My art has taken two very distinct paths; one which existed before my illness, the other that emerged in the space afterwards.
It was put to me that I underwent a transfiguration, a form of renaissance at that turning point, which feels not so far from the truth.
Before things changed in my life, I painted my memories of the seascapes of my childhood, concerning myself with large empty spaces; the mass of the sky and the sea. After my illness, my interest has shifted into trying to comprehend and make sense of the journey that I have recently experienced. The bizarre and yet fascinating world that I was thrown into during my medical treatment; the closeness of death and the transient nature of our lives.
I am currently exploring ideas around the interaction of my serious illness and memory, in particular, that of my childhood. This was the place where my thoughts settled when I was closest to the edge. I’m left with the idea that all we consist of is a buddle of memories and experiences wrapped up in our fragile bodies.
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Contact
Email: Dave Gowers
CV
BA in Fine Art, 1994-97 Southampton Institute.
Awards
AN bursary 2017
Oppenheim-John Downes Memorial Trust 2017
Exhibitions
C-Art. Cumbria. September 2013.
Harbour Arm. Margate. October/November 2013.
Pop up gallery. Keswick. November/December 2013.
Upfront Gallery Open Penrith. January/ February 2014.
East Kent Open Houses. Margate. October/November 2014.
Gallery No 3. Carlisle. December 2014.
Lowes Court Gallery, Egremont, Cumbria. October 2016.
Saltaire Art trail open houses. Yorkshire. 28-30 May 2016.
Mad hatter. Brighton. August 2016.
Gallery Artemis, Cockermouth. Cumbria. 2016.
Villa LVI. Open houses. Brighton. Nov-Dec 2016.
Gallery No3. Carlisle. December 2016.
Tollbooth, Kirkcudbright, Scotland. June-July 2017.
'Colour code', Cupola gallery. Sheffield. June-July, 2017.
The Control tower, Kings Hill, Kent. Dec 2017- Jan 2018.
The Wanstead Tap, Forest Gate, London. Jan-March 2018.
Humanising Medicine, Barts, London. November 2019.
Re-form, Florence Mine, Cumbria. Nov-Dec 2021.
Metamorphosis, Haus-a-rest. August 2022.
Fluxus museum, Paros Greece. Apr-Oct 2024