Whether it’s electric midnight streetscapes or the statuesque serenity of the Burrard Bridge at dawn, David Wilson’s paintings reveal Vancouver.
Observing from local street corners for more than 15 years, Wilson sees intimacy where others see infrastructure. Recently, however, his trademark use of vibrant colours and bold brush strokes have come to symbolize personal turmoil, as he and members of his family have struggled with illness.
His upcoming show at Kimoto Gallery, then, perhaps marks a turning point where Wilson says he is feeling healthier and more positive, and has finally been able to include processes that he has been developing over the past few years.
“Exhibitions are opportunities to introduce something new, “ says Wilson. “So I’ve included much more process into this exhibition than I typically do, perhaps because I now have the energy to do so once again.”
Wilson suffers from a condition called diverticulitis, a dangerous inflammation of the bowels that can only be cured with surgery. Prior to that, his wife, arts publicist Marnie Wilson, was diagnosed with Addison’s Disease, a rare condition that causes anemia and low blood pressure and can be fatal. And around that time, his daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
“It’s been kind of a crazy five or six years for us,” says Wilson with a gruff laugh. Between his hospitalizations and antibiotics and helping his family get their health back on track, he says it was difficult to find time and energy to paint. But his surgery in April was life changing.
“I feel so much better now,” says the 51-year-old. “It really impacted my ability to be productive … but through the whole time, still, I try to look at it through a different lens. You look at these poor souls that are walking from Syria to Germany, and we live in a place where there is so much more opportunity. In certain countries, my whole family would be dead because there is no treatment for this,” he continues. “So it was hard, but we’re very fortunate. We’re very blessed to live here.”
Because of the time lost to surgery, Wilson is just putting the finishing touches on Light and Colour, a light-infused study of the starkness of city life, as seen from the street, sea and sky.
In it, Wilson has expanded his work on found materials – particularly cardboard – which he started experimenting with about six years ago, exposing layers of tape, rips and tears, and text under his acrylics. It’s a way, he says, to reveal parts of himself through painting.
“As a person, I’m aware of my flaws,” he says with a smile, “and I think that we try to hide our imperfections and our flaws. I’m reluctant to talk about the things that I’ve gone through,” he continues, “but I think in these paintings I’m able to reveal some level of myself personally.”
For fans of his vibrant brand of urban realism, the iconic images of strangers huddled on street corners, parked cars, and receding view corridors remain, but Wilson says he has also worked to silence the more literal nature of his work and make the landscapes more anonymous.
“I’ve painted images of Vancouver for a really long time – certain motifs develop and I really like exploring them,” says Wilson, “but at the same time I think I’m looking more closely at the ephemeral nature of this city. Not necessarily Granville Street or Burrard Bridge, but more about who we are and where we live and how we interact with each other.”
• Light and Colour: New works by David Wilson runs Sept. 18 to Oct. 10 at Kimoto Gallery (1525 West 6th). Opening reception: Friday, September 18, 6-9pm; artist in attendance.
