David Lee Art Gallery Story
From Jade - ArtCollector & Critic, Photographer/ History of Art Graduate, Owner of ArtDiariesRevealed
For me, David Lee’s work is like a personal pick and mix of enigmatic works which offer mysticism, humour, fantasy, myth and a true, organic artist’s expression, amalgamating techniques and introducing an individual style- ultimately attracting the viewer to ponder these startling, uncanny but yet elegant, cleanly executed works of art. I will be concentrating on David’s Bodies and faces bodyThe first thing we notice about David’s bodies works are the enigmatic titles he has attributed to them. This acts as an aid in our subjective understanding
of work. asindividuals, and leaves much room for interpretation. David is a mixed media artist, working in an impressive variety of mediums, yet still maintaining an echo of distinct, individual style and technique emanating through and through; a great achievement for an artist, in my opinion. David’s subjects include landscape, weather, faces, figures, semi-abstract (black/white), allegorical, and found objects. David was encouraged by his school teacher John Lally who recognised he had a talent and encouraged him to nurture it. “Rather than the religious imagery of Italy, I have always preferred art that has been sourced from the depths of the artists own, very often, nightmarish imagination- as in the manner of the more darker , Northern, earthy European painters like Bosch, Breugles, Durer and Vermeer”. Modern painters such as Max Ernst, Dali, Magritte ad Miro also influenced David, and interestingly, inspiration has also come in other artistic forms such as music and poetry. This is a good point to keep in mind when viewing David’s work. I can certainly see the influence of movement in “Minnie the Minx”. This is a warm, fiery piece which again is abstract in its delivery of subjection. We get a flavour of desire, mysticism, power and strength. The figure is swaying her hips towards us, head turned towards her left, mouth open, exposing her feminine mystique, yet emanating confidence; she isn’t asking anything of us, simply existing in her slightly hedonistic, yet smooth melodic stride. This piece reminds me of Marlene Dumas’ brazenly provocative works’ in both style and subject. “I work mostly from my own imagination through doodling; these doodles are very often the first manifestation of something that has been brewing away in my unconscious mind for a long time, rather like a poem does for a poet”.
In David’swork I can see a strong reference to Art Nouveau, especially in his black and white pieces; they remind me of Aubrey Beardsley’s illustrations for Oscar Wildes Salome. David’s piece named “Earth Mother” compositionally reminds me Rodin’s revolutionary sculpture Walking man, they both have a very similar stance and one which portrays a strong governance over space and metaphorically of course. I can also relate a likeness to Peter Howson and Max Beckman’s work, the dark heavy lines, mingling together to create a dense form, holding the viewers gaze whilst the forms play out an almost metamorphosis role. Take a look at David website and follow him on twitter to keep updated with his exciting body of growing works, this guy brings the mixed to Mixed Media!
