BIO
David Sheldon lives and works in Asheville, North Carolina. A multi-disciplined artist, his work
has evolved over the years as both a painter and a sculptor.Sheldon received a BFA in Painting
from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1984. His time at RISD included a formative year
spent painting in Rome, Italy, as part of RISD’s European Honors Program. As a grad student,
he brought sculpture into the mix. His thesis show for his MFA in 1990 at the University of
Maryland incorporated large-scale, mixed-media paintings, as well as sculptural works. Mentors
included internationally acclaimed sculptor, Anne Truitt, and monumental sculptor James
Sanborn.
Sheldon worked as an assistant to Sanborn on 'Kryptos' , installed at the CIA
headquarters in Langley, Virginia, 1990. Growing up in the Washington DC area, Sheldon spent
countless hours as a young artist, taking in and studying the artworks of both the Old Masters,
and Contemporary Art. As a result, the influence of Art History is latent and strong with
Sheldon, and informs the approach to canvas as formal object, and the paint as a visceral
medium, having its own voice and input into the process. The depiction of spiritual meaning and
truth, as depicted over the epochs of Art History is deeply ingrained in Sheldon's subconscious,
as well, and serve as both impetus for exploration and reservoir for approach and
understanding. It's an approach that attempts to merge the aesthetics and spirituality of the old
masters, with the aesthetics, vibrancy, and philosophies of contemporary art.
