Artist David Rice’s oil paintings bring the grace of the Old Masters with a refreshing modern twist. The Portland-based artist creates canvases that range from evocative portraits to stunning still lifes that blend the influence of the area’s landscape. As a multifaceted artist, Rice is a skilled muralist, working on street art pieces in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Of particular note is his recent series, Ornamental, which was shown earlier this year at Portland’s Antler Gallery as part of his solo show. In it, we see a variety of portraits—in some, people are immersed in nature; in another, they sit inside in what looks like a nod to Vermeer. The one thing they have in common is that they are all swathed in golden blankets. Whether you see them as emergency blankets or some sort of regal cape, what they mean is left for the viewer to decide.
These warm, dreamy paintings contrast with the graphic quality of other paintings, where Rice mixes bright colors and tight brushstrokes to great effect. The timeless quality of his paintings inspires nostalgia, seeming all at once familiar yet unexpected. And by incorporating nature into his pieces, Rice brings a much-appreciated softness to his canvases.
We had the opportunity to speak with Rice about his inspirations, creative process, and how his studio work and public art practice balance each other. Read on for My Modern Met’s exclusive interview.
What sparked your love of art?
I was drawn to comic books at a young age, and that really started my interest in art and illustration. Growing up in Colorado, I was able to experience a lot of nature and wildlife, and I used that as a reference for my art. As I got older and went to college, I was introduced to more traditional art through studying art history, and that started to play a bigger role in my practice.
We loved your recent series, Ornamental. In particular, the portraits of people wrapped in gold blankets, which appear to be emergency blankets, struck us. Could you talk a bit about the meaning behind that series?
In my recent body of work, Ornamental, I wanted to explore themes of identity and status through the imagery of the gold foil blanket. The gold blanket can hold two meanings: traditionally, gold represents wealth and hierarchy, while an emergency blanket is often used during times of crisis. This duality highlights how the importance of an object is based on its agreed-upon meaning and how that meaning can shift among viewers.
People can obviously read a lot into those pieces. What sort of discussions do you hope they spark?
I hope this series gets the viewer to broaden their judgment past an initial first impression. I want them to ask questions about the circumstances they see in the painting. Are these figures part of some royal assemblance, or are they experiencing something traumatic and need the relief of the emergency blanket?
In addition to your oil painting, you also work outdoors. Can you share how creating public art complements your studio practice?
Public art has such a wider audience than gallery art, because it is brought to the viewer, instead of the viewer having to seek it out. This gives you a better understanding of what the general public likes or dislikes about a piece. Making public art definitely helps me figure out how to appeal to a larger percentage of the population.
What’s the creative difference in what you do in the studio and what you do for a mural?
My public art has a slightly different aesthetic than my studio practice. I do many public murals, and they are usually for a client who has specific themes and imagery they want conveyed. The clients often want an image that will appeal to the broadest population, so safer themes are often chosen to avoid any public pushback.
It can be stifling at times, but it also helps me come up with creative solutions when I have such a short creative leash. I am hoping to get more public art opportunities in the future that let me explore more of the themes and ideas I use in my studio work.
How do the works of Old Masters influence you?
I am most impressed with the Old Masters’ ability to carry a narrative in their work. The way they could tell a story through a single still image is one of the most powerful impacts in art, in my opinion. Artists like Vermeer or Rembrandt could lay out a scene in a way that describes events leading up to the image, and you could picture what happens next in the scene. I also really admire the way light is a character all its own in their paintings, driving the scene and making it feel alive.
What do you hope that people take away from your work?
I hope people find something interesting and thoughtful when they view my work. I believe there are three key aspects to painting: the subject (what you paint), the technique (how you paint), and the impact (how the painting changes the environment around it). I try to consider all three of these elements when creating a piece, aiming to produce an image with the strongest effect.
What’s coming up next for you, and where can people see upcoming projects?
I am finishing out this year working on a few larger commercial projects in the Pacific Northwest—mostly public art pieces. I have started to outline the themes and direction I would like to explore in my next body of work, so I am hoping to dive into the studio in the next few weeks and get started on that. Either way, lots of painting!
