David Myers is a Washington DC based artist and his newest series, Confined: Visual Synonyms opens this week at Hillyer Art Space on February 3rd. David has a diverse portfolio of images, and always creates a body of work that is visually striking and emotionally impactful. I have seen many of his images in black + white, but this series, in vibrant rich color on contained wildlife, is a visual treat. Contained wildlife… is that an oxymoron, or purely the conflict and burden we carry when we think of zoos and aquariums? David’s series seduces us into the beauty of the surroundings, until we take a second look at scale, at the tension, boundaries of not only the zoo confines, but the darkness that surrounds us as we become voyeurs looking into the cages. I think we all carry this conflict with us, knowing that we want these animals ultimately to be free, yet without these living museums, many of these creatures we would never see. David’s work is without judgement, it is not crafted into a romantic, nor harsh vision of treatment or ethics. It is a illustrative document, for all of us to bring our own conflicts about the subject, and make our own decisions.

If you are in DC on Friday, please stop in, say hello to David for me, and take a look at this beautiful series of images.

Confined

Polar Bear

Coon

Tiger

Orangutan

Boar

Penquins

Jelly