Artist David FeBland, a British-American oil painter who calls Phoenix home, debuts his latest solo exhibition—titled “Scene & Imagined”—at Paul Scott Gallery in Scottsdale's Art District on Feb. 29, 2024.
This collection of works is inspired by FeBland’s move to Arizona eight years ago; the self-described “big city guy experiencing life in the West” credits the desert environment for the positive effect on his works, which are now much more vibrant and colorful.
“My paintings cover interactions between people in public and how we fit into our physical environment. But the way I depict that has evolved with color and light based on living in the West,” he says. “Though not a native, I am very much a student of Western culture and can offer an outsider’s view from the inside. My paintings, even the ones I have done on the East Coast, are now viewed through the eyes of someone who lives in the desert.”
FeBland, who is represented in galleries, as well as corporate and museum collections throughout the U.S. and Europe, employs a range of naturalistic styles and a democracy of influences in his representational depictions of everyday events that go unnoticed.
“I like to take the guy no one remembers and build a world around him. I separate him from his subculture and cast him in a leading role,” he says.
His work is often portrayed as an allegorical updating of the journalistic street painters of the early 20th century.
“Scene & Imagined” refers to and represents the unique process FeBland utilizes to create his masterpieces. His works are the result of his observations of everyday comings and goings amongst humanity as it passes in public spaces; however, FeBland says they aren’t simply transcriptions of these observations. Rather, there is quite a bit of invention incorporated into the development of each piece. This leaves the viewer to answer the question of what was seen—or rather what the scene actually was—and what was imagined.
The exhibition includes about 25 pieces and will debut at the ground-floor gallery, Paul Scott Exhibitions, located at 7117 E. Main St., just two doors down from the main Paul Scott Gallery at 7103 E. Main St. The exhibition will remain on display there through March 15. All pieces in the exhibition are available for purchase through Paul Scott Gallery or via FeBland's website.
An artist’s reception featuring a meet and greet with FeBland takes place from 7-9 p.m. at the gallery on Feb. 29.
Mambo, 30” x 40” oil on canvas, by David FeBland
Music Minus One, 24” x 18”, oil on canvas, by David FeBland
Love Bugs (Detail), 36” x 72”, oil on canvas by David FeBland