Spin Events
Enrico David
Bubble Protest by Enrico David (c) Courtesy of the artist and Cabinet, London
Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh
24 April 2008, 6pm
Enrico David first came to attention in 1999 with a series of large-scale, embroidered canvases, exhibited in the group exhibition New Labour at the Saatchi Gallery. Always using drawing as a backbone but also borrowing from traditional craft techniques and stylistic design, David employs these with mischief, playfulness and a certain knowing crudeness: setting before us a cast of characters in theatrical situations and mock stage sets. Sources of inspiration include 1920’s Picasso and design styles such as Italian Carnivalesque and Art Deco.
Central to the exhibition is the work that bears its title. Ultra Paste is a re-imagined facsimile of the artist’s childhood bedroom. Taking his inspiration from a 1935 photo-collage by artist Dora Maar, we see a teenage Enrico engaged in a perverse embrace with a generic anatomical mannequin. Other works range from objects and photographs to large canvases and installation.
Joining us to explore these bizarre, and sometimes disturbing, exhibits will be Zoe Fothergill – Curator, Education and Development of Talbot Rice.