David Austin
With my recent bodies of work, I have been attempting to catch small moments of life in paint. I work from found imagery, as well as self-produced imagery and fuse the images together to create spaces. These are where the moments occur. The concepts, which I touch upon, tend to be social and political. The works often have a dark spin to them, yet I feel there is usually some sense of beauty, hope, humor, or promise involved. I try to explore certain dynamics of life such as: beauty within horror, light within dark, calm within tension, quiet within chaos, or hope within despair. I don’t consider the works to be autobiographical, though my experiences and opinions do play a great part in their shaping. I find satisfaction in leaving most pieces without obvious, definite conclusions. I hope for the ideas in each piece to stretch out beyond my intended scope.
The Lost Body 
This body of work was inspired by the discovery of an old box of imagery that I had saved as a young artist, shortly after college. I had saved clippings from magazines and newspapers, as well as photographs taken from old movies and/or television. My interests at the time were heading in several directions, often with little relation between them. I was impressed with my past ambition. I’m sure I had every intention at the time to paint or draw from every single one of them.
I began using some of the images, but with different techniques and looks than I have been accustomed to in recent years. I have been painting them more softly, even to the point of nearly losing recognition of the image. This rediscovery has also reenergized my collection of source material. I have started taking more shots from old films to work with, as well as reconsidering other clippings that I’ve saved over the years.
I am merging these disparate images with a unifying, nostalgic look. I’m trying to make them seem to be from the same reality. Collectively they are each flickering fragments of something larger, like a dream that’s just out of reach.
Wild Strawberries Series
This body of work began with a trip to the area that I grew up in to visit an ailing relative. Thoughts of my childhood were blooming in my mind as I drew nearer and nearer. I was reminded of the classic Ingmar Bergman film, Wild Strawberries. In this film, an older professor revisits some emotional landmarks from his childhood. I felt a strange parallel to the film’s nostalgic wandering.
Besides reconnecting with my family, the journey reignited memories of my childhood and reminders of the fears and myths that I constructed in my mind as a boy. As an adult and an artist, I have a fervent appreciation for the inner workings of a young boy’s imagination. My intention with these works is to blend the wisdom of adulthood with the wonderment of childhood. These pieces are recollections and re-imaginings of events from my youth.
2014 - 2016
Earlier Work
Sold 
Other Works
Resume
David Austin received his Bachelor’s of Science degree from the College of Saint Rose in 1995. He has remained in the Capital District and shown artwork in numerous venues across the region. Mr Austin has earned awards for his work from the Arts center of the Capital Region, multiple Hudson Mohawk Regional exhibitions, and the Tri-County Arts Council. He has shown his work extensively since 1999 and has appeared in many group shows across the area, as well as several solo exhibitions. Austin has given public presentations of his work at area colleges, such as Union College, the College of Saint Rose, and Berkshire County Community College. He has spoken at area schools, such as Schenectady High and Pleasant Valley Elementary School in Schenectady. He as also presented his work to the Sacandaga Valley Arts Network in Mayfield, NY. David Austin resides in Troy, NY with his beautiful wife and children. He currently works as a studio assistant for the artist, Richard Prince.
