David Travis

Biography/Artist Statement

The desert has long been my primary source of inspiration. Its expansive light, saturated color, and unmistakable visual language—modernist architecture, vintage signage, and rugged landscapes—provide the foundation for my work.

I'm David Travis, an artist based in Palm Springs, California, I create paintings and sculptural objects using wood, acrylic, and resin. Through bold geometry, hard-edge compositions, and luminous surfaces, I distill familiar forms into simplified visual experiences that explore the relationships between color, balance, and place.

My practice is rooted in the optimism and clarity of mid-century modern design while embracing a contemporary approach to abstraction. The glossy resin finish intensifies each field of color, allowing light to become an active element of the work and creating subtle shifts in perception as the viewer moves through space.

Rather than documenting the landscape, I seek to capture its atmosphere—the warmth of the desert sun, the rhythm of architectural lines, and the nostalgia of roadside icons that have become part of the region’s cultural identity. These elements are reimagined through a vocabulary of clean edges, vibrant palettes, and carefully considered compositions.

At its core, my work is an exploration of how color and form can evoke memory, joy, and a sense of belonging. It is an invitation to experience the familiar through abstraction and to discover the enduring spirit of the desert in a new and contemporary way.