DAVID SHILLINGLAW

All my work begins in a sketchbook or on paper. A mural and a canvas are very different but the ideas that inform them are often drawn from the same source.

The surface and material will direct and determine what is possible. A pencil on a piece of paper is a far reach from a spray can and a brick wall, but the image and intention can be very similar. I enjoy playing with whatever tools and techniques I have available.

Different materials suit different days. My mood can often dictate what I want to do, sometimes I feel like making a mess, mixing glue and paint, canvas and paper, creating something large in the studio, something I can dance with. Other times I want to sit at my kitchen table with a pencil and a sketchbook listening to the radio.

“Some materials and tools definitely get me into a specific headspace, using a sewing machine reminds me of my mum, the sewing machine is also quite loud it’s impossible to listen to music so I’m left with my own thoughts and the work to entertain me. Materials or tools can be like music, certain songs can give you energy and other songs calm you down.”

My sketchbooks are the place I go for ideas. I think of it like planting seeds to germinate, and the pages start to cross pollinate. I draw from everything I see, from my child’s games and toys, books on ancient mythology, maps, road signs, documentaries. I’m constantly searching for ways to speak visually about the world. I listen to a lot of different music, radio and podcasts. There’s always something playing in the background when I work and sometimes this ends up in the work.

I like to recycle objects and materials, in collages or fabric works. Giving something a second life helps me feel that the work has a history and I am keeping the materials alive. I enjoy the sense of alchemy turning a non precious material into something that has value and meaning.

David Shillinglaw is a UK based artist, best known for his works exploring human nature, success and failure, and the language people use to describe their experiences. David’s practice shifts between the street and studio using a variety of materials and mediums creating work that ranges from drawings and collages to large scale murals and installations. David Shillinglaw lives and works in Margate, UK.