David Dunlop – Plotting Murder
David Dunlop – Plotting Murder
Exhibition Opening January 28, 7pm – 9pm
David Dunlop – Plotting Murder
Over the past number of years, I have been exploring the symbolic inference of “the box” as a vessel of humanity. It is a symbol that aptly infers what is kept hidden or secret, which also includes conformal thinking. The box as a symbol also suggests being non-conformal as well as liberated creative thinking and action, hence the term – “out of the box”. Every day experiences within nature and day-to-day existence are what fascinate me. I am interested in exploring and presenting how significant meaning can be gleaned from these instances and events. Recently crows have captured my interest because of their differing symbolic inferences that have been expressed in folk lore, Indigenous stories as well as superstitions, just to mention a few.
The boxes, posts and frames in my work, be they complete or mere suggestion, represent our understanding, relationship and preconceived notions regarding a given subject and the level of prestige in which we hold them. As complete as our understanding of any given subject may seem it is never absolute. Regardless of presentation there are always warps, cracks, crevices and holes. There is always something unknown to learn and something known to be forgotten.
In, Plotting Murder, I employ stamps, photo copies and print to effect repetitiveness and varying degrees of pattern. The plague doctor draws a human element into the murder as it quickly became a metaphor for the Covid-19 pandemic and eventually any trial or issue the viewer may experience.
I placed silhouettes on clear acrylic in order to give them flight and invite them into the audience’s personal box via intersecting sight lines.
Considering various cultures view the crow differently; Aandeg is derived from sketches of Fred Astaire to both lessen and enhance the sinister appearance and mood of the body of work.
The question you may ask is, “Does Aandeg dance because of the murder or in spite of it?”
David Dunlop graduated from Georgian College School of Design and Visual Art in Barrie, Ontario in 1995. During his academic career he spent a large amount of time in the print making studio. He has exhibited his work in group and solo exhibitions in the Barrie area as well as Lethbridge, Alberta. He is inspired by daily events and encounters with nature. He is interested in exploring and revealing how significant meaning can be gleaned from these experiences. He considers every expression of art to be valid representation of the concept and therefore works toward exhausting the subject. Sometimes creating multiple variants of the same image. David traverses from intuitive gestural to considered and measured points of expression allowing the medium and image to viscerally support the concept of the piece.
Special thanks to thank Miranda Towells for the months worth of printing silhouettes and cutting vinyl.
Date:January 28th, 2023 - March 25th, 2023
Location:Casa - Main Gallery
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