David Hathaway (b. 1957) is a contemporary painter whose raw, gestural abstractions channel the subconscious and embrace emotional immediacy. Each piece emerges through layered experimentation, capturing unfiltered impulses and fleeting moments of clarity. Originally trained in photography at Pratt Institute, Hathaway later earned his BFA with honors in Computer Arts and Design from Mercy University in 2012. His background in visual structure and digital aesthetics informs his dynamic approach to painting. A standing member of New York City's esteemed Pleiades Gallery, Hathaway continues to challenge boundaries, creating work that speaks viscerally—before words even enter the conversation.
Statement
I work primarily with acrylic paint on cradled wood panels, often modifying its character with thickening gels and modeling paste to build depth and tension. Rather than traditional brushes, I wield a toolbox of unconventional instruments—meat claws, tile trowels, asphalt rakes, dog combs, whisk brooms, and barbecue scrapers—each one capable of carving unexpected textures and marks into the surface. These tools allow me to abandon control in favor of discovery. My process begins with deliberate layering using knives or trowels, building up fields of color that I later distress, scrape, or even partially remove to expose the strata beneath. I often work in bursts, throwing or splattering paint to introduce spontaneity and chaos. As textures collide—some jagged and aggressive, others smooth and quiet—I seek out a balanced asymmetry that lets the painting breathe. The urgency in my pace is intentional. By moving quickly and resisting overthinking, I allow my subconscious to shape the composition. What results is a raw visual language—one that speaks in fragments, emotions, and echoes. My work is a negotiation between intuition and control, destruction and refinement. It is both a release and a reckoning.
