David Vall

[@albertjanvanhoek294]

At first glance, almost everything shown here is non-figurative. But that turns out to be too quick a judgment. Non figurative paintings. The problem I have already noted with previous videos: without the titles one can see something completely different (often a non-figurative whole that may or may not be beautiful in "the eye of the beholder") than when the titles are incorporated in the viewing of the paintings. With titles - in “Nenuphar”: lilies, in “Touareg”: a veiled man (the men of that North Africa people wear face coverings; the women don’t), in “Hephaistos”: the fire in the forge of the Greek god of the smiths, in “Gehenna” the hellfire - and so on. Sometimes the combination of work and title produces almost something figurative: in “H 2015” one sees an “h”, in “Shattered Glass” exactly that, in “Sirocco” a storm, in “Window on Fire” exactly that again, in “Sichuan” an almost figurative landscape from that Chinese region - and so on. Almost figurative ? See further on. At times I don't see the connection. The four-part “Moira” (μοιρα is: fatum / fate) tells me little - even with its title. This also concerns the painting “Tikal” (I know it as a Mayan city). And there is strangeness in, for example, “Sunset Falls” in which a "water"-fall can be recognized. What is “falling” ? All these works are painted “loosely”. In addition, there are a few “geometric-like” paintings. With vague reminiscences of Paul Klee (see the motto for this video). I humbly think they are not the best ones. And then suddenly: partially figurative. In “Seven Sirens”: for instance small abstract human figures, a kangaroo and images made by the original inhabitants of Australia on rock walls can be noticed. Then: even one hundred percent figurative: “Hasen”: an almost Hiroshige-like image of two (Japanese ?) boats. (I know “Hasen” (rabbits) by Joseph Beuys, but I don't see any connection with this work by David Vall) If the title is Japanese (or an other Asian language apart from Indonesian), those languages I don't know. "Koï" - so this one I had to look up -: carps, depicted figuratively here, symbols of affection in Japan. From non-figurative without the titles directing the viewing, to non-figurative where the titles pre-interpret the work for the viewer, to almost figurative, to one hundred percent figurative. Who is David Vall ? Once again I am very grateful for the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. I have mentioned before that - for me - there exists no more impressive musical oeuvre in the world of global music.