The Art of my Uncle at the Sandra Small Gallery

For many artists and art lovers, it may be difficult to trace the single most important influence on their development; for me that is not the case. The art which surrounded my life, from my infancy through adolescence, was that of my uncle (and godfather) David Bumbeck.

Anyone who has had an artist in the family most likely will have received gifts in the form of his or her art. (For the arts are a vow of poverty; the works are given perhaps as a substitute for some commercially bought contrivance, but they are not a substitute. On the contrary, such gifts are that which commercial contrivances seek to substitute.) This was also the case with my family; our house was adorned with the works of my uncle. The works accompanied the long stages of his development. A master printmaker, he had first dabbled in roughly 'sketched' figures on plates for his lithographs, imitating the pen stroke. His later work, elaborately detailed, would reflect his intense work ethic: rising at 4AM to watch the sun rise, only to stay in his studio until nightfall. He told me once that the sunrise gave him the force and inspiration to work all day. It remains the ideal for me even now.

Sometimes, even his most whimsical work made its way into my parents' house. Apparently, one day at the beach, he made several faces--their negative forms, instant moulds, essentially--in the sand, perhaps as a kind of playful exercise. He then poured plaster into the moulds and produced three rough faces, somewhat stylized. Apparently, he thought little of them, but my mother treasured them. These faces would adorn my parents' living room for many years, and still sit in their small condominium. I loved them; they seemed peaceful, simple, and somewhat curious. They are a small example of how even simple gestures of artists can move people.

Recently, when I came to Cincinnati to start the arts journal AEQAI, my aunt recommended I contact Danny Brown. It turned out that Daniel and my Uncle had known each other form many years, and the catalog of my uncle's prints hosted an introduction by Daniel. Hence my uncle's presence was felt again: he united me with a mentor-critic, and assisted me, in this indirect way, on another stage of development.

Hence it is with great joy that the Sandra Small Gallery in Covington, KY recently hosted my uncle's prints (curated, of course, by Daniel Brown). Perhaps in some way my presence here had help rekindle the friendship between the two, and hence the exhibition; it is a gentle way of gratitude for all that his work has given me throughout my life. I encourage all to view the show if possible; it features his master printworks, as well as a courageous exploration into color painting.


The Genius of David Bumbeck: Prints, Sculptures, Paintings, Collages and Drawings; curated by Daniel Brown, at the Sandra Small Gallery, 124 W. PIKE STREET COVINGTON, KY 41011.HOURS: Thursday 3-8pm, Friday 1-5pm & Saturday 10-5 pm - 859.291.2345. Through June 25th 2010.