Education
1991 - 1995 The College of Saint Rose Albany, New York
Bachelor of Science
Exhibits
6/18 – 7/18 Figures We Fancy, Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY
3/18 – 4/18 Scarlet Seven Gallery, Troy, NY
10/16 – 12/16 Inside Outside, Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY
4/15 - 5/15 Cast of Characters, Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY
1/15 - 3/15 Painted Cities, Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY
8/13 -9/13 The Man Show, Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY
1/12 – 3/12 Tell Me a Story, Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY
11/11- 1/12 Group show, Clement Gallery, Troy, NY
6/11- 9/11 Alumni Show, The College of Saint Rose, Albany, NY
6/11 -7/11 Solo Show, Artcentric Gift Gallery, Troy, NY
6/11- 7/11 Fences Show, The Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, NY
1/11-2/11 Solo Show, Butzel Gallery, Schenectady, NY
12/10- 1/11 Group Show, Fulton Street Gallery, Troy, NY
11/10 Proctors Facade Project, Troy, NY
10/10- 12/10 Artcentric Gift Gallery, Troy, NY
8/10- 9/10 Domestic Dramas, Albany Center Gallery, Albany, NY
4/10- 6/10 Artcentric Gift Gallery, Troy, NY
9/08- 10/08 Solo Show, Sacandaga Valley Arts Network, Mayfield, NY
7/08- 8/08 Ghost Stories, Dusk, Troy, NY
7/08- 9/08 Fences Select Show, The Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, NY
4/08- 5/08 Fulton Street Gallery, Troy, NY
4/08 Solo Show, Oakroom Artists Gallery, Schenectady, NY
11/07- 12/07 Solo Show, Berkshire Community College, Pittsfield, MA
6/07 – 9/07 Fences Select Show, The Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, NY
8/07 Solo Show, Harmony Mill Gallery, Cohoes, NY
2/07-3/07 Then & Now, Albany Center Gallery, Albany, NY
10/06 Solo Show, American Heritage Restaurant, Cobleskill, NY
10/06 –12/06 The Delack Guild Room, Proctors, Schenectady, NY
7/06- 8/06 Fences Select Show, The Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, NY
6/06-7/06 National Small Works Competition, Tri-County Arts Council, Cobleskill, NY
4/06- 5/06 Oakroom Artist 50th Anniversary Show, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, NY
2/06- 3/06 Tri-County Arts Council, Cobleskill, NY
10/05 The BSG Show, Fulton Street Gallery, Troy, NY
12/05 - 1/06 Fragments, Schuylerville, NY
7/05 – 9/05 2005 Hudson–Mohawk Regional, Albany Institute of History & Art, Albany, NY
7/05- 8/05 Fences Select Show, The Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, NY
7/05- 8/05 Cooperstown Art Association National Show, Cooperstown, NY
12/04- 2/05 Solo Show, The Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, NY
11/04- 1/05 Cyclics Art Exhibit, Schenectady, NY
9/0-10/04 Greed, Envy? Jealously? Fear? Time & Space Limited, Hudson NY
7/04 9/04 Fences Select Show, The Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, NY
7/04- 9/04 2004 Hudson –Mohawk Regional, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, NY
6/04-7/04 National Small Works Competition, Tri-County Arts Council, Cobleskill, NY
9/03 – 10/03 Solo Show, Albany Center Galleries, Albany, NY
7/03- 9/03 Fences Select Show, The Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, NY
2/03 Fire and Ice Walk, Albany, NY
11/02- 12/02 Changing Spaces, Albany NY
9/02- 10/02 Changing Spaces, Albany NY
6/02 – 7/02 Solo Show, Miss Mary’s art Space, Albany, NY
7/01- 9/01 2004 Hudson –Mohawk Regional, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, NY
2/01 – 3/01 Changing Spaces, Albany NY
6/99 – 8/99 Café Dolce, Albany, NY
Professional memberships
2006 – 2009 The Oakroom Artists – Member
Awards received
6/11 Juror’s Prize, Fences Select Show, The Arts Center of the Capital Region
6/06 Juror’s Prize, National Small Works Competition, Tri-County Arts Council
7/05 Juror’s Prize, Fences Select Show, The Arts Center of the Capital Region,
7/05 Les Urbach Award, 2005 Hudson –Mohawk Regional
7/04 Hudson –Mohawk Regional Purchase Award, Albany Institute of History & Art
7/04 President’s Choice Award, The Arts Center of the Capital Region
6/04 Juror’s Prize, National Small Works Competition, Tri-County Arts Council
7/01 Juror’s Prize, Hudson –Mohawk Regional Exhibition
