David Levine

Early in his career, David P. Levine attended the University of Southern California and then Art Center School of Design, graduating in 1936. It was during his educational years that his paintings were exhibited and brought him awards for his outstanding works. A brief stay in New York proved inspirational for Levine, absorbing the art scene and everything it had to offer. The industrial and cosmopolitan atmospheres in New York resonated with him even upon return to Los Angeles in 1937. Levine’s early works mirrored conditions of social unrest and the depression of the thirties found in New York, Los Angeles, and Mexico. In 1940-1941 Levine lived and worked in Mexico City and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, refining his technique, exploring other media, and talking ‘art’ with colleagues. He began painting the working class locals, documenting the realities of the every day. Somber, yet hopeful, his narrative offers sensitivity and compassion for these people. In 1941, Levine returned to Los Angeles where he was then employed in the aircraft industry as a technical artist. Later in Levine’s career he began to explore watercolor, drawing, intaglios, as well as painting and assemblage.

Artist biography courtesy of http://www.tobeycmossgallery.com/levine.html