Harold David - Thought We Saw Flying Saucers and All the Rest, 2023 - Mixed media on canvas - 154x124cm framed - Tasmanian oak box frame

This artwork is from Harold David’s solo exhibition ‘World of Echo’. This show signals a new era of creative freedom in the artist’s life and practice. The title of this exhibition was taken from the 1986 studio album ‘World of Echo’ by American musician Arthur Russell. This album was a significant source of inspiration for Harold. He played it on repeat in the studio, allowing the music to transport him to another world; the world of his subconscious. There, Harold was able to access information, memories and feelings held deep within and find fresh inspiration for his work. In this state of creative flow he discovered new levels of personal and aesthetic freedom, which extended beyond the studio into his everyday life.

Expanding on his distinctive brand of expressionist painting, these works represent a development for the artist in both form and technique. Lyrical, rolled brush marks are layered onto large fields of colour. Broad, sweeping gestures contrast more intricate, frenetic passages and elements of text and collage. His palette is subtle, warm and tender, with soft pinks and earth tones punctuated by deep blues and blacks. When creating these works he allowed space for perceived mistakes, responding in an immediate and intuitive manner and allowing the layers of his process to show through. Some of these works even extend beyond the canvas. They penetrate through their frames into the world, representing the breaking through of constraints and mirroring the essential symbiosis of Harold’s life and art.

Artwork location: Sydney

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