David Kenney
Artist Bio
David Kenney paints, makes sculpture and writes.
David uses hard-edge painting, primarily with acrylics, to explore shadow and light in architectural forms. His paintings consist of many layers, adding and removing paint using a variety of methods and tools to achieve realistic textures.
His sculptural work explores similar themes to his paintings, with recurring motifs of basic architectural forms included throughout. David uses cast and mould to create precise, geometric forms in Jesmonite, using acid to remove surface layers to produce a concrete-like texture; often using coal, rusted iron and moss to create variation.
In all of his visual work, David pays particular attention to texture, shadow and light to give the pieces a feeling of past use and interaction; surfaces worn by the passing of time and human intervention occupy seemingly timeless landscapes; liminal spaces devoid of human presence.
A constant theme of worldbuilding runs through David’s work, with every piece having a place in a drafted story set in a fictional universe. Each painting or sculpture has a written counterpart; a chapter or scene that contributes to a grander narrative.
David lives and works in North East England.
Artwork
Name: Diverge 003
Cast jesmonite, aged for 18 months outside
The painting/cutout is based on a photo from the 1930s when constructing skyscrapers became a strong drive, and the competition to build the world’s tallest building was fierce. I used this image as a symbol of human desire. I replaced the ridiculous-looking hats in the photo with more recent tall buildings, indicating ongoing development and devastation to our environment, using a lone frog to represent nature.
Medium: Mixed Media/Cutout on board (framed)
Size: 66cm x 86cm framed, (60cm x 80cm unframed)
Year: 2024