David Fobes
“Make work with an economy of means and an extravagance of imagination”
Artist Statement
I entered this world in 1953 with my monozygotic twin brother Clark. As we grew, each twin struggled for individual identity. Although we both possess musical and artistic abilities, Clark assumed the identity of musician and I assumed the identity of visual artist.
My view of the world has long been tempered by recurring paranormal experiences. Most of these experiences have been either prescient visions of the immediate future or moments of telepathy with my twin, especially in our youth. In my early twenties I began to perceive either the existence of a parallel universe or another reality that existed just outside of the limits of human comprehension. The essence of most of my work is about questioning the “otherworldliness” we all share.
Although wood has been an ongoing and favorite medium I work freely in a variety of other materials such as cardboard, paper collage, duct tape, found objects, oil and acrylic paint, and metal, as well as photography and digital media. For me the idea is what is important and I choose the material that can best represent that idea.
The trajectory of my artistic explorations has been nonlinear and confounding to many curators. I craft each project as an alchemist, working towards a transformation of materials into a transcendental experience. Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not, and yet I continue to try to make the proverbial gold from dirt.
