Studio: April
Great Scots in Isolation,
Virtual Studio Tours,
Online Exhibitions,
New Paintings…
For artists, a lot is up in the air right now. Funding, commissions, exhibitions, collaborations. We may have spent the best part of the last month indoors, but among my network of colleagues, it’s fair to say that work has accelerated as we grapple with the changing situation.
Shows have been cancelled, postponed or moved online, so modifications are underway. My main focus is still for next year’s Venice Biennale, but I’ve also spent time organising virtual projects, starting a new set of paintings and creating short films – the first of which has been included in The Scottish Gallery’s new YouTube series, Great Scots in Isolation (below).
Last week I held my first virtual studio tour. An important part of my work is inviting interested parties into my workspace, which of course can’t be done at the moment. If you’d like to arrange a virtual visit – via Zoom, Facetime or Skype – please do get in touch.
Virtual Adaptations,
Postponements,
Cancellations…
The Royal Scottish Academy’s Annual Exhibition has moved online this year. See screenshots below and view the dedicated website here.
The group exhibition Traces & Relationships – which was due to open in May at Birnam Arts, Dunkeld – has been postponed and may also move online later in the year. Updates will appear on the timeline page as and when they’re confirmed.
June’s RSA John Kinross at 40 symposium – where I was due to give a presentation on the impact of my 2010 Florence scholarship – has been cancelled.
Salvage will also be adapted, with discussions over a series of filmed talks / virtual events currently underway. More on that when details are confirmed.
Lastly, keep an eye on a new initiative instigated by Art North. Projectroom2020 is a virtual space: a platform for sharing digital exhibitions, artworks, ideas and resources. I’ve been compiling a collection titled Surface. All being well, the online presentation of Surface should go live at the end of the month.
Books
At the beginning of lockdown, I offered free copies of Rising Horizon via my Instagram. A little extra reading material for these days indoors. This proved popular, and while I can’t continue to offer free copies, I have reduced the price of all books on my eStore until lockdown ends. Use the following codes at the checkout:
SEVENTYFIVE for 75% off Rising Horizon
FIFTY for 50% off As Coastline is to Ocean
TWENTYFIVE for 25% off Perimetri Perduti
Matchboxes
Between 2010 and 2016 I produced a series titled Gathered Seconds. These matchbox-seascapes are each painted in watercolour and gouache onto found and cropped cardboard or wooden inserts. The series received the Royal Watercolour Society’s top award for innovation in 2012. During lockdown, I’ve gone back to them. These are satisfying works to produce. The matchboxes themselves come from flea markets around Europe, collected over the last decade. Please get in touch if you’d like one.
I’ll sign off with some kind words from Ben Fogle on his recent Everest commission, Summit (approx. 40 x 50cm, oil on wooden printmaker’s tray).
“Climbing Everest was a life-changing experience, and I wanted something to remind me of the mountain. David was the prefect artist to commission for a painting that was both evocative and moving. I love his use of recycled materials and felt confident leaving him to the creative process. The result is perfect.”
