Cataclysms
David Benforado

In general, the paintings develop as a collection of moments. What I am looking for is a certain presence that the painting needs to have when completed. I have to build something in order to get there; I have to make a construction. It is often a matter of long preparation. For instance, the drying time is part of the process. I have to wait between layers, and this provides me with time to look and reflect on the next steps until I reach a point where all elements work together in unison. For this to happen, I might need to remove parts through scraping or burning, which melts the paint away, and then add a new layer. Often, I dig into layers that have built up over time in a single painting. And each layer contains a different movement, referring back to a specific painting session. As I am scraping off a layer, I can see and remember what was underneath. Then I can go deeper, or make it softer, to create a kind of resonance between the deeper layers and the front layer; it is a constant physical dialogue with the material. All this is part of the process, a layering of moments. But when I am actually working on the painting, I am devoid of any thoughts. It is like an instinct: The minute I start painting, there is no doubt, and it is done really quickly and immediately, like an attack. —David Benforado

Catalogue design by the studio and published on the occasion of the exhibition Cataclysms by David Benforado, curated by Eleni Varopoulou and held at the Kourd Gallery from May 5 to August 5, 2022.

Cataclysms ~ David Benforado
Cataclysms ~ David Benforado
Cataclysms ~ David Benforado
Cataclysms ~ David Benforado
Cataclysms ~ David Benforado
Cataclysms ~ David Benforado
Cataclysms ~ David Benforado
Cataclysms ~ David Benforado
Cataclysms ~ David Benforado