Colourful Condition presents a collection of work by London based artist, David Shillinglaw. His work includes map-like diagrams, anatomical studies, and hieroglyphic landscapes, that discuss ideas about identity, and the riddle of the human condition. Shillinglaw describes, “Life is a struggle. For everyone. From the smallest insect to the greatest beast, we are determined by the success we seek, and how, in turn we measure that success. Each of us experiencing ups and downs. Peaks and troughs. Like a game of snakes and ladders.”
£10.00
Colourful Condition David Shillinglaw
Colourful Condition
Colourful Condition David Shillinglaw
Colourful Condition David Shillinglaw
Foreword by Drew de Soto Introduction by King Adz
“I make things that remind me what it means to be human” David Shillinglaw
Foreword by Drew de Soto When David asked me to write the foreword for Colourful Condition I had to take a moment to consider how to tackle a task like that. From the outside it may seem straightforward to write about an artist’s work, particularly one whose work covers the walls of my house and office – but it isn’t. To write about David’s work is to delve deep inside his mind. My conclusion – David’s mind is very busy. His work, like his personality, bubbles over the canvas and follows you around the room. The work enters your consciousness; it gets inside your head. He has no constraints and this is expressed in his ability to mark a canvass without fear. Whilst the viewer experiences his art from an ‘out of body’ state, there are subtle and occasionally not so subtle, coded references to the artists state of mind when the work was created.
Published by NowhereNorth Gallery © 2010 David Shillinglaw Apart from any fair dealing for purposes of criticism, review or private research as allowed under Copyright act. No part of this book may be reproduced, utilised or transmitted in any form without permission of the publisher.
The work evolves and corridors of thought are explored, dipping in and dissecting the human body – attaching human emotions to flesh and blood. Figures join together, often two becoming one, loving themselves, sharing organs and limbs, embracing eachother. If I had to compare him, which is a slight on any artist, I would compare him to David Shrigley for the humour in his work, to Jean-Michel Basquiat for his immediacy and freedom and lastly to early unknown cartographers. David maps the mind and occasionally discovers hidden monsters that live inside of us. Drew de Soto Nancy Victor Gallery
Introduction by King Adz I spend a lot of my time looking at alleged ‘creative work’, as a writer and creative/director, and a lot of it is complete shit. Some of it has been knocked-up by looking at what’s come before it; some is just a blatant rip-off of someone else’s work, but most of it these days is just rubbish – or worse – an attempt at being ‘down’. The internet may have opened up the world on one hand, but on the other it has gone and killed off a lot of things, and one of these things is originality. This is where David’s work comes in. He is the antidote to the above paragraph. His work is fucking original in the most attractive, creative and fresh-to-death way. It says something to you, but in a voice that you are just dying to hear. His work reminds me of a millions things that I’m into, and not just art-related stuff. Stuff like food and music and graphics and travel and people and stories... These are what make it through my (quite severe) defences against visual crimes and fakeassed ‘creativity’. Add some relevant street influence (which he has) and you’re there – you’ve got a winner.
David is one of the young and the restless, and even though I’m (comparatively) an old man, I just love the attitude, energy, and pure genius that youth brings. Originality is something that can’t be faked, bought, copied or sold. It’s a look, an attitude, a result of hardship, a by-product of talent. Authentic shit can be seen, heard, worn or read, but it can’t be manufactured. This is where youth culture (and David is part of this) comes in. The youths are the true pioneers around the world, whatever they are doing. They never give a fuck about anything other than doing what they want, when they want, how they want. This usually mutates into authentic street culture. Or in David’s case, his wicked paintings.
Culture is always mutating into something fresh. As I’ve said, the internet has changed how culture is developed (it’s fucked it into something strange), but perhaps something will take it back underground. I’m really interested in the stuff that hasn’t been generated by the internet. The real pioneers are out there, off-line, doing their thing and to appreciate it properly, you have to experience it with your own eyes, in the flesh. This is so true about the work David lives, creates, and breathes. Peace+Love King Adz www.100proof.tv
Colourful Condition presents a collection of work by London based artist, David Shillinglaw. His work includes map-like diagrams, anatomical studies, and hieroglyphic landscapes, that discuss ideas about identity, and the riddle of the human condition. Shillinglaw describes, “Life is a struggle. For everyone. From the smallest insect to the greatest beast, we are determined by the success we seek, and how, in turn we measure that success. Each of us experiencing ups and downs. Peaks and troughs. Like a game of snakes and ladders.� The work in this book is a study of this continual puzzle, but one that is celebratory in tone rather than melancholic, and the use of raw, mostly primary colours sets the work in a bright neon, urban context.
