David Shrobe, Orifice 2 (figure as landscape), 2024; Original Work

David Shrobe merges drawing, painting, collage, and found objects with his own practice of carving wood, to construct original worlds and narratives. The artist mines familial, historical and online sources to build a unique archive that becomes a springboard for multi-layered portraits and assemblage paintings. Born and based in New York, NY, he has presented solo exhibitions at Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago, IL; Steve Turner Gallery, Los Angeles, CA; Thierry Goldberg Gallery, New York, NY; and Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA. Additionally, his work can be found in the public collections of the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY; the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY; and the Block Museum, Evanston, IL; among others.

Orifice 2 and Orifice 3 are a part of the artist's Natural Sovereignty series. At times, the small works on paper (watercolors) act as studies that inform the color and composition of larger work. Shrobe thinks of these as Orifices- openings or portals to another reality, that the viewer is getting a glimpse into. In the artist's own words: "It’s about being in communion with nature, and our symbiotic relationship to it. I was thinking about the figures as landscape. The figures merge and emerge from the natural and cosmic environments they inhabit. In my work I’m often negotiating a space between abstraction and figuration, using a loose handling and gestures of paint and body parts to embody the figure. Their gaze both confronts us and travels being our scope. At times they appear reticent - not trying to give you a smile/or emotional state. They have their own concerns and agendas, while others appear in moments of introspection. There’s a sense of their movement and journey. They exist as free floating and fluid beings."

David Shrobe
Orifice 2 (figure as landscape), 2024
14 x 11.5 inches
Original work
Acrylic, ink, charcoal, colored pencil on paper, mounted on museum board with Shedua wood frame and museum glass


ART FOR CHANGE will donate five percent of the unframed purchase price of sales through December 1st, with a $10,000 minimum commitment, to support When We All Vote’s mission to increase voter participation in this crucial election year.

Of this series, Shrobe notes: "Voting is not simply just an individual act; it is an expression of our collective power. It’s one of the crucial ways in which we can challenge the many systems of oppression in our country and demand justice for our communities. We should all participate in protecting our democracy. We’re in a fight for the future identity of our country and we should all vote to push the win in the direction of inclusivity.“

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