David Bates (American, b. 1952). Bus Stop, 1985. Oil on canvas . 48 x 36 inches (121.9 x 91.4 cm). Signed center right: ...

Description

David Bates (American, b. 1952)
Bus Stop, 1985
Oil on canvas
48 x 36 inches (121.9 x 91.4 cm)
Signed center right: Bates
Signed, dated, and titled on the reverse: Bates / Bus Stop / 85

PROVENANCE:
Charles Cowles Gallery, Inc., New York;
Private collection, Palm Springs, California.


David Bates became a noted realistic figure and narrative painter at a time when Abstract Expressionism was all-prevailing. His work is heavily influenced by modernism, especially the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh, German Expressionists, Marsden Hartley, and other American Expressionists. He later added abstract sculpture to his pursuits, working in painted wood and bronze. "A natural storyteller influenced by his Texas upbringing and affection for family and longtime friends, Bates uses dark outlines, simplified forms, and heavy impastos in compositions that appear at once almost naive and highly sophisticated" (Dreisbach 9).

Born in nearby Dallas, he spent his childhood in Garland where his mother encouraged his art talent. His father took him hunting and fishing, and he often incorporated outdoor sporting themes into his subject matter. He earned degrees from Southern Methodist University and did a year of independent study at the Whitney Museum in New York City. There he was most unique because he did figurative work among abstractionists, but he was encouraged by Red Grooms, who made it seem okay to paint figures and realism.

He married a fellow student from SMU in 1980 and taught art at Eastfield College in Dallas. In 1983, he turned to full-time painting and became known as a Neo- Expressionist, who interjected both vision and a sense of humor into his painting. While still based in Texas, Bates has attained national and international acclaim for his paintings of Texas and the Gulf Coast.

Since his retirement from painting, his works have become even more sought after by collectors


More information about David Bates. See also: Bates, David Artist.



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