David J. McKenzie, Jr., the artist, is a reflection of our new age of communication technology. He brings the strong influence of graphics and fine arts techniques to his paintings: bold shapes and vibrant, luminous colors. His abstract, yet organized forms reflect late 20th Century directions in art. He enjoys synchronizing his visual art with other forms of communication, particularly music.” “The vibes, tones and rhythms of music,” says McKenzie, “have helped to strengthen my imagination as an artist.”
McKenzie’s background in various forms of art began when he attended the first New York High School of Printing, the New York Institute of Photography, and Columbia Broadcasting School in New York. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications and Creative Arts from the State University of Old Westbury, Long Island, New York. His practical experience during the early 70’s included working for Shorewood Publisher’s art reproduction house in New York City, which specialized in lithographic reproductions of famous artists’ paintings. While working at Shorewood Publisher, McKenzie met Picasso who was signing hundreds of his serigraph works while visiting New York City on a world tour. After this brief encounter and discussion about his art McKenzie became deeply inspired by Picasso’s work, which in turn encouraged McKenzie to become a contemporary fine artist.
Over the last decade, McKenzie, a Vietnam veteran, has combined his talent as an artist with his professional experience and skills as a marketing specialist, promotion specialist, art director, pre-press printing specialist, photographer, fine artist, computer graphics specialist and IT printing specialist. His commitment to producing original artwork is his sense of artist connoisseurship. He respects the popular forms of reproduction such as lithographs, serigraphs, and giclée. However, he aspires to see his art take shape in other media forms such as ceramics and fabrics. Early on McKenzie understood how one’s work could devalue by saturating the market with secondhand versions of one’s creativity and artistic expression. Instead, he employs his expertise as an artist and photographer to produce large oil and acrylic paintings. McKenzie combined art and photography to produce a new series. He calls this technique “photo-painting”. McKenzie photographs his original artwork, and produces a high quality print. The print is then garnished with his signature 18kt gold oil-based inscription. McKenzie believes his photo-painting technique maintains the integrity of the artist and art collection. And it is conducive to a new trend in buying affordable original artwork. The “Mask” series is the most popular in McKenzie’s art collection. This series portrays African art with “ADINKRA” symbols.
One poignant manifestation of how these two art forms-photography and painting-come together for McKenzie is in his “Montage” series. Originally a photo he took in March 1983 of the bronze and black World Trade Center sculpture by Fritz Koenig, the paintings represent McKenzie’s desire to soften what struck him as a harsh, militaristic image. Although the spherical sculpture was supposed to be a symbol of peace through world trade, McKenzie felt it resembled buckshot, a perspective he admits may have been colored by the fact that he was a recent veteran when he first saw the sculpture. The “Montage” series, in hues of blue, green, lavender, and pink, represents a revision of the original image he captured in his photo. In the wake of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, his resistance to the sculpture and his painting to revise its militaristic impression were prophetic.
McKenzie’s large, occasionally expressive, paintings are never so abstract that the original forms are lost. Primarily through the use of bright colors, bold curves, and vibrant tones, he expresses a love of life, confidence, and attention to rhythm that give his work its unique identity.
McKenzie invites you to view his paintings in the spirit of pure, warm, and fun imagination. You are also welcome to visit www.mileniumdesign.net for your viewing pleasure.
Please feel free to contact him at e-mail milenium@mileniumdesign.net or call 202.315.6410