Lines of Vision

Colour, paint and gravity – these are the main ingredients that English abstract artist Ian Davenport (1966) has been using ever since he was a student at Goldsmiths College of Art in London in the 1980s. His paintings and site-specific interventions on the walls of galleries, museums and public buildings never display a single colour but always a fascinating palette of varying colour combinations. In 1988 he participated in Freeze, a group exhibition curated by Damien Hirst. In 1991 he was nominated for the prestigious Turner Prize. He is represented by Waddington Galleries in London. His paintings have been included in the collections of museums such as Tate Gallery, London; the Weltkunst Collection, Zurich; and the Dallas Museum of Art, Texas.

Q:How did your fascination with paint begin?

A: As a young boy, I found I could use paint to college, this was really important. Over the last 20 years I’ve used lots of different materials. Most recently I’ve been using acrylic paints, which I buy from both DIY shops and art suppliers.

Q: What drives your experimentation with different methods of application?

A: A different method will mean a different set of results. I find the simplest ideas lead to the best results. I have used wind machines, fans, nails, watering cans and syringes to make paintings.

Q: Some of your pieces are prints – are these also an exploration of the paint medium?

A: I was invited to make prints some years ago. In the beginning, I had no idea how to approach the project. By coincidence I spoke to a friend who explained how I could make an image by working on a clear surface and exposing the do things that were quite unexpected. What took a long time was to realize that this could be the subject of my work – that the medium could be the message.

Q: What qualities of paint do you find most intriguing?

A: I am exploring the organic nature of paint and how it is affected by gravity. Gravity is such a powerful force in our lives and one we take for granted. I am still amazed by the notion that the earth is a big ball spinning through space.

I control fluid paints with minimal interference. I set up a system that enables me to focus on one specific area. At the moment, this system involves putting sequences of coloured, dripped lines together. The way the lines are poured is very precise, even though they puddle and pool at the bottom. The lines fuse and break in places, but the overall composition is very rhythmic.

Q: You’ve sometimes used commercial gloss paint. Why?

A:I wanted to break some rules. At the time, I felt that people seldom questioned how and with what they made paintings. I wanted to examine certain preconceived notions. I thought an interesting way to explore the subject would be to use industrial paints and materials. It led to some very interesting paintings and surfaces, which could not have been made in any other way.

It was also much cheaper to buy large amounts of household paints and lacquers. For an artist just leaving result to a light-sensitive screen. From this screen, I can produce a plate for making prints. The different print processes allow me to explore colour and surface. I find that one medium tends to feed another.

Q: How does an ancient medium like paint retain its relevance in the modern world?

A: Artists will always find a way of exploring and expressing the world around them. If the approach is relevant, the work will be too.

Q: Where to next with this material?

A:I want to play with colour. I’m enjoying composing the coloured stripes in my current series of works. Recently I have been using other artists’ paintings to influence the colour selection.

Q: Who has influenced your work?

A: This question follows on very well from the last. Warhol, Matisse, Van Gogh and Fra Angelico have all influenced my work. I am also a big fan of cartoons, like The Simpsons.

Words LOUISE SCHOUWENBERG

JANE SZITA Portrait SUE ARROWSMITH