Harold David - Daylight Matters, 2023 - Mixed media on canvas - 170x225cm framed

Harold David is a multidisciplinary artist based in the Blue Mountains. After establishing himself as one of Australia’s premier portrait photographers, Harold turned his focus to painting, a passion he first discovered as a young boy growing up in the United States. He draws inspiration from life, emotions, music, the landscape and the universal field. His works are characterised by a rhythmic layering, with colours and shapes dancing across the canvas, utilising an extensive lexicon of marks to create both harmony and dissonance.

Describing his process, Harold says, “I put paint on the brush and I have faith and do it.” He applies pure automatism, allowing the work to develop intuitively. He describes himself as an abstract surrealist, working in a spontaneous and fluid way and disregarding the need to make sense of what comes out on the canvas. There is a sense of pure freedom in his work. 

Artwork location: Hobart