SPACE 2 : EXPECTANCY OF FIGURE BY DAVID LAWRENCE

Exhibition dates. 21 Sept - 2 Oct 2022
Opening Reception : Thur 22 Sept 2022, 6:00 - 8.30pm.

My practice is mainly material and process driven. These explorations have centred around the discovery of found images and materials. The process involves gestural application of medium and frottage/stamping. The result is a new filter for the viewer, hopefully triggering an imaginative response.

These works have a foundation in nostalgia. They are a response to recollections of my childhood; memories of drawing and expressing myself visually. As a child I would frequently draw imaginary sporting contests with a central figure clutching a ball while flying on someone’s back—I imagined myself as that figure most of the time. During this period I also had access to a large box of rubber stamps and would spend hours using them on butcher’s paper to create landscapes and narratives. The stamps were made of wood and rubber and were old and well used. The familiarity of these objects were a source of comfort and a frequent tool in my youthful process. I enjoyed seeing the areas where the ink printed the edges of the negative space behind the main stamp.

The photographic elements of this show are a manifestation of my desire to highlight the movement of the figure while engaging in sport. By manipulating and deconstructing a selected figure within the image, the beauty of their movement is amplified. At first glance, the expectancy of figure is recognisable to the viewer. On closer inspection, the juxtaposition of their physicality versus their fragility and precision of movement becomes apparent.

The block elements are created from reclaimed and waste building insulation. The line of the figure, the stamp, is generally made of reclaimed perspex in relief. The resulting impression stamped into the foam block becomes the starting point of the story. The block is then pushed and pulled with medium until it gives up its individual tale. I call the collective works “narrative blocks”, which can be curated in any order. The viewer can rearrange the blocks in any order to reflect their own stories.

The Artwork