Spiller 17 cat web opt

WORDS OF LOVE 23 FEBRUARY - 17 MARCH 2017

Monday – Friday 10 am – 6 pm and by appointment

PORTLAND GALLE RY 3 BENNET STREET

•

LONDON SW1A 1RP

T E L E P H O N E 020 7493 1888

•

EMAIL art@portlandgallery.com

www.portlandgallery.com Back Cover: Let It Be Acrylic and pencil on canvas

34 x 36 ins

Cat. no.12

•

Page 44:

I Love You Acrylic and pencil on canvas

16 x 16 ins

Cat. no.40

DAVID SPILLER – AN INTERVIEW

Why do you use text and song lyrics in your work?

Music has always been a big part of my life. I grew up during a time of massive changes in music, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Pop, Punk…

My mother was always singing and I could see the way music would stir up emotions. She would sing; ‘Oh, oh Antonio’ to my brother Tony and I could see the tears welling up in her eyes. Perhaps she was remembering a certain time or place. I’ve recently used those lyrics on a couple of paintings. Perhaps it’s to remember my mum and my brother. Music links us to our past, to events and experiences that have happened.

Music and lyrics touch us. Using them becomes maybe a way of trying to make sense of things by remembering souls or fragments of things in my life. The words are never abstract. There is always a reason for doing them, a connection with a person I am thinking about.

What first gave you the idea of using text?

When I first went to art college I studied typography at Sidcup. I’m interested in the way text has shaped our world and once did a big painting with the letter ‘A’ on it. It was the 550th anniversary of Guttenberg printing press and I wondered what or where we would be in this world with out print and text?

The use of text was actually a response to a painting I was doing. I was trying to paint a head or figure (in oils) I kept scraping it off… again and again… and in frustration and exasperation I wrote ‘fuck off’ to the character that I could not make come to life. Writing on the works seemed a natural thing to do.

Then in the 80s I lived in New York and I guess the immersion into a word of graffiti was impossible to ignore. The subway trains, the sidewalks, the walls and even at the very top of the Empire State Building. Covered like a cave in words of love, hearts and names, scratched and scribbled in biro. Maybe like the cavemen, all we are doing is leaving our fingerprints, leaving our mark.

What is the inspiration for the work which you have made for this show?

It’s probably more about continuing to find new ways to express myself. It’s about getting older, I felt there were some things I really wanted to say before I no longer could. To play the songs I love; Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Sid Vicious and telling my story, saying the things that need to be said. At this time of life, you’re thinking all the way back through, trying to make sense of it all. Aren’t we all touched by these emotions?

Most people would possibly describe you as a Pop artist, but that’s not necessarily true. How do you define yourself?

Like Van Gogh said; ‘We are just another link in the chain…’

I accumulate from art history, sampling from the likes of Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Warhol. I accumulate ideas and thoughts and images, from Disney, to advertisements, to literature and piece them together, making things my own and sharing the things I love.

Tells us about the cartoon characters in your works; why are they there?

When I was a kid my older brother had a little hand held projector with bits of cartoon films of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Felix the Cat and Popeye. They were magic.

Cartoons are my family and friends, I grew up with them and they’re part of a universal language. Recently there was kid on the TV news, in Africa wearing a faded worn out t-shirt with Mickey on, everybody knows Mickey. I wanted to say how important these characters are to me, to make them ‘real’ and to show their importance by painting their portraits.

Most of your works comprise sections of immaculately sewn together pieces of canvas. Why do you continue to use this element in your works and who introduced you to sewing?

At first sewing it was just a solution to a problem as I had a painting that needed more on the side to make it ‘balance’. But it made so many things more possible for me as I could use and re-use pieces of canvas, arrange and re-arrange, turn them around and keep trying different options of assembly. I liked some of the randomness of choice and of not knowing exactly what it was going to look like when I had it all sewn together and ironed out. It means I can re-introduce old fragments of canvas and make links back to earlier paintings, so I feel I am making a construction, breaking things down into pieces, building a wall.

There’s a lot of emotional content in the work; why?

There are certain themes where we all touch base together. I’m voicing what happened to me and what happened to you.

