The Albany Museum of Art has the distinct pleasure of hosting a unique large-scale retrospective of Albany artist David Lanier’s work. This is a comprehensive exhibition highlighting some of Lanier’s earliest works as a young artist, the works he made during his college years, and the foundational work that set him up for a successful artistic career throughout his life.
Lanier is one of the preeminent contemporary artists working in the sporting and wildlife art genre, but his work goes beyond that of traditional sporting and wildlife depictions. His paintings immerse the viewer in the wildness of Southwest Georgia, a premier destination for many practiced hunters and sporting dog owners. The precision of his painting strokes dwells in the same territory as those of classical naturalists, documenting flora and fauna to preserve them in their perfect states, but there is also a clear fondness for life in the present tense.
“The beauty of the natural world fascinates me,” Lanier said. “From early childhood to the present day, nature and the beauty of Creation have been a constant source of inspiration and I long to immerse myself in it. I find calm, healing and wonder all around me when I’m surrounded by the natural world. As a child, I collected feathers and butterflies and studied the world outside with a magnifying glass. The harmony of color and the intricacies of design are flawlessly stunning.”
His current body of work speaks volumes of his love for this environment in Southwest Georgia and the traditions that are tied to these lands. His upbringing included hunting and fishing trips, sometimes with his father. Mostly, he ventured out into the wilderness solo, learning from the land and living self-sustainably. These early experiences reinforced his appreciation for nature and wildlife, which later translated into a skill that he honed at Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Fla. Even now, he enjoys his “self-imposed solitary confinement” to create works steeped in the beauty of the artistic process.
The AMA also is proud to share Lanier’s artwork from a time when he was learning, experimenting, and expanding his skill set. Some artworks on exhibit will underscore the importance of process in art—how things do not magically appear on the canvas right away, but undergo revisions and additions, even destructions, before the final work is produced. This monumental exhibition will share the journey of an artist in a way that the AMA hopes many others will be able to identify with and learn from.
“As an artist, I simply paint in an attempt to understand this beauty and to share it with others,” Lanier said. “I take great pleasure in painting the humble and seemingly ordinary places and things that are too often overlooked. Whether my subjects are dogs, landscapes or people, there is a uniqueness worthy of exploration in each subject. The warmth of sunlight illuminating the branches of a tree, the sparkle of life in a dog’s eye, the intricate patterns of grass in a field and the softness of a feather are just a few of the mysteries that fill my thoughts and bring me tremendous pleasure.
“There is beauty to be discovered in every created thing if we will only take the time to observe things unhurriedly. My role on this earth is simply to remind the viewers of my paintings to slow down and study and preserve nature. The French painter, Camille Pissarro, stated it best: “Blessed are those who see beauty in the humble places where others see nothing.”
