"Remnants and Passageways" - David Welker

Harman Projects is pleased to present Remnants and Passageways, a solo exhibition by New York City-based artist David Welker. 

Remnants and Passageways signals a return to painting for Welker, whose main focus in recent years has been on drawings and illustrations in pencil, pen and ink. This recent return to painting has re-introduced a broader color palette to the artist's work which in recent exhibitions has historically been monochromatic. This return has also been notable as it has presented an opportunity for Welker to scale up smaller works on paper into larger, more ambitious, works on canvas. 

As an artist, Welker has developed a subtle yet recognizable visual language that makes art historical references ranging from German Expressionism to pre-Columbian bas-relief. The artist's surreal compositions can be many things at once, blurring the lines between natural and manufactured, representative and abstracted.

"A cityscape that looks like an electric conduit of subconscious thought. The personification of a house that has endured the neglect of a broken system. The beauty of the remnants of decay and the prospect of a passageway to another day," the artist explains. 

Manufacturer, pictured above, harkens back to ancient Mayan relief carvings with ornate clothing and outstretched hands positioned gracefully. On further inspection, the figure is comprised of architectural elements, with shapes that appear mechanical in nature, embodying Welker's unique take on surrealism; while familiar, things are not always as they appear.

Each new work in this exhibition takes form and develops as it is created, the artist engaging in a dialogue with the work, both informing the other and allowing details to reveal themself during the process. This element of mystery is crucial to Welker who prefers the work grows organically rather than being executed with precognition.