Visual Art
‘THE WORK STRUCTURES
MY CHAOTIC RESPONSE TO REALITY'
Shitty Tantrum
The bold and the beautiful
Enrico David talks to Rosie Lesso about the uncomfortable themes that run through his work
talian-born. l.ondon—baxed artixl Iinrico I)a\id
\Iltmed the e\hibition ('ltrii /)(l\/(' in late lell7 at
I.ondon'x I(‘.I\. \xhcre it recei\cd xignilicant critical praixe. In lact. xincc lelll hix reputation hax groun xo conxiderabl} he ix mm regarded ax one of the moxt e\citing artixtx making in the [K today So. if \\e belie\e the h}pe. the I‘albot Ric'c"x xecond run \xith ('lii‘ii l’iixii' hax been north the nail. But what c\actl_\ Il;l\ llltltIL‘ I)il\ltI-\ L‘c‘IL‘CIlC illltI bi/arre [il'ilc‘llc‘c‘ \ti popularl’
I’crhapx in part it ix hix frank xell‘ el‘l'acement: looking in\\ard pro\idex I)a\id \xith rich xource material. particularh \xhen he doex not like \\ hat he lindx. I-or inxtance. in ‘l'ltra l’axte'. the central \xork in the xhoxx. liaxid hax inxei'tcd a photograph of himxelf ax a teenager Illlll ll l‘L‘c‘l'L‘dlL‘tI lll\l;tIIL‘tI \L‘l'\itill HI. Ill\ oun c‘IllItlIitititI IietIl‘milll. IIel‘L‘ \\ L' \CL‘ I);l\itI caught in ;l l‘rixate unxpeakablc or ‘xhamel‘ul' embrace \xith an anatomical mannequin. \\ith the audience forced into me l‘ttIL‘ til~ \ti_\ L‘lll‘. \IL‘\\III:_' IIIC xcene lIil‘titlgIl ‘il l'tiPL‘LI ol‘l‘ doom a_\.
In e\poxing himxcll I)a\id aIxo e\poxex the \ic\\er and makex them face their oun dirt} xecretx. ‘l'm xtill dixco\ering hon intimate it ix to make \xoi'k.' xa}x
I)a\id. ‘and hon much the \xork relilectx a lot oi d) namicx that ha\e marked me ax a perxonf Ilix lack of
ego ix rel‘rexhing: the practice of making art ix not a meanx l'or f'Iambo_\ance or nar‘cixxixnl but 'an embarraxxing gexture . . . becauxe _\ou're e\poxing thingx that are pcrhapx xurprixing to )titii‘xell'f It ix no accident then that maxkx. the moxt prominent concealorx of xhamc. are prexcnt throughout hix \xork.
'I‘hix perxonal approach ix tempered b} I)a\id'x xt_\lixtic appropriation. Sourcex ol inxpiration include I‘llllx I’icaxxo. .lean (’octeau and Joe (Mon. and more predominanll} dexign Italian ('arnnalextiue and .-\rt I)eco. Ile xa}x: ‘I often borron l‘rom traditional technitpiex and dexign xt_\|ex. uxing their pre—gixcn ruIex and l'unctional potential in an attempt to organixe and gi\c xtrncture to the olten chaotic nature of in} emotional rexponxc to reality. 'I‘hexe \l_\II\llc \ariationx lced into hix multilarioux practice including drauingx. paintingx. xculpturex and inxlaIIationx. making each \xork part collecti\e. part perxonal mentor}. .-\nd the xtrncture or order of which I)a\id xpcakx often takex itx lorm in a theatrical manner. \xherc propx. collage elemcntx or drau ingx are arranged xparxcl} and carefully indicatixc ol' xtrange or dixturbing narrati\ ex. ax in the xcriex ‘Sliitt_\ ’I'antrum'.
language ix alxo a xource oi laxcination for the artixt. xtcmming partiall}. perhapx. from the fact that he ix biliiigtial. In I'll/ii /)(l\/(' it ix the titlex \ihich gi\c thix a\\a_\. ax \\ ell ax e\poxing hix childixh xcnxe of humour. 'I‘hc} range from the pucrile and xcatological 'Shitt} 'I‘antrum' to the more elaborate and ridiculoux '.\Iudhipp} turnx mother and too daughterx into mature cheddar". I)a\id\ practice ix intentionall} xlipper}. xuch titlex adding to thix fact. but uhat l'lirii /’iixrt' doex highlight. \er} intelligently ix the relationxhip bemeeii the perxonal and the eclectic. rexulting in imager} \xhich ix xt_\ lixh. bold. )c‘t dixturbingl} familiar.
xt} ch xuch ax
Enrico David: Ultra Paste, Talbot Rice Gallery, University of Edinburgh, until Sat 10 May.
[151'
THE BEST EXHIBITIONS
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* Print the Legend: the Myth of the West Art Month/v editor Patricra Rickers brings together an international array of art stars to examine our Ongomg fascmation With the American west and the western. Work on show includes photographs. SCulpture and films by Douglas Gordon. Cornelia Parker. Peter Granser. Isaac Julien and an excellent film installation by Salla Tykka. The Frurtmarket Gallery Edinburgh. until Sun 4 May. >l< Torsten Lauschmann A quietly humor0us and thoughtful exhibition of wall drawings. sculptures and photographs by the Glasgow-based artist. Lauschmann's work resrsts easy interpretation and takes its inspiration from the everyday. The artist refuses to make his subject matter comply wrth an over simplifying or egomaniacal artistic vision. See revrew. page 96. GOMA, Glasgow. until Sun 25 May. * Nick Evans and Tony Swain An exhibition of new collaged paintings and sculptures by the Glasgow— based artists. Evans examines the figure in relation to a classical modernist legacy. whereas Swain takes representational elements and manipulates them to create suggestive mini-narratives and abstractions. Inver/eith House, Royal Botanic Gardens. Edinburgh, until Sun 20 Apr. * Ansel Adams: Celebration of Genius This exhibition marks the first comprehensive overview of Adams' career ever in the UK, with 150 photographs spanning work from the 19203 to the 1960s The landscapes of Scottish photographer Lindsay Robertson. which respond to the original Adams' works. are also on show as part of the exhibition. City Art Centre, Edinburgh, until Sun 20 Apr.
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