My hope is that these paintings bring you memories and that they might stir something inside you. It’s like I’m leaving a note, a prayer, a poem in the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

I think it is desperation a lot of the time in my work,what the hell do you do? You work like a child with a tower of bricks, building this thing, and there comes a point when you want to push it over. I make the wall and then scribble on it because I really want to make paintings that put some magic on the wall. Some of them are straightforward things. Some are wild things but underneath it’s really important to say…I love you still…I miss you…

There are many characters, lyrics and phrases which have reappeared in your works throughout the decades. ‘Love’ is more prominent than ever in this new body of work; why is that?

At this point in my life I feel I’m trying to get the important message down, cut to the chase. It’s about four alphabet letters…

LOVE. That means so much, expressed in songs, in poems and in art.

On Dean Martin's gravestone is written: ‘Everybody loves somebody sometime’. So there is a little bit of me that thinks, maybe these are my tombstones. I do sometimes think, this may be the last thing you do, so don't waste your time. Say the things you mean to say and do it. Don't be afraid. That is my challenge. Maybe it is a bit like Sid Vicious singing: ‘My Way.’ But I do really believe …

‘Love… Is all there is’…

OPPOSITE

All My Love - Golden Years Acrylic and pencil on canvas 49 x 49 ins Catalogue no.5

8

OPPOSITE

All My Loving Acrylic and pencil on canvas 34 x 30 ins Catalogue no.20

One Day With You Acrylic and pencil on canvas 23 x 26 ins Catalogue no.29

9

I’m Glad I Spent It With You Acrylic and pencil on canvas 34 x 36 ins Catalogue no.14

10

A Beautiful Day Acrylic and pencil on canvas 34 x 30 ins Catalogue no.21

11

Hold Me - Play A Song For Me Acrylic and pencil on canvas 34 x 36 ins Catalogue no.15

12

My Way Acrylic and pencil on canvas 34 x 36 ins Catalogue no.13

13

All You Need Is Love Acrylic and pencil on canvas 49 x 46 ins Catalogue no.6

14

We’re After the Same Rainbow’s End Acrylic and pencil on canvas 34 x 34 ins Catalogue no.18

16

To Make You Feel My Love Acrylic and pencil on canvas 34 x 34 ins Catalogue no.19

17

Crazy Days

I Could Hold You

Acrylic and pencil on canvas 16 x 16

Acrylic and pencil on canvas 16 x 16 ins

Catalogue no.37

Catalogue no.38

18

Play A Song For Me

Love Is All There Is

Acrylic and pencil on canvas 16 x 16

Acrylic and pencil on canvas 16 x 16 ins

Catalogue no.41

Catalogue no.42

19

Let It Be – All Our Dreams Acrylic and pencil on canvas 32 x 44 ins Catalogue no.11

20

One Love – Sweet Dreams Acrylic and pencil on canvas 32 x 44 Catalogue no.10

21

22

You and Me Acrylic and pencil on canvas 30 x 26 Catalogue no.25

Be Brave Acrylic and pencil on canvas 59 x 59 Catalogue no.1

Come and See Me Acrylic and pencil on canvas 30 x 26 ins Catalogue no.26

23

Take a Walk on the Wild Side Neon 32 x 30 ins Catalogue no.47

24

Love You All the World Neon 32 x 27 ins Catalogue no.48

25

26

True Love Acrylic and pencil on canvas 23 x 26 ins Catalogue no.28

Dance Me Acrylic and pencil on canvas 49 x 49 ins Catalogue no.4

Stay with Me Acrylic and pencil on canvas 23 x 26 ins Catalogue no.30

27

Lay Lady Lay Acrylic and pencil on canvas 46 x 32 ins Catalogue no.7

28

Born to Run Acrylic and pencil on canvas 46 x 32 ins Catalogue no.8

29

Ain’t Love the Sweetest Thing Acrylic and pencil on canvas 24 x 24 Catalogue no.31

Sweet Love Acrylic and pencil on canvas 26 x 30 ins Catalogue no.22

30

Perfect Day Acrylic and pencil on canvas 49 x 49 ins Catalogue no.2

31

I’m Loving Angels Instead Acrylic and pencil on canvas 34 x 34 ins Catalogue no.16

