David lives and works in the East Village creating a surreal world of fantastic constructions in his multimedia pieces. Never boring, always complex and original, David’s pieces invite long study. They are an amalgam of wood, metal, photographs, oil, acrylics, varnishes, pencil and ink. Thematically, they contemplate religion, sex, science and the occult. They reflect the influence of mythological imagery, astronomy, history and icons both religious and secular.

“There are so many influences I can hardly begin to list them,” David explains. “I can say I love German woodcuts, illuminated manuscripts, the Dutch Masters and medieval grotesque, classical German horror film makers. I can’t limit my inspiration to these though. There is so, so much more.”

Beginning with photographs, usually of people he knows, Hochbaum layers images and words in ink, oil and varnish on wood. His subjects often become hybrid creatures - humans blended with horses, fish, birds. “I like to cross the lines between creatures to make mythological icons.” The mythological icons often exist alongside Christian ones – saint- and angel-like characters make frequent appearances.

David’s been accumulating these visions since his childhood. He was raised just outside of New York City by immigrant parents, Polish hippies, to be exact. “They were less hokey than American hippies, I think,” he says. “More drugs. More blood sausage and sauerkraut.” His father, a photographer himself, often took him into the city to hang out with hippy friends. David’s mother introduced him to the city’s museums and galleries. As a teenager, David found escape from high school in exotic New York - an easier place to be an oddball.

His early interest in art blossomed while attending the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. There he worked with photography and discovered that photos can be more interesting when embellished – so he began painting them. His experimentation with collage is what was ultimately most satisfying, finding it “simple and immediate.”

In 1995, David moved to New York to continue his work, exploring combinations of media and imagery. After a pair of painful breakups, David and fellow art school grad Travis Lindquist got together one night to drink and draw. It was so cathartic, they decided to do it again. Soon they were joined by Colin Burns and began meeting every Saturday night. Each artist would contribute his own ideas and inspirations to a piece and amazing work would take shape. Other artists and friends began coming by, contributing and dropping in and out of the communal project. But David, Travis and Colin were the core. “I don’t know how to explain how we work so well together,” David says. “All I know is that we clinked instead of clanged.”

The trio call themselves Goldmine Shithouse (GMSH). And as their magic is in the doing as much as the finished product, GMHS routinely takes up residence for 7-10 days in a gallery to share the process of their collaborative creation. The gallery pays for the supplies, the food, the drugs, and the booze. In return, GMSH lives in the space, creating an atmosphere of energy and excitement – and producing 40-70 finished pieces.

The result is work that is paradoxical: funny and dark, accessible and obscure, beautiful and odd, classical and pop. Their compositions combine drawing, painting, photography and graphics. And people are drawn to the contradictions in the work, especially when they’ve witnessed its genesis.

For the individual artists involved, GMSH has been an inspiration. David explains the work as therapeutic – “like Yoda for art.” It allows the artists to take risks collectively that they may not individually. “The work is more spontaneous and organic. We take more chances.”

Both David and GMSH have shows scheduled for this year, and they’re sure to draw big, curious crowds. As part of the collaborative or alone, David Hochbaum offers those who see his work an opportunity to visit a dark, crazy, funny, beautiful world. And you couldn’t find a more suitable tour guide.

On The Web | www.davidhochbaum.com