About the Artist

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    David Campbell Wilson received his BFA from Syracuse University and MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Wilson is the recipient of several awards including the Hiram Gee Painting Award from Syracuse University and the R. Tait McKenzie Medal from the Philadelphia Sketch Club. His paintings have exhibited in numerous gallery and museum exhibitions in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, and Portland. 

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    In addition to his career as a painter, Wilson is also an accomplished illustrator, fire performer, and video artist. He writes and illustrates the weekly webcomic Drink Water! for BurningMan.org, and has been invited to perform over a dozen times at the Burning Man Festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert.

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About the Art

    These paintings were created to reflect the attitude of resistance and community pride expressed by the citizens of Philadelphia in response to a persistent pattern of racial inequality and police brutality that is so prevalent throughout contemporary American culture. This city radiates an undercurrent of strength and solidarity in the face of injustice, and the community consistently demonstrates a true awareness and understanding of the fundamental principles of freedom and equality.

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‘Philly Elmo’ depicts a portrait of a local performance artist who excels at delivering what the great John Lewis described as ‘good trouble’. An everyman reclaiming a corporate image in the service of personal freedoms, exemplifying a mischievous and rebellious instinct to stand in opposition to oppression of all kinds, and at any cost.

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‘Ordo Ab Chao’ is a latin expression that translates literally as ‘order out of chaos’, and is the official motto of the Masonic order. The painting depicts a police vehicle that has been flipped and burned at the steps of the Masonic Temple in Center City Philadelphia in response to the police murder of George Floyd in May, 2020.

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http://www.davidcampbellwilson.com/

Instagram @davidcampbellwilson

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