David Brody on Painting as Brain Activity, Wall Drawings, and Upcoming Hallwalls Residency

David Brody characterizes painting as a distinct mental endeavor that resists the influence of computer programming and AI, highlighting its immersive and ecstatic nature. He typically completes around four paintings each year, willingly accepting the challenge of producing fewer works that are complex and difficult to articulate. His artistic process initiates with chalk lines to define perspective, evolving from larger pieces that demanded spatial cohesion. Brody dismisses art that is primarily conceptual or narrative, regarding many process-oriented abstractions as mere calculations. He believes every brushstroke should carry potential, aiming for immediate images rather than complex fields. His isometric graph paper drawings, begun five years ago, focus on symmetry and spatial logic, contrasting with the "family disputes between order and derangement" in his paintings. These drawings transition into wall pieces, which he finds more ethereal due to their scale. This summer, he will participate in a month-long residency at Hallwalls in Buffalo, New York, to create wall drawings. Additionally, Cabinet magazine and the Sculpture Center are hosting an exhibition of folding paper sculptures that includes Brody's miniature camera obscura of a U-Haul truck. He is also looking for a space to showcase new paintings.