Downtown Berkeley in Alameda County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Site of David Park’s Studio
Berkeley History
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, January 28, 2012
1. Site of David Park’s Studio Marker
Inscription.
Site of David Park’s Studio. Berkeley History. In the 1940s painter David Park (1911-1960) had a studio in a brick building that once occupied this site. Despite a well-received exhibition of his abstract expressionist works at the San Francisco Museum of Art in 1948, Park rejected abstraction and took many of his paintings of the previous three years to the city dump. Discovering a new freedom in “the natural development of the painting,” Park began creating richly colored and textured works depicting the human figure and scenes from everyday life. In his shift from abstraction lay the origin of what subsequently came to be known as the Bay Area Figurative style. Soon adapted by fellow Berkeley painters Richard Diebenkorn, Elmer Bischoff, and others, this style became an important West Coast postwar indigenous school of art.
In the 1940s painter David Park (1911-1960) had a studio in a brick building that once occupied this site. Despite a well-received exhibition of his abstract expressionist works at the San Francisco Museum of Art in 1948, Park rejected abstraction and took many of his paintings of the previous three years to the city dump. Discovering a new freedom in “the natural development of the painting,” Park began creating richly colored and textured works depicting the human figure and scenes from everyday life. In his shift from abstraction lay the origin of what subsequently came to be known as the Bay Area Figurative style. Soon adapted by fellow Berkeley painters Richard Diebenkorn, Elmer Bischoff, and others, this style became an important West Coast postwar indigenous school of art.
Erected 2003 by Berkeley Historical Plaque Project.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music. A significant historical year for this entry is 1948.
Location. 37° 52.274′ N, 122° 16.163′ W. Marker is in Berkeley, California, in Alameda County. It is in Downtown Berkeley. Marker is on Addison Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2025 Addison Street, Berkeley CA 94704, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, January 28, 2012
2. Site of David Park’s Studio Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 8, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 746 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on February 8, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
