David Rubello

Ray MI

Color Moves #5
Painting
Artist Statement
Painter / Photographer David Rubello studied painting at the Academia Di Belle Arti Di Roma, in Rome, Italy receiving his diploma in 1961and his Master of Fine Art Degree from the University of Michigan 1972. Rubello has a keen interest in art history. In 1978 he was awarded a Ford Foundation Grant to the study the development of perspective of the Italian Masters. Upon returning from a five week stay in Italy Rubello began a series of canvas paintings concerned with past and present two-dimensional spatial issues. In one painting he explainsI broke up the atmospheric space and initiated a pure sky blue rectangle at a comer of the canvas. The blue gave the illusion of another dimension. This painting "Blue Cut" was a major turning point. 1980 to the present Rubello's painting has evolved from two-dimensional canvas painting to constructing three-dimensional wood relief paintings. This new series of work is formed in wood to build actual space relationships. These relief paintings engage the viewer, as there are numerous angles at which color and form change. Moving around the work one could ask is it painting or is it sculpture. Building the painting also allows for the added element of reflected color: juxtaposing color at right-angle to a white surface, most notable in Color Reflecting Column. No matter what the photographic subject, David Rubello's awareness and personal expression relates to his painting and drawing. This is particularly revealed in his New Life Forms series of drawings beginning in 1990. Using a device he made of five, flat aluminum geometric shapes attached with rivets, this flexible penta-form he named Flex Form, was used to make his geometric drawings and also for the camera-less darkroom photographs of flex forms on a light table. Rubello's photography is included in many publications, such as featured artist in Black & White photography magazine, and several issues of the international publication The Structurist Journal, His work has been included in numerous solo and group shows throughout USA; Germany, Netherlands; Copenhagen, Denmark; Rome, Italy; Madrid, Spain; and Capetown, South Africa. David Rubello retired from GM Design after twenty two years as a clay modeler. His studio assignments were Buick, Pontiac, Studio X (Corvette), Advance Concept Center, Thousand Oaks California, Cadillac and Sculpture Studio Teaching painting and drawing for eleven years at the university level the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, The Pennsylvania State University, College Park, Pa and Towson State University, Towson Maryland.
Past DAM Shows/Exhibitions
2011 Small(er) Show