David Wightman (painter)
David Wightman (born in Stockport, Greater Manchester 1980) is an English painter known for his abstract and landscape acrylic paintings using collaged wallpaper.[1] He graduated with an MA in Painting from the Royal College of Art in 2003.[2] He lives and works in London.[3]
In 2003, after being nominated for the Lexmark European Art Prize,[4] (and while still studying at the Royal College of Art), Meredith Etherington-Smith, former editor of Art Review, said of his short-listed piece: "David Wightman frames his picture perfect Swiss postcard in the cool collateral of a Ben Nicholson modernist painting".[5]
In 2009, he showed a large site-specific painting: Behemoth at Cornerhouse, Manchester (2009)[6] and went on to exhibit with Sumarria Lunn Gallery at The Hempel, London (2010).[7] In 2010-11 he was one of two artists (the other being Hannah Maybank) selected for the Berwick Gymnasium Arts Fellowships - a six-month residency supported by English Heritage and Arts Council England. The residency took place in a Nicholas Hawksmoor designed former military gymnasium in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland.[8] In 2013, he was commissioned by HOUSE Festival in Brighton (selected by artist Mariele Neudecker)[9] to make a site-specific painting for a disused pavilion on Brighton's seafront. The piece (Hero) is the largest painting by the artist to date.[10]
Cherie Federico, editor of Aesthetica Magazine has said: "You must spend time with Wightman’s paintings; on the surface they are beautiful and intricate, but like the layers they are made from, there is so much depth to his works".[11] In 2012 he had his first major solo show entitled Paramour at Halcyon Gallery, London.[12] His work is held in several public collections including the Royal College of Art and General Energy UK.[13] Wightman has collaborated with the Swiss fashion house Akris as part of their Fall / Winter 2014/15 collection.
Wightman's most recent solo show EMPIRE opened in October 2016 at Long & Ryle, London. The gallery director Sarah Long said of his most recent work: "His landscape paintings are beautiful distractions. The intricate collaged wallpaper and unusual colour choices are compelling: they function as abstract compositions as well as imaginary vistas. His paintings offer a glimpse of another world - seemingly real yet entirely fictional".[14]
Further reading
External links
References
- ↑ Khan, Tabish. "Art Review: David Wightman – Paramour at Halcyon Gallery". Londonist. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
- ↑ "Fine Art Visiting Speakers Programme". Newcastle University. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
- ↑ "David Wightman · About". www.davidwightman.net. Retrieved 2016-10-24.
- ↑ Ezard, John (21 April 2003). "Painters target the Turner". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
- ↑ "David's brush with Euro success". Stockport Times West. 22 May 2003.
- ↑ "Behemoth and Other New Paintings" (PDF). Cornerhouse. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
- ↑ Howard, Donna Marie. "Secret Name". The Workshop of Sir Reginald Bray. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
- ↑ King, Judith. "In conversation with David Wightman". Arts & Heritage. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
- ↑ "HOUSE 2013 selected artists and commissions announced". Retrieved 6 May 2013.
- ↑ "David Wightman · Hero". Retrieved 6 May 2013.
- ↑ Paramour. London: Halcyon Gallery. 2012.
- ↑ Paramour. London: Halcyon Gallery. 2012.
- ↑ "David Wightman - Artists". Halcyon Gallery. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
- ↑ EMPIRE - David Wightman. Long & Ryle. 2016.