Author: Imogen Aldridge

An Interview with Dan David

We sat down with Dan David to find out where his love of sculpture first started, how his art has changed over the years, and what artwork of his gets the most laughs.

 
AR: Where does your love of art originate from?

Dan: When I was in my twenties I discovered the work of Damien Hirst and the YBA’s. Their ‘shock tactics’ and experimental use of material have been a central influence to my work.

AR: What first drew you to sculpture as a medium?

Dan: I was first introduced to stone as a young lad living in Ireland. I was taught how to do dry stone walling and given a book called Stone Mad by the Irish stone sculptor Seamus Murphy. His account of his seven years as an apprentice and his ‘reverence for a well made thing’ was the inspiration to choose stone as my medium.

An Interview with Dan David | Image

I'll Have an E Please Bob by Dan David

 AR: How does your first sculpture compare to the art that you are making now?

Dan: My early work was quite different compared to the work I’m making now. I was heavily influenced by Op art, Graffiti and Typography. Many of my early sculptures were more 2 dimensional optical illusions. Some incorporating lettering and some more abstract, mainly carved in slate. 

AR: What is the strangest thing that has inspired an artwork of yours?

Dan: That’s a difficult question to answer… I guess you could say the culture I grew up in… maybe you can’t get much stranger than that?

AR: You use such traditional materials, what first intrigued you about them and how did they become a part of your practice?

Dan: It’s an interesting relationship that the stone carver has with his material. As a young apprentice, I was taught to work it by hand. After many years you start to “know” your stone and when best to use it. When it is quarried from the land, it has taken thousands of years to form, which is mind boggling. The old boys I used to work with would say.. “it took thousands of years for that bit of stone to form and ten minutes for you to fu*k it up".

An Interview with Dan David | Image

Future Fossils - Ichnike by Dan David

AR: You combine the old and the new to humorous effect - do you have an artwork that gets the best reaction from people?

Dan: It’s got to be the ‘Cheeky Half’ ecstasy pill sculpture, it always gets a giggle.

AR: What is the perfect environment for you to create art in? When do you work best?

Dan: I am a night owl, I’m at my most creative at about 2am. My studio is a converted piggery in the middle of nowhere in rural Norfolk. So ideal for night time carving whilst listening to banging House Music at full blast.

AR: How long does each artwork take for you to complete?

Dan: It depends on many things. From the scale of the piece to the type of stone. Limestone for example is generally pretty quick to carve where as marble is really slow (twice as slow).

Also, it depends if I’m carving by hand using traditional tools such as mallet and chisels or quicker methods such as shot blasting. I’ve found a wonderful stone supplier in Rajasthan, India. He sources beautiful stone from around the world for me. He recently sent me a large boulder of Crystal rock, which he sourced in Afghanistan. It’s completely clear, like glass. The only problem is, it’s incredibly hard, each time I struck my chisel it created sparks!

 

An Interview with Dan David | Image

Dan David at work on one of his artworks

You won't want to miss out on Dan's incredible artworks - head to his Art Republic collection page to take a look at his artworks, including his new sculpture 'I'll Have an E Please Bob'.

NEW RELEASES

Down The Rabbit Hole... £295

Mark Petty

27 x 37cm

Limited edition of 50

Ley Lines £450

Maxine Gregson

100 x 50cm

Limited edition of 250

AZUL Mini £125

Florence Blanchard

40 x 40cm

Limited edition of 25

Blue Sway £170

Angus Vasili

59.4 x 84.1cm

Limited edition of 8

Made You Look - Neon Pink A4 £40

Heath Kane

21 x 29.7cm

Limited edition of 20

Space Cadet - Magma by RYCA
Exclusive
Arrives by christmas
Space Cadet - Magma £180

RYCA

13 x 26cm

Limited edition of 12

Gamebuoy by Nick Chaffe
Exclusive
Arrives by christmas
Gamebuoy £100

Nick Chaffe

29.7 x 42cm

Limited edition of 50

Pikachu by Mr. Wu
Exclusive
Arrives by christmas
Pikachu £85

Mr. Wu

40 x 40cm

Limited edition of 50

Armour by Will Blood
Arrives by christmas
Armour £170

Will Blood

50 x 50cm

Timed edition of 305

NYC - Let's Go Get Lost -... £395

Dave Buonaguidi

72.5 x 100cm

Limited edition of 75

Set Your Sails - Blue & Gold by Donk
Exclusive
Arrives by christmas
Set Your Sails - Blue & Gold £150

Donk

60 x 70cm

Limited edition of 30

Sunday Morning is a Feeling - Variant 1 by Phoebe Boddy
Exclusive
Arrives by christmas
Electric Blue £650

Nathalie Kingdon

76 x 76cm

Limited edition of 30

Care Bears - 4 Print Set £300 £175

Louise McNaught

21 x 30cm

Limited edition of 100

Reconfigure £180

Maxine Gregson

50 x 70cm

Limited edition of 50

Always Remember The Things That Brought Us... £195

Adam Bridgland

42 x 59.4cm

Limited edition of 50

Small Steps £250

Joe Webb

55 x 75cm

Limited edition of 70

Jasmine Garden £150

Hannah Adamaszek

42 x 60cm

Limited edition of 20

Home Plate by RYCA
Exclusive
Arrives by christmas
Home Plate £50

RYCA

27 x 27cm

Limited edition of 30

White Dove by Dan David
Exclusive
Arrives by christmas
White Dove £220

Dan David

10 x 10cm

Limited edition of 30

Space Vader - Yellow by The Thomas Brothers
Exclusive
Arrives by christmas
Space Vader - Yellow £95

The Thomas Brothers

40 x 40cm

Limited edition of 25

Mickey (Orange Stripe) by Carl Stimpson
Exclusive
Arrives by christmas
Mickey (Orange Stripe) £100

Carl Stimpson

35 x 35cm

Limited edition of 20

Pacman by Haus of Lucy
Exclusive
Arrives by christmas
Pacman £65

Haus of Lucy

20.32 x 20.32cm

Limited edition of 30

Paloma by Maria Rivans
Exclusive
Arrives by christmas
Paloma £80

Maria Rivans

25.5 x 34cm

Limited edition of 75

Light Through Trees by Billy Childish
Exclusive
Light Through Trees £300 £225

Billy Childish

56 x 42cm

Limited edition of 50

Cat Pyramids - Gold by Memori Prints
Exclusive
Cat Pyramids - Gold £65

Memori Prints

29.7 x 42cm

Limited edition of 38

A Light Melody from £225

Emma Reynolds

Various sizes

Sunny Sunbirds £230

Charlotte Farmer

42 x 59.4cm

Limited edition of 100

The Strip - Mini by Bonnie and Clyde
Exclusive
Arrives by christmas
The Strip - Mini £200 £150

Bonnie and Clyde

42 x 30cm

Limited edition of 60

Yesterday Never Seems To End by Rob Draper
Exclusive
Yesterday Never Seems To End £100

Rob Draper

42 x 59.4cm

Limited edition of 15