Artist
David Carlson
Title
Wabi Sabi
Date2015
MediumOil and acrylic on canvas
Dimensions36 x 48 in. (91.4 x 121.9 cm)
Credit LineDC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Art Bank Collection
Object numberDCCAH2025.015
ClassificationsPaintings
Locations
American Job Center (4058 Minnesota Avenue, NE)
DescriptionThe layered surface of this oil and acrylic painting contains overlapping forms of heavy texture, scraped areas, and milky veils. Drawing inspiration from his experiences with nature combined with Zen and Taoist philosophies, Carlson uses abstraction to capture shifts in connection between people, humanity, and the natural world. The meaning of the title, Wabi Sabi, is a reference to the traditional Japanese minimalist aesthetic concept which finds beauty in the nature’s flaws, decay, and authenticity. Wabi-sabi artworks, then, often emphasize asymmetry and the philosophical acceptance that comes with impermanence.
