Artist Bio: David J. Eichenberg

Solitary figures in abstracted settings whose expressions cross over from the artists imagination into the reality of the viewer. Connecting emotion between sitter and viewer, as if allowing an intimate exploration for both. Small trompe l’oeil paintings whose inanimate objects come together to narrate and record contemporary issues within our society. This is just a little sampling of what can be found if one takes the time to explore the paintings of David J. Eichenberg.

David’s journey as an artist started at an early age. Born in the 1970’s in the blue-collar town of Toledo, Ohio, David showed an aptitude for art from an early age although he was not able to tap into his potential until later in life.

“ I have always been interested in the arts for as long as I can remember. But coming from a working class family I was never allowed the luxury of taking art classes outside of those offered through our public school system and even those were limited. During my high school years I was working full-time so extracurricular activities were not an option either. It was not until I decided to take an art history class during my freshmen year of college that I knew I was hooked. I quickly changed my major from physical therapy to the fine arts, a decision that I have never regretted.”

David’s studies at the University of Toledo were an eye opening and life changing experience. Not only was he taught traditional and contemporary techniques but he was also exposed to an in depth study of art history. One in which led to a realization that “The study of art history is imperative if an artist is to build on what has come before them. I often see artists who have not studied art history either within and academic setting or independently. This usually results in work that has no foundation and leaves the viewer both confused and unsatisfied. I consider myself a student of the arts and am always reading about artists from history and I also try to stay on top of the latest works being created today”. Under the mentoring of Thomas Lingeman for Sculpture and Linda Ames-Bell for Painting David achieved the distinction as Outstanding Senior in College of Arts and Sciences. “I was fortunate to attend the University of Toledo when I did. Through a joint venture between the University and The Toledo Museum of Art, at the time, I was allowed the opportunity of working along side visiting artists such as Albert Paley, Therman Statom and Jim Dine. It was an invaluable time that I spent studying and working with these artists. I was able not only to watch them but to also help in the construction of their works for the Art to Art Exhibition held at the Toledo Museum of Art during 1997, while learning all I could about the behind the scene workings of a professional artist”.

After David’s graduation from 1997 to 2002 his primary focus was sculpture. It was during 2002 that David starting getting back into painting. “In 2002 I decided that it was time that I build on what I was taught in college and really get serious about painting. I locked myself in my studio and had to re-teach myself all that I had forgotten since my painting days in college. I wish I could say that painting is like riding a bike but it was much harder to regain the hand-eye coordination and technique required than merely jumping on a bike and peddling. I read every technique book I could get my hands on, especially those from the early part of the 1900’s.  I visited every painter that I could find locally and drilled them on their techniques, taking bits and pieces that worked for me and disregarding the rest. Or taking the parts that did not seem to work at first and altering these techniques through experimentation back in my studio. Through trial and error over a 6-month time I finally came up with a series of techniques that I felt worked for me and enabled me to start painting on a regular basis. I took what I had learned during this intensive study and have continued to build on it ever since”.

David spent many years getting to know local and regional artists and building his reputation in the greater Toledo area. This lead to his being sought out in 2005 by the Toledo Museum of Art to spearhead the transition of their historic glass-working program formerly located in the “Glass Crafts Building” into it’s newly constructed home in the Award winning Glass Pavilion. David spent the next two years almost exclusively focused on the transition and daily running of the School of Art and Design’s public art classes at the Glass Pavilion. Along with the day to day operations David was also the organizer for the visiting artist program which allowed him the ability to work with glass artists such as Lino Taiglipietra, Fritz Dreisbach and Richard Ritter. “Although my time spent at the Toledo Museum Art was a life changing experience I knew after two years it was time to get back to my painting. So once again I returned to painting and know now that this is were I will remain”.

David has continued to hone his painting skills and his efforts have started to pay off with his inclusion in many exhibitions over the last two years. David’s highest honor to date is his inclusion into the prestigious Outwin-Boochever Portrait Competition 2009 at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. “ It is an honor to have my work included in the Outwin-Boochever Exhibition. It is humbling to be 1 of 49 artists out of 3300 artists to be accepted into the show and the only artist form the state of Ohio”.

David’s primary focus at this time is to redefine contemporary portraiture. He is working on accomplishing this through the study and manipulation of the relationships that exist between the sitter and the viewer. “The art of portraiture for so long has been dominated by stagnate representations of the sitter. Images that go no further than to simply record a physical likeness that in most cases is no better than a cheap, poorly staged photograph.  The art of portraiture can say much more about not only the sitter’s physical characteristics that are being depicted but should also capture any emotional energy or defining traits associated with the sitter”.