David Wightman (painter)

David Wightman (born in Stockport, Greater Manchester 1980) is an English painter known for his abstract and landscape acrylic paintings using collaged wallpaper.[1] He graduated with an MA in Painting from the Royal College of Art in 2003.[2] He lives and works in London.[3]

David Wightman
David Wightman - Ariadne ii
Born(1980-05-31)31 May 1980
Stockport, Greater Manchester, England
NationalityBritish
EducationRoyal College of Art, London
Known forContemporary art, landscape painting

In 2003, after being nominated for the Lexmark European Art Prize,[4] (and while still studying at the Royal College of Art), Meredith Etherington-Smith, former editor of Art Review, said of his short-listed piece: "David Wightman frames his picture perfect Swiss postcard in the cool collateral of a Ben Nicholson modernist painting".[5]

In 2009, he showed a large site-specific painting: Behemoth at Cornerhouse, Manchester (2009)[6] and went on to exhibit with Sumarria Lunn Gallery at The Hempel, London (2010).[7] In 2010-11 he was one of two artists (the other being Hannah Maybank) selected for the Berwick Gymnasium Arts Fellowships - a six-month residency supported by English Heritage and Arts Council England. The residency took place in a Nicholas Hawksmoor designed former military gymnasium in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland.[8] In 2013, he was commissioned by HOUSE Festival in Brighton (selected by artist Mariele Neudecker)[9] to make a site-specific painting for a disused pavilion on Brighton's seafront. The piece (Hero) is the largest painting by the artist to date.[10]

Emmaline v, acrylic and collaged wallpaper on canvas

Cherie Federico, editor of Aesthetica magazine has said: "You must spend time with Wightman’s paintings; on the surface they are beautiful and intricate, but like the layers they are made from, there is so much depth to his works".[11] In 2012 he had his first major solo show entitled Paramour at Halcyon Gallery, London.[12] His work is held in several public collections including the Royal College of Art and General Energy UK.[13] Wightman collaborated with the Swiss fashion house Akris as part of their Fall / Winter 2014/15 collection.

Wightman's first international solo show opened in October 2018 at Mashaal Gallery in Montréal, Canada. Wightman's last UK solo show EMPIRE opened in October 2016 at Long & Ryle, London. The gallery director Sarah Long said of his most recent work: "His landscape paintings are beautiful distractions. The intricate collaged wallpaper and unusual colour choices are compelling: they function as abstract compositions as well as imaginary vistas. His paintings offer a glimpse of another world - seemingly real yet entirely fictional".[14]

References
  1. Khan, Tabish. "Art Review: David Wightman – Paramour at Halcyon Gallery". Londonist. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  2. "Fine Art Visiting Speakers Programme". Newcastle University. Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  3. "David Wightman · About". www.davidwightman.net. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  4. Ezard, John (21 April 2003). "Painters target the Turner". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  5. "David's brush with Euro success". Stockport Times West. 22 May 2003.
  6. "Behemoth and Other New Paintings" (PDF). Cornerhouse. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  7. Howard, Donna Marie. "Secret Name". The Workshop of Sir Reginald Bray. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  8. King, Judith. "In conversation with David Wightman". Arts & Heritage. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  9. "HOUSE 2013 selected artists and commissions announced". Archived from the original on 18 January 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  10. "David Wightman · Hero". Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  11. Paramour. London: Halcyon Gallery. 2012. Archived from the original on 29 October 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  12. Paramour. London: Halcyon Gallery. 2012. Archived from the original on 29 October 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  13. "David Wightman - Artists". Halcyon Gallery. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  14. EMPIRE - David Wightman. Long & Ryle. 2016.

Further reading
  • EMPIRE, London: Long & Ryle. 2016
  • Paramour, London: Halcyon Gallery. 2012
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