. Boston: Open Studios Press. pg. 134-135!2010! David Molesky, SPUME. Torres, Anthony. San Francisco: ePressBooks. (monograph)! New Amercian Paintings: Pacific Coast Edition, #91. Boston: Open Studios Press. pg. 100 - 103! East Bay Express. Cheng, Dewitt. “Ripple Effects.” December 22

2009! Kitsch: mer enn kunst. Nerdrum, Odd. pg. 314! Juxtapoz Magazine Website. Spoor, Nathan. “David Molesky.” November 2! Juxtapoz Magazine Website. Link to my video “Making Foam.” May 7, 2009

2008! ISM Magazine. Spoor, Nathan. “Master & Apprentice” Spring issue 14, pg. 12-15

2007! Southwest Art Magazine. Fauntleroy, Gussie. 21 Under 31. September, pg.135

2006! Intimate Landscape. Galuska, Frank. October, p.29! The Monterey County Herald. Watson, Lisa Crawford. “WaterWorks.” March 30-April 5

2005! Southwest Art Magazine. Gangelhoff, Bonnie. Artists to Watch. September, pg.30

2004! Monterey County Weekly. Deragon, Rick. “Be Still My Heart.” February, pg.4

2000! Raleigh Spectator. Bible, Adam. Gallery. September, pg. 6-12

LECTURES:

2013! California College of the Arts. Oakland, CA! Bay Area Classical Atelier. Burlingame, CA

2012! University of California at Berkeley. Advanced Painting! Golden Gate Collectors, San Francisco, CA

2010! San Francisco Art Institute. Advanced Painting Undergrad and Graduate! ODD. ODC Theatre. Pre-dance performance lecture and live painting. San Francisco, CA

2009! California College of the Arts. Advanced Painting. San Francisco, CA

2007! Swihart Lecture Series. Santa Monica, CA

1977! Born in Washington, D.C. - Lives and Works in NYC

David MoleskyBIO

David Molesky obtained his BA from UC Berkeley (1999). In 2009, he returned to the US after an 18 month apprenticeship with the painter Odd Nerdrum in Iceland, Norway, and Paris. Moleskyʼs work has been featured in numerous museum exhibitions including: the Baltimore Museum of Art; Pasinger Fabrik, Munich, Germany; and the Grand Central Art Center, Cal State Fullerton. In 2010, his work was selected for the Pacific Coast Edition of New American Painting. He is featured in this Fall issue of the Surfersʼ Journal with an 8 page article. Currently, Molesky is preparing for exhibitions in Long Beach and Santa Monica, CA. Molesky lives and works in the West Village of Manhattan.