2000 South 39th Street
Saint Louis, Missouri 63110
314-773-3935
Open by appointment
david ottinger: observed
David Ottinger is a painter, printmaker and draftsman, and long-time educator having taught at KcKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois for over 38 years.
He is fascinated with the intersection of psychology and art, attempting to capture in his figurative work the defining moment when someone makes a decision or comes to some realization about a quandary or idea.
 |
| David Ottinger, Soro (Sister), oil on linen, 72 x 108 inches |
In his words:
"In a speech from the spring of 2016, I tried to sum up the essence of what I feel every artist tries to accomplish. I stated, “Only that which redefines the definition of the word has any chance to become that which it pretends to define.”
It is certainly no simple task to change the definition of a word. However, every great artist throughout history has done just that. Jackson Pollack, Camille Pissarro and Leonardo Da Vinci changed the definition of painting. Donatello (Donato di Nicocolò di Betto Bardi) and Donald Judd and Kara Walker changed the definition of sculpture. David Octavius Hill and Edward Stieglitz and Cindy Sherman changed photography.
As a student I was enthralled with two topics, art and psychology. At times I try to bring the two together in the same conversation. Though I taught Figure Drawing, Painting and Art History for decades, I am still enchanted with the idea of bringing psychology and painting together in a way that tries to define the moment when an individual makes a decision or comes to a realization about a dilemma or idea.
It is the search for that indefinable idea that intrigues me the most and of course, is the most elusive."
David holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting and drawing from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting and lithography from the Kansas City Art Institute.
McKendree University awarded David the title Professor Emeritus of Art in 2016.
October 12 to November 23, 2019
David Ottinger, Jackie, Oil on canvas, 20 X 16 inches
David Ottinger, Red Rock Canyon, Oil on two canvases, 40 X 20 inches, 2019
David Ottinger, Jeane, Oil on panel, 18 X 14 inches, 2016
David Ottinger, Payday, Oil on panel, 11.5 X 12.5 inches, 2017
David Ottinger, Blue, Oil on panel, 14 X 18 inches, 2017
David Ottinger, Red, Oil on panel, 14 X 18 inches, 2017
David Ottinger, White Onion, Oil on copper, 11 X 10 inches, 2017
David Ottinger, Red Rock Canyon, Oil on canvas, 20 X 16 inches
