Artists on Staff: David Walls

Meet the artistic minds of CMA staff through our new Artists on Staff photo series! This series highlights talented employees who contribute to our community’s vibrancy with their own unique art. Discover the dual roles they play as both professionals and artists.

David Walls, curatorial assistant
To the Population, 2022
Acrylic on canvas

"To the Population is inspired by an artwork of the same name by the German artist Hans Haacke that was displayed in the Reichstag in 2000 and holds strong political messaging. I wanted to see how some of its general ideas could translate into a new medium and within an American context. It’s certainly a stretch to connect the two, but I encourage folks to think about Haacke’s work and how other artists tackle similar ideas.

I’ve been painting for about eight years as a form of contemplation and personal expression. Although I work primarily in this optical style, this is the first work of mine that has more abstracted forms. This piece took about a month to make."