David DeSimone is an oil painter based in New York City. Vibrant and highly textured, his work offers an unadulterated perspective on his urban and domestic surroundings. Although primarily focused on landscapes, DeSimone’s oeuvre is also composed of still lifes. These portray large-scale utilitarian objects, such as vacant or half-empty bottles of Coke, water, or alcohol, a soap bar container, or a pack of Tic Tacs. Although his subjects elicit a Pop Art aesthetic, they possess a human element that defies Andy Warhol’s stance on commodity products. The objects–worn-out, torn, or broken due to repeated usage–speak of the owner’s daily activities and endearing quirks: a bottle of Listerine is used as a paint jar, a Coffee Mate receptacle holds loose screws and cables, a Dove soap box overflows with pennies.

Intimately eloquent, these items claim center stage, taking on a personality of their own. Stemming from the artist’s quiet observation of interiors and exteriors, his paintings offer a pristine commentary on urban life. His usage of various materials, composition, shapes, and color reflect efforts to create simple visual languages that could communicate his experiences and observations to a wide audience.