Dave Kinsey is an American artist in London and his latest work Enviromethodology can be found at Stolen Space, the UK’s only dedicated Urban Art gallery. Kinsey is an urban artist, advertising designer of Adidas and DC shoes among other brands and founder of creative design agency BLK/MRKT. With Enviromethodology Kinsey intends to draw the attention to the detritus of society by employing found objects in his artwork. In other words, Kinsey transforms debris in art. Likewise, Kinsey demonstrates that the actual culture of consumerism discards objects that under a different light can be as valuable and unique as a piece of art.
Dave Kinsey was born in Pittsburgh in 1971. He graduated in Fine Art and was soon influenced by the Graffiti culture. Nonetheless, his art has not been restricted to street galleries. Indeed, Kinsey has created the visual identities of well-known international brands and has made of the urban environment his own trademark. Kinsey’s main purpose is to propagate urban consciousness throughout his art. RETHINK, UNLEARN is his motto. Kinsey once told Streetwear magazine: ‘why be normal and controlled? Why live in routine and fear? These words fit perfectly with what I wanted to say as a whole, and made a lot of sense. Unlearn can be applied in many ways’. Nonetheless, it could be argued that it is quite incoherent for an individual to advocate for second thoughts and to question the actual disposable culture when at the same time he promotes Pepsi. It is not the first time that talent can serve different purposes.
Kinsey’s work style includes paint, ink and pens, pencil, Apple computers, spray cans, painting on found waste, photography and clothing. He develops a particular approach to street art that incorporates urban male expressions. He works both on walls and canvases and is determined to fill all the space of his portrays, sometimes becoming quasi saturated. He once explained that women’s traits were soft and could not provide him with the urban roughness he wanted to articulate. These faces have occasionally been described as mirrors of soul and as such, some come into view as melancholic and others distant. Yet, Kinsey declares that these faces are motivated by the people on the streets. Similarly, old books are good source of inspiration for this artist. These expressions are Kinsey’s own understanding of the human condition. They come to his imagination.
Dave Kinsey’s art is interesting and inspiring for his audience. The beauty of his art is found in its content and social commentary. Kinsey goes beyond recycling and his talent to transform detritus in valuable art objects is a powerful statement in itself. Instead of throwing, he reuses and reinterprets. Consumerism culture makes us believe we should constantly replace objects, move on to the next thing and feel that we do not have enough. Kinsey challenges this idea and at the same time he feeds its propagation.
Dave Kinsey's official website
