Jack Davey
Jack – Week 1 – Research and development
May 14, 2022
My name is Jack. I am an artist based in London, England. I work primarily as a sculptor engaged with textiles and have explored digital media, sound and performance as part of my lager installations. My practice is based on a personal allegory and explores the complexities, tensions and contradictions of the human condition. There are two distinct themes that form the basis of my work: The first deals with my obsession with shit and the digestive system; an intelligent organism that is a map to our physical wellbeing; viewing shit as an emission of our emotions. The second is of archaeological totems and sites of prehistoric human activity. Monoliths. Fundamentally I aim to dissect, analyse and re-build these elements (conceptually, formally; sculpturally) to create a new allegorical language. Within this exploring themes of sexual frustration and desire, anger, ritual, material form, subconscious writing and hidden messages — all from a gay perspective. I therefore see the works as sexualised totems of the self, or ‚conscious monoliths‘. Object trouvé stand in for literal figurative form. Are we interrupting a domestic scene or are we witnessing the aftermath; or are we in fact a part of it? I make emotionally charged objects in space.
I intend to use this residency for research; developing ideas for a prospective body of sculptural and drawing work. Preparing for the residency remotely, I pre-ordered specific working materials to use whilst in Switzerland. Dictated by the materials, space and time available, my research will encompass drawings, scale models and hands-on material experiments that will form the foundation for new work; expanding on my visual and conceptual language. Ultimately, I aim to create and document a series of new collages and drawings and a site specific sculptural environment/installation.
Growing up in London I lived, studied and worked in Antwerp, Belgium for 10 years, obtaining respective BA/MA’s in Fashion and Fine Arts Sculpture, both from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. Before moving back to London last December, I lived in rural Somerset for two and a half years where I still have my working studio. I used this time to develop my artistic practice, undisturbed and uninhibited which culminated in an entirely new body of work which I presented as my first solo exhibition in London in September 2021. I am currently based between Somerset and London.
Jack – Week 2 – Research and development
May 23, 2022
The development of research has started to take form and the last week has been slow albeit incredibly productive – a positive side effect of the house, space and the surrounding nature.
The conceptualisation and form of the installation I intend to build has therefore really taken shape. Knowing that everything I create whilst here will be destroyed and only survive as documentation, it motivates me to create more ambitious research and work; further affirmation of how valuable this period of research is.
