David Banks, an emerging artist in Montgomery, describes the South differently than most.
“It kind of just has a patina that carries its own beauty,” he said, pointing to the architecture, the places, and the people. He talked at length about the kudzu growing over old telephone poles and the way we wear our stories on our bodies. “People might see those things as decay, but I see them as a thing of beauty…that kind of patina that the South has…that’s also what makes places like Greece and Italy so attractive—that patina is a part of the charm.”
‘Patina’ describes the thin surface layer that tends form on older things, such as the sheen on worn leather, the green on copper, or how rough wood turns smooth after years of handling. While he resists formally assigning meaning to his work, ‘patina’ also seems to be a fitting description of what Banks is trying to capture in his first solo exhibit, Emergence: An Introspective, which will run from August 7 th to September 22 nd at the King’s Canvas.
(David Banks/Contributed)…