David Michael Slonim: The Magician’s Nephew
"’The Magician's Nephew’ combines my love of paint texture and color, fascination with astronomy, and a childlike playfulness,” says Slonim. “I see in it echoes of artistic heroes like Miro, Calder, and Picasso, but also my internal filtering of pop culture imagery like toy packaging and the original Star Wars posters. For me, A painting is not an explanation to be understood It’s an invitation to an experience. What’s important is how it makes you feel.”
And in this way, Slonim connects the emotions behind these new works in much the same way a musician releases a new song.
“A good painting is music for the eyes, meant to energize the spaces you live in, and the people in those spaces,” says Slonim. When a harmony suddenly falls together on the canvas, it is almost always a shock. As I paint, I'm continuing to play with the tension between structure and spontaneity as I work with line and color. It's part intuitive improvisation, part classical training and discipline, allowing each piece to develop according to its own internal logic.”
While Slonim’s paintings build upon his previous works, he believes that no theme is predetermined. Instead, themes emerge organically through his creative process. His studio, a sanctuary for such exploration, often reflects the chaotic nature of this process: charcoal drawings, miniature oil studies, and scattered canvases cover tabletops and floors, embodying the iterative nature of his art.
"The Magician's Nephew" offers more than a viewing experience; it is an opportunity to engage with art that is meant to challenge, surprise, and inspire the viewers. In his new collection, Slonim invites viewers to share in his artistic journey a journey that encourages openness and a willingness to embrace the unknown. Slonim emphasizes that his themes are not imposed but are revealed gradually, often surprising him as each piece comes to completion.
