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David Urban
David Urban
1966 -
David Urban, considered by many in Canada as one of the leading painters of his generation, makes work that critiques and attempts to expand the tradition of modernist abstract painting. Urban was born in Toronto in 1966. He studied at York University and graduated in 1989 with a BA in English Literature and a BFA specializing in Painting and Drawing. In 1991 he received an MA in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Windsor and completed an MFA in 1994 from the University of Guelph.
Later that year he landed his first solo exhibition at Sable-Castelli Gallery in Toronto, which quickly sold out. He received national attention from critics and writers such as John Bentley Mays, and international exposure soon followed. In his early work, his paint handling, use of line and occasional grids drew comparisons to the work of renowned contemporary abstract painters such as Jonathan Lasker. For some, Urban’s division of space into planes, employment of geometric shapes and interest in the tension between flat and three-dimensional space recalled the concerns of early modernists such as Paul Cézanne. What was abundantly clear was that Urban had deep admiration for and commitment to the history of modern painting.
With his academic pedigree, it should not be surprising that Urban’s approach is first and foremost based on an active contemplation of art history. However, visually Urban’s work does not appear academic or heavy-handed, and his paintings are playful and intuitive. Intermingling bright, off-primary colours with strong blacks and whites, Urban populates his flat backgrounds with uncluttered, expressive lines. His paintings are dynamic, as the usually thick and bold lines wander across textured surfaces. Sometimes the lines aggregate like DNA snippings about to spring into life, almost congealing into figures or landscapes, affirming Urban's main interest: the relationship (perhaps even the irresolvable historical conflict) between the figurative and the abstract.
Urban’s interests and passions are extensive - he is a poet and a musician who plays multiple instruments. Throughout his work he investigates the history and methodology of paint, as he reflects on the primacy of the imagination and the curiosity of childhood. He has shared his thinking about art through many public lectures, essays (for example Painting’s Radiant Array in Border Crossings magazine in 2004) and curating. In 2002 he curated Painters 15, an exhibition of established Canadian painters presented at the Shanghai Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, Toronto.
Through his many projects and engagements Urban continues to push his limits as an artist. Urban’s work has been exhibited in major national and international institutions, written about in international publications such as Art in America and collected by numerous private and public collections, including the National Gallery of Canada, Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal and the Art Gallery of Ontario. He is a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.
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David Urban
Study for Joseph's Dream, 3rd Version
59 3/4 x 47 3/4 in, 151.7 x 121.3 cm
oil on canvas
Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000 CDN
Sold for:
$10,350
CDN (premium included)
March 2008 - 1st Session on Saturday, March 29, 2008
David Urban
Self (Adult Epigram)
72 x 59 3/4 in, 182.9 x 151.8 cm
oil on canvas
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000 CDN
Sold for:
$8,125
CDN (premium included)
Post-War & Contemporary Art on Thursday, September 24, 2020
David Urban
Crying Form
72 x 60 in, 182.9 x 152.4 cm
2006
oil on canvas
Estimate: $7,000 - $9,000 CDN
Sold for:
$7,500
CDN (premium included)
Abstraction on Thursday, November 30, 2023
David Urban
Untitled
72 x 62 in, 182.9 x 157.5 cm
oil on canvas on board
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000 CDN
Sold for:
$6,875
CDN (premium included)
Abstract Art on Thursday, March 26, 2020
David Urban
Yellow Paintings Series #2
40 x 30 in, 101.6 x 76.2 cm
oil on canvas
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000 CDN
Sold for:
$6,250
CDN (premium included)
Post-War & Contemporary Art on Tuesday, October 06, 2020
David Urban
Wyevale Phonics #1
30 x 80 in, 76.2 x 203.2 cm
oil on canvas on board diptych
Estimate: $6,000 - $8,000 CDN
Sold for:
$5,000
CDN (premium included)
The Collection of George Hartman and Arlene Goldman on Thursday, September 28, 2023
David Urban
False Corner
84 x 78 in, 213.4 x 198.1 cm
oil on canvas
Estimate: $5,000 - $7,000 CDN
Sold for:
$5,000
CDN (premium included)
Canadian Art Now on Thursday, May 26, 2022
David Urban
Gate
24 x 30 in, 61 x 76.2 cm
oil on canvas
Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000 CDN
Sold for:
$4,063
CDN (premium included)
New Now on Tuesday, September 15, 2020
David Urban
Credences of Summer #4
48 x 36 in, 121.9 x 91.4 cm
oil on canvas
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000 CDN
Sold for:
$3,750
CDN (premium included)
Abstraction on Thursday, March 31, 2022
David Urban
Untitled (Four Ink Drawings)
12 x 8 in, 30.5 x 20.3 cm
ink on paper
Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000 CDN
Sold for:
$3,750
CDN (premium included)
Post-War & Contemporary Art on Thursday, November 29, 2018