J. David Carlson - Arist to Check Out!

J. David Carlson is an artist, who lives to 'Play'. Describing Mr. Carlson's art is somewhat difficult. It's part mixed media, part sculpture, part painting, part everything. However, if you get a chance to see his work, I highly recommend it.

Mr. Carlson's work does two things to the purveyor. First, it engages you. It is different, unique, beautiful and clever. Your entire adult mind nods at the twists and turn of each piece, and then second thing happens... your inner child lights up, because ultimately, what you are looking at is one gigantic, gorgeous toy. It is usually at this point that you find your hands reaching out to touch the piece, and hopefully your fellow gallery mate has the good sense to gently slap them away.

Mr. Carlson's work is best summed up in his own words, "Play has become essential to my artistic journey." Mr. Carlson like so many of us creative types and children of the late seventies and early eighties grew up with carefully crafted and unique toys that sought to put you into a complete world of fantasy. The G.I. Joe or Transformer not only functioned as a toy but a new universe where you mind was encouraged to take the intent and purpose and story of the toys even further than what had been imaged. It is here where as and adult I find myself drifting back to those days of building complex G.I. Joe forts with legos, and dreaming of bigger and badder landscapes to play with. Mr. Carlson seems to take that point of view and push it to the next level. I enjoy his "Play Scapes" the most. So, go on over and visit his website (linked above) and if you can catch one of his shows. I bet you will fight the urge to take one of his pieces home with you... I do every time I see one.... so I can play with it whenever I want.