
F (Beauty Mantra)
2012
David Ostrowski's "F (Beauty Mantra)" combines oil, lacquer, and paper on canvas to create a mixed media composition that exemplifies his approach to abstraction through gestural marks and layered materials. The work reflects Ostrowski's interest in the tension between control and spontaneity, where the addition of paper and lacquer introduces varied textures and visual depth to the painted surface. The title's reference to "beauty mantra" suggests a meditative or philosophical dimension to the abstract formal language, inviting viewers to find meaning in the work's visual rhythms and material interactions.
- Medium
- oil, lacquer and paper on canvas
- Location
- Phillips, Salt Lake City, UT
- Spotted At
- Auction House · PhillipsView on map
🔨 Auction Lot
Modern & Contemporary Art: Online Auction, New York
February 26, 2025
Lot 123
More by David Ostrowski
Artists in conversation

Cy Twombly
American · b. 1928

Twombly's large scale canvases similarly merge gestural mark making with calligraphic and text inspired strokes, creating a meditative tension between spontaneity and intention. His layered surfaces mixing oil, crayon, and collaged elements closely parallel Ostrowski's use of paper and lacquer to build textural depth.

Günther Förg
German · b. 1952

As a fellow German abstract painter, Förg shared Ostrowski's interest in gestural abstraction on large canvases with a restrained yet energetic vocabulary of marks and a sophisticated engagement with materiality. His works similarly balance urban contemporary aesthetics with a philosophical undercurrent in the painted surface.
Nora Schultz
German · b. 1975
Schultz creates mixed media works that incorporate layered industrial and everyday materials onto painted surfaces, echoing Ostrowski's combination of lacquer and paper on canvas. Her practice similarly explores gestural mark making within a contemporary German art context that engages with urban visual culture and material experimentation.
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