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David Abse was born in December 1958. David studied art and design at the University of Wolverhampton in the early 1980s, and has subsequently exhibited his work throughout the UK (including the Francis Kyle Gallery in London, and the Bradford Biennale) and elsewhere in the world, including France, ...

David Abse was born in December 1958. David studied art and design at the University of Wolverhampton in the early 1980s, and has subsequently exhibited his work throughout the UK (including the Francis Kyle Gallery in London, and the Bradford Biennale) and elsewhere in the world, including France, Japan and Poland. In 2009 David’’swork was featured on BBC TV’s ‘The One Show’
For many years David worked for various charities and campaigning organisations in the UK, and continues to actively support a number of community and campaigning groups.

David now works full time as a painter and printmaker in the beautiful medieval village of Les Matelles, in the Hérault in the south of France.
Exhibitions:
1983: Tarmac Prize Prints, Printmaking Open Wolverhampton, UK
1984: Bradford Print Biennale, UK
1985: Kanagawa Print Triennial, Japan
1985: International Print Open, Krakow, Poland
1985: Leigh Gallery, London, UK
2010: Matelles-Art Gallery, France
2011 March: Icosahedron Gallery, New York, USA
2011 April: Le Soleil Bleu Gallery, Lodève, France
2011: May: ‘Animals’ Art Nomade, Gignac, France
2011: May 21: Pic Saint Loup Festa Trail, St Mathieu, France
2011 June: ‘Boom’: The Brick Lane Gallery, London, UK
2011: June/July: ‘Animaux’, Matelles-Art Gallery, France
2011: October: Parallax Art Fair, London


Collections:
Francis Kyle Gallery, London (1984-1990)

Publications:
July 2011: L’Artiste

Artist’s Statement

I have been drawing as long as I can remember. My grandfather was a shop steward for years in the Pilkingtons' glassworks in St Helens - after he retired he went to art school every day for 30 years. He died over 22 years ago, aged 99, still a communist, determined not to get a telegram from the queen. He was and is my inspiration.

My environment also inspires me, by music and by politics. I have been an activist all my life, and my paintings sometimes reflect this.

I paint because there are images I want to make, textures I want to paint. Sometimes I start a painting with a complete composition planned. Sometimes I start with a blank canvas and some vague ideas in my head. Either way, what I end up with is unpredictable. When I start I never when I am going to finish. Sometimes I paint two paintings at the same time.

I love the urgency and speed and the bright plasticity of acrylic, and I also love spray paint ñ the way it covers space so quickly ñ so flatly, and is so easy to manipulate. But I like to add other things to a painting to make different marks and textures.

I like printmaking too, I like the fact that it is a more controlled process, and I like battling against that to make looser, printed images ñ so that my work can be accessible to more people. I enjoy experimentation- painting, drawing, printing shouldn’t be painful and should not be scary either.

From “L’Artiste”

David lives in Les Matelles with his family and also has a wonderful space which is his studio (room to share if interested) and a small bijou gallery space attached.
One interesting man is David. Approachable, knowledgeable, interesting and also a fine artist.
David has recently exhibited in New York, Gignac and on the roadside of Pic St Loup(?)
He tells a wonderful story of being in New York and hitting the road to visit galleries to show his work. The response was a little lacklustre and he came to the conclusion (as have we in many cases, see previous blogs) that he should have hired a 'cool, hip, New Yorker' to enter the galleries.

From “LondonArt”

David Abse

Art can soothe and harmonise or it can attack the viewer and take them to a new place. The art of David Abse is highly contrasting, with a variety of colours placed onto the canvass with an energetic, street-wise hand. Combining a multitude of influences, ranging from the cerebral artistic musings of the expressionists to the gritty urban graffiti styles of inner city artists, these works shine outwards with a confidence and an attitude that is utterly compelling. Obviously, these paintings would look fabulous in any modern setting and would provide a flash of vitality to any room. When forms and landscapes appear they are effortlessly stylised, proving an imagined expression of the scene, rather than a faithful reproduction of it. The feeling of each place is captured by his artistic skill, with villages and buildings imposing their shapes upon the canvas. Mountain ranges glisten with a vivid blue that makes them appear as a heavenly backdrop to the town nestling below. The influence of street art and the New York scene of the 1980s is clear to see, but this work takes that influence and applies it in a modern and original way. By mixing acrylics and spray paint, David creates a rich texture and an interesting range of effects in his portfolio. Thickly applied creams provide a background to the splashes of reds and yellows, creating a dreamy, yet potent image. The heavily handled reds invoke passion and invite the viewer to lean closer to admire the deftly handled details across the work. The contemporary nature is further emphasised with a number of film and music references, which tie these paintings in to a wider cultural landscape. Combining painting and printmaking with his creative project in the south of France, David Abse continues to be an important part of the artistic community.