For David Linn, painting is a means of reflecting what lies within rather than what the artist sees in front of him- he paints only from memory, in a studio from which he blocks all natural light. Many of his gray and sepia toned oil paintings showcase his signature stoic male figure- wrapped, faceless, illuminated in fantastical light, and surrounded by a barren, limitless landscape. They also repeatedly use boulders, cloud formations, and other natural images. All of these representations combine to build a metaphor for man's spiritual journey through what Linn calls "internal wilderness spaces." "My work is tied together by a fairly common thread," Linn says, "and that is one of exploring universal themes of passage through mortality- searching for meaning in our existence here, and asking some of the big questions about who we are and what we are doing here." The artist attempts to show this universal quest by articulating his own. "We're all navigating the same terrain," he says, "but we comprehend it in different ways. I'm just sharing my way of comprehending my own journey and trying to create some images that are hopefully meaningful to others- and that they can grasp.
Catherine Livingstone
Copyright © 2026 David Linn - All Rights Reserved.
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