Wallflowers: David Wilstermann

David Wilstermann presents Wallflowers in his first solo exhibition. A self-proclaimed introvert (or wallflower), Wilstermann’s practice acts as an outward exploration of quiet introspection and vivid imagination. This show is an expression of the revelations he finds in nature, colour and emotion, influenced by all the personal experiences from the beginning of his career until now. Wallflowers attempts to satisfy his creative urge, release his inner life and put colour on canvas. Each painting searches for balance in composition while having a story to tell. This series of dreamscapes evokes a sense of surreal peace and mystery for the viewer to absorb. He invites his audience to walk this world with him. Wilstermann expands the possibilities of abstraction, while at times referencing figurative whimsical flowers or plant like drawings as seen in each of his works. The combination of the two creates a striking image as presented throughout Wallflowers.

Like many of his favourite artists, Wilstermann created this series on loose canvas. Whether working on the floor or nailed to the wall, he finds following this process the only way to get such strong bold lines and gestural marks with oils ticks and pastels. With carpentry being his initial line of work, he enjoys building his own stretcher bars in order to stretch all his paintings. He finds peace and a sense of accomplishment by doing it all from the ground up. He uses many different mediums in this collection; from oil paint, oilsticks, pastels, crayons, coloured pencils, pens to sawdust to achieve different textures on the canvas.

Wallflowers is a collection of bright vibrant works that have been building in Wilstermann’s imagination, slowly making their way onto canvas. This series shows his evolving practice. One that he will continue to pursue in the hopes of never finding a destination but enjoying the journey every step of the way.