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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Les résultats record de la Maison Heffel
Study for Joseph's Dream, 3rd Version by David Urban vendu pour $10,350
David Urban
Study for Joseph's Dream, 3rd Version
59 3/4 x 47 3/4 in, 151.7 x 121.3 cm
huile sur toile
Estimation : 10 000 $ - 15 000 $ CDN
Vendu pour : 10 350 $ CDN (Prime d’achat incluse)
March 2008 - 1st Session, samedi, 29 mars 2008
Self (Adult Epigram) by David Urban vendu pour $8,125
David Urban
Self (Adult Epigram)
72 x 59 3/4 in, 182.9 x 151.8 cm
huile sur toile
Estimation : 4 000 $ - 6 000 $ CDN
Vendu pour : 8 125 $ CDN (Prime d’achat incluse)
Post-War & Contemporary Art, jeudi, 24 septembre 2020
Crying Form by David Urban vendu pour $7,500
David Urban
Crying Form
72 x 60 in, 182.9 x 152.4 cm
2006
huile sur toile
Estimation : 7 000 $ - 9 000 $ CDN
Vendu pour : 7 500 $ CDN (Prime d’achat incluse)
Abstraction, jeudi, 30 novembre 2023
Untitled by David Urban vendu pour $6,875
David Urban
Untitled
72 x 62 in, 182.9 x 157.5 cm
huile sur toile sur panneau
Estimation : 4 000 $ - 6 000 $ CDN
Vendu pour : 6 875 $ CDN (Prime d’achat incluse)
Abstract Art, jeudi, 26 mars 2020
Yellow Paintings Series #2 by David Urban vendu pour $6,250
David Urban
Yellow Paintings Series #2
40 x 30 in, 101.6 x 76.2 cm
huile sur toile
Estimation : 4 000 $ - 6 000 $ CDN
Vendu pour : 6 250 $ CDN (Prime d’achat incluse)
Post-War & Contemporary Art, mardi, 06 octobre 2020
Wyevale Phonics #1 by David Urban vendu pour $5,000
David Urban
Wyevale Phonics #1
30 x 80 in, 76.2 x 203.2 cm
huile sur toile sur panneau (diptyque)
Estimation : 6 000 $ - 8 000 $ CDN
Vendu pour : 5 000 $ CDN (Prime d’achat incluse)
The Collection of George Hartman and Arlene Goldman, jeudi, 28 septembre 2023
False Corner by David Urban vendu pour $5,000
David Urban
False Corner
84 x 78 in, 213.4 x 198.1 cm
huile sur toile
Estimation : 5 000 $ - 7 000 $ CDN
Vendu pour : 5 000 $ CDN (Prime d’achat incluse)
Canadian Art Now, jeudi, 26 mai 2022
Gate by David Urban vendu pour $4,063
David Urban
Gate
24 x 30 in, 61 x 76.2 cm
huile sur toile
Estimation : 3 000 $ - 5 000 $ CDN
Vendu pour : 4 063 $ CDN (Prime d’achat incluse)
New Now, mardi, 15 septembre 2020
Credences of Summer #4 by David Urban vendu pour $3,750
David Urban
Credences of Summer #4
48 x 36 in, 121.9 x 91.4 cm
huile sur toile
Estimation : 4 000 $ - 6 000 $ CDN
Vendu pour : 3 750 $ CDN (Prime d’achat incluse)
Abstraction, jeudi, 31 mars 2022
Untitled (Four Ink Drawings) by David Urban vendu pour $3,750
David Urban
Untitled (Four Ink Drawings)
12 x 8 in, 30.5 x 20.3 cm
encre sur papier
Estimation : 3 000 $ - 5 000 $ CDN
Vendu pour : 3 750 $ CDN (Prime d’achat incluse)
Post-War & Contemporary Art, jeudi, 29 novembre 2018