David Gianfredi

David Gianfredi was raised in the Connecticut town of East Haven, a suburb of Yale, New Haven. As far back as he can remember, he has always been interested in drawing and painting. David has earned two AA degrees in Fine Art and Graphic Design from Middlesex Community College of Art and Design, Grand Rapids Michigan, and an MFA in Drawing and Painting from Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.

At the age of 18, David joined the US Army and began his traveling. For years he traveled the U.S. from coast to coast which has been a source of inspiration in creating oil paintings that allow him to look back on a great county’s past. The name “Americana” is given to this type of imagery because it encompasses all the things American; while David’s images may originate in any state in the country, where they originate is less important than the universality they contain.

David has exhibited nationally, won many awards, including second place in the 81st Annual Springville Salon, and has been written up in various publications such as Flagstaff Live . Honors aside, his true love is to draw and paint scenes that move him and his audience to think about the history they represent.

Artist Statement by David Gianfredi

Inspiration demands the active cooperation of the intellect joined with enthusiasm, and it is under such conditions that marvelous conceptions, with all that is excellent and divine, come into being.

Giorgio Vasari, Lives of the Painter (1568)

Works of art that appeal to me are those which explore the possibility that straightforward lucidity in art is not passé. As a visual artist I reference the socially constructed codes of coherent recognition. Therefore, I continuously create work that will be viewed by an always-already audience.

Concerning the art making process, I employ references of a direct, realistic manner using oil paint, as well as mixed media. Though a conceptual core is ever-present and at the center of my work, the handling of the material is monumental. It is the resolve of the idea that ultimately decides which materials will be used and what direction the work will take throughout its inspired development.

Impressions give way to my visual acuity and then to my method of creating meaning of the world. The uncompromising contemplation, constructing, deconstructing and editing are all a part of the process that calls into being the artwork. Then, the art, by evidence of its existence, articulates my personal notion of clarity.