“I enjoy the way people use language to define a feeling or physical condition.We support what we think, feel, say, and mean, with often ridiculous idioms and metaphors; placing frogs in throats and fires in bellies, in order to paint a picture of something invisible and abstract. I feed on these very human expressions. I find day-to-day, conversational poetry casts a warm light on an otherwise very calculated, systematic, clinical and scientific world. My work is about people. Human nature. Both the civilised and monstrous, the stupid and articulate.�
Drawings
Life boat 2010, mixed media on paper, 57cm x 77cm
Shelter 2010, mixed media on paper, 57cm x 77cm
Towers of learning, towers of knowledge 2010, mixed media on paper, 57cm x 77cm
Complex nature 2010, mixed media on paper, 57cm x 77cm
Glazz houses, 2009, mixed media on paper, 102cm x 66cm
Blue Berlin 2009, mixed media on paper, 21cm x 29cm
Head space 2008, ink on paper, 21cm x 29cm
Capital chaos 2010, mixed media on paper, 42cm x 60cm
Sex 2008, ink on paper, 42cm x 60cm
Three arms 2008 ink on paper, 42cm x 60cm
Human tower 2008, ink on paper, 84cm x 120cm
Paintings
Crown clown bust 2009, mixed media on canvas, 60cm x 60cm
X-ray visions 2009, mixed media on canvas, 60cm x 60cm
4 x 4 2005, mixed media on wood, 120cm x 120cm
No King 2009, mixed media on boiler door, 84cm x 44cm
Hungry spirit 2009, mixed media on boiler door, 84cm x 44cm
Hold onto your halo 2009, mixed media on canvas, 37cm x 86cm
Dancing in your sleep 2009, mixed media on drift wood, 30cm x 32cm
Two heads are better than 1 2008, mixed media on canvas, 41cm x 51cm
Wood for trees 2010, mixed media on found wood, 16cm x 24cm
Quick fix 2010, painted bottles
Dancing In Your Sleep 2009, mixed media on drift wood, 30cm x 32cm
False profit 2010, mixed media on found window frame, 40cm x 60cm
Pirate fix 2010, mixed media on wood, 25cm x 25cm
Goof ball fix 2009, mixed media on found window frame, 42cm x 35cm
Red head one 2009, mixed media on canvas, 40cm x 60cm
Red head two 2009, mixed media on canvas, 40cm x 60cm
Paradise fools 2009, mixed media on road sign, 60cm x 40cm
No King hungry spirit 2009, mixed media on metal, 70cm x 70cm
Bottom Dollar 2009, painted wooden chair
Find the space between celebration and self destruction in the place where moderation ends and excess begins 2010, mixed paint on canvas, 250cm x 170cm
From the exhibition ‘Self Medication’ at The Hospital Club 2010
DAMNED IF YOU DO DAMNED IF YOU DON’T 2008 Wall installation Standpoint Gallery/Gallery 1.1 London
NUMB SKULL 2010 Collaboration with Remi/Rough
NUMB SKULL
Collaboration with Remi/Rough August 2010
JAPAN 2010 Capital Chaos HeadSpace Gallery
ARNHEM. NL 2010 Trouble in the backyard SubWalk Gallery
ROTTERDAM. NL 2010 Paper, Scissors, Stone At The Singer Sweatshop
Books, Zines and Album Art
The Naked Hearts www.thenakedhearts.com
The Moby Dicks www.themobydicks.co.uk
The Travelling Band www.thetravellingband.com
Artur Dyjecinski www.arturdyjecinski.com
Author’s note and acknowledgements Photography of individual works and studio portraits by Joanna Dudderidge MANY THANKS
FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS
My family and friends for the continual love and support. Mumz and Jooles, Dads, Robs my Big Arm, Amy and Milz, Nana and Judy Blue, Haxie, Bassi, Toby and the Gillingham clan, Tristan, Charlie, Lolly, The Moby Dicks, The Travelling Band, Artur, Remi/Rough, RIPO, Carl, BenLee, Hocker, Harry, The Fidgit Box boys, Tracey and Jonathan at The Foundry, The SEHUBABE crew, Roos and the Subwalk gang, The Dudderidges and Gear 4, Jim Sanders, James and Letty, Robin Footit, DJ Dave, The staff and students at Moselle, Montse and The Macondo Family, Print Mania Massive, Bassetts Milk, Mark ‘Mass’ Goss, Bienchen, Arlen, Kate and family, Jamie and Aiko Goodenough and the HeadSpace gallery, Jorrit, Greg Siff, The Naked Hearts,
Remi www.roughe.com
Thanks to Drew and the Navig8 team, Marnie, Emma and the Agnes b London, Urban Wall Candy, Meryl, Malcom and Ellie and The WallSpace Gallery, King Adz. A big thanks to Joanna for the endless help, support and badgers.
Japan www.headspace.jp Rotterdam NL www.singersweatshop.nl Arnhem NL www.subwalk.nl Nancy Victor Gallery www.nancyvictor.com Navig8 www.navig8.co.uk
DAVID SHILLINGLAW WWW.DAVIDSHILLINGLAW.CO.UK
Cover image: Self Medication 2010, mixed media on canvas, 160cm x 170cm