David
Spiller Biography
1949
Born Kent, England
1958 - 1962
Beckenham Scool of Art
1962 - 1965
Slade School of Art (London University College)
since 1987
First solo exhibition in Germany
'Calling me back where my art belongs’
The Art of David Spiller.....
David Spiller’s art is filled with life and energy. In his bright, airy canvases Spiller compresses a world of influences, ideas and impressions. His art is a blend of styles - mixing the hard hitting immediacy of Pop art - the bright colours, punchy texts and clean lines - with a deceptively simple expressionism, these often as done in free-style, rapid drawings in crayon and pencil across the surface of the canvas.
In these wonderfully lively images he mixes cartoon characters that we know and love with elements of autobiography, songs, stories and memories. In Girls just like to have fun we see Disney character Minny Mouse, with her sweet smile. She looks at the viewer with her seductive gaze and long eyelashes. In the companion piece With a love forever true Mickey Mouse gives his characteristically cheeky smile. Spiller
adds spots of colour around the canvas – not Damien Hirst-like spots, but colour as light – like the colour spots you might see flickering on the screen of an old film or like giant cartoon snowflakes. The choice of these characters is a personal one. Unlike most of us who first saw these cartoon characters on a TV screen, Spiller was taught as a young boy how to draw them by his elder brother, and this has stayed with him.
On these striking images, he has added another layer in scrawled text that often includes lines from favourite songs (there is a lot of Beatles and Bob Dylan as well as some recognisable pop numbers that have seeped into his consciousness). In I’ve been loving you a long time he has added the lines ‘You’re a big girl now’ and ‘like a rolling stone’ – both borrowed from Dylan.
Spiller’s canvases, whilst have a light touch, have the hallmarks of a rigorous eye.
He has absorbed the intensity and attention to detail that his first teacher Frank Auerbach taught him and he has since seamlessly incorporated a wide variety of artist’s influences – from Picasso to Dubuffet into his work.
And while these influences are serious, there is a charming humour to his tone. Spiller is enjoying himself. His paintings are cathartic life-affirming works. They may bear the struggle of their making in those expressive marks but they manage to retain their meaning as celebrations of life, love and laughter.‘
1949
Born Kent, England
1958 - 1962
Beckenham Scool of Art
1962 - 1965
Slade School of Art (London University College)
since 1987
First solo exhibition in Germany
'Calling me back where my art belongs’
The Art of David Spiller.....
David Spiller’s art is filled with life and energy. In his bright, airy canvases Spiller compresses a world of influences, ideas and impressions. His art is a blend of styles - mixing the hard hitting immediacy of Pop art - the bright colours, punchy texts and clean lines - with a deceptively simple expressionism, these often as done in free-style, rapid drawings in crayon and pencil across the surface of the canvas.
In these wonderfully lively images he mixes cartoon characters that we know and love with elements of autobiography, songs, stories and memories. In Girls just like to have fun we see Disney character Minny Mouse, with her sweet smile. She looks at the viewer with her seductive gaze and long eyelashes. In the companion piece With a love forever true Mickey Mouse gives his characteristically cheeky smile. Spiller
adds spots of colour around the canvas – not Damien Hirst-like spots, but colour as light – like the colour spots you might see flickering on the screen of an old film or like giant cartoon snowflakes. The choice of these characters is a personal one. Unlike most of us who first saw these cartoon characters on a TV screen, Spiller was taught as a young boy how to draw them by his elder brother, and this has stayed with him.
On these striking images, he has added another layer in scrawled text that often includes lines from favourite songs (there is a lot of Beatles and Bob Dylan as well as some recognisable pop numbers that have seeped into his consciousness). In I’ve been loving you a long time he has added the lines ‘You’re a big girl now’ and ‘like a rolling stone’ – both borrowed from Dylan.
Spiller’s canvases, whilst have a light touch, have the hallmarks of a rigorous eye.
He has absorbed the intensity and attention to detail that his first teacher Frank Auerbach taught him and he has since seamlessly incorporated a wide variety of artist’s influences – from Picasso to Dubuffet into his work.
And while these influences are serious, there is a charming humour to his tone. Spiller is enjoying himself. His paintings are cathartic life-affirming works. They may bear the struggle of their making in those expressive marks but they manage to retain their meaning as celebrations of life, love and laughter.‘