Void of Course
Artist
David True
(American, born 1942)
Date1984
MediumOil on canvas
DimensionsOverall: 84 x 11in. (213.4 x 27.9cm)
ClassificationsPAINTINGS
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Terms
Object number84.25
Description On View
Not on viewCollections
Copyright© David True
Label TextIn his painting Void of Course David True presents the viewer with a strange landscape. A deer leaps out of sight to the left while an overturned car to the right perches precariously on a boulder. The sky, trees, and ground resemble a theatrical set more than nature. In describing this painting, the artist said: "the sky is somewhat geometric in construction, presenting seemingly natural cloud formations in configurations which are not natural. By doing the sky in this way I could. . .exercise an abstract geometric order, that reinforced the geometry of the boulders and auto."
The painting depicts a scene of activity that is just ending. The implications of the title suggest that emptiness will soon overcome the situation. In fact, the title has multiple meanings. "Void of Course" is an astrological period when the moon passes between signs; new undertakings are discouraged during this unstable time. One interpretation of this work suggests that the deer, representing nature, slips away from the questionable promise of "civilization" and technological advances.
MEM
