Bronze, plaster, corrugated cardboard, and rebar
54 x 31 x 31 inches
COURTESY OF THE NANCY A. NASHER AND DAVID J. HAEMISEGGER COLLECTION
David Bates is a Dallas-based painter and sculptor known for his bold, expressive style and deep engagement with the people, landscapes, and cultural histories of the American South. Emerging in the 1980s, Bates developed a distinctive visual language marked by strong contours, thick brushwork, and a sculptural approach to form that bridges Realism with Modernist influences. His contribution to contemporary Southern art lies in this blend of formal rigor, narrative clarity, and personal connection to place, which has made him one of Dallas’ most influential and enduring artists.
Bates returns to the magnolia flower again and again, using it as a touchstone for exploring new directions in both painting and sculpture. Early versions of the motif appear in paintings marked by bold black outlines and vivid, semi-abstract forms. Later pieces—like Black Magnolia II, shown here—shift toward a more formal exploration of mass, surface, texture, and the interplay of light and patina. With its monochromatic and stylized petals cast from plaster, corrugated cardboard, and rebar, the sculpture highlights Bates’ rough, tactile handling of materials, producing an object of striking rawness that showcases the artist’s keen understanding of form.