32

It’s a Kind of Magic Acrylic and pencil on canvas 34 x 34 ins Catalogue no.17

33

For Your Love Acrylic and pencil on canvas 46 x 32 ins Catalogue no.9

34

35

Run Away With Me Acrylic and pencil on canvas 30 x 26 Catalogue no.23

36

The Power of Love Acrylic and pencil on canvas 49 x 49 ins Catalogue no.3

37

Forever Young

Always in My Heart

Acrylic and pencil on canvas 16 x 16

Acrylic and pencil on canvas 16 x 16 ins

Catalogue no.39

Catalogue no.36

38

I Love You Acrylic and pencil on paper 19 x 14 ins Catalogue no.45

39

A Picture of You Acrylic and pencil on paper 26 x 19 ins Catalogue no.46

40

Skateboarder Acrylic and pencil on paper 26 x 21 ins Catalogue no.44

41

For Love For You Hand painted screenprint 30 x 25 ins Catalogue no.43

42

CATALOGUE 1

Be Brave

2011

59 x 59

25

You and Me

2016

30 x 26

2

A Perfect Day

2016

49 x 49

26

Come and See Me

2016

30 x 26

3

The Power of Love

2016

49 x 49

27

I'll Wait For You

2016

23 x 26

4

Dance Me

2015

49 x 49

28

True Love

2016

23 x 26

5

All My Love - Golden Years

2016

49 x 49

29

One Day With You

2016

23 x 26

6

All You Need Is Love

2016

49 x 46

30

Stay With Me

2016

23 x 26

7

Lay Lady Lay

2015

46 x 32

31

Ain't Love the Sweetest Thing

2016

24 x 24

8

Born to Run

2015

46 x 32

32

Make Your Dreams Come True

2016

24 x 24

9

For Your Love

2015

46 x 32

33

Till Forever Runs Out

2016

24 x 24

10

One Love - Sweet Dreams

2015

32 x 44

34

For One of Your Smiles

2016

22 x 20

11

Let It Be - All Our Dreams

2015

32 x 44

35

Story of My Life

2016

16 x 16

12

Let It Be

2016

34 x 36

36

Always in my Heart

2016

16 x 16

13

My Way

2016

34 x 36

37

Crazy Days

2016

16 x 16

14

I'm Glad I Spent It With You

2016

34 x 36

38

I Could Hold You…

2016

16 x 16

15

Hold Me - Play a Song For Me

2016

34 x 36

39

Forever Young

2016

16 x 16

16

I'm Loving Angels Instead

2015

34 x 34

40

I Love You

2016

16 x 16

17

It's a Kind of Magic

2015

34 x 34

41

Play a Song For Me

2016

16 x 16

18

We're Searching after the same Rainbow's End

2009

34 x 34

42

Love Is All There Is

2016

16 x 16

19

To Make You Feel My Love

2009

34 x 34

43

For Love For You

2016

30 x 25

20

All My Loving

2016

34 x 30

44

Skateboarder

1992

26 x 21

21

A Beautiful Day

2016

34 x 30

45

I Love You

1987

19 x 14

22

Sweet Love

2015

26 x 30

46

A Picture of You

1991

26 x 19

23

Run Away With Me

2016

30 x 26

47

Take a Walk on the Wild Side

2015

32 x 30

24

If Not For You

2015

30 x 26

48

Love You All The World

2015

32 x 27

E&OE The catalogue features a selection of the works that are to be included in the exhibition. All works are acrylic & pencil on canvas, except catalogue no.43 (hand painted screenprint), 44-45-46 (acrylic & pencil on paper) and 47-48 (neon).

Images of all the works to be featured may be viewed on our website: www.portlandgallery.com Works are for sale prior to the opening of the exhibition; please refer to the enclosed price list.

43

BIOGRAPHY 1942

Born in Dartford Kent

1957

Sidcup School of Art

1997

(Catalogue)

1958-62 Beckenham School of Art Kent 1962-65 Slade School of Art London

Gallery Cotthem Barcelona Spain (solo show) Gallery Ribbentrop Munich Germany

1998

Take 3 Beaux Arts London

1980s

Lived and worked in Berlin and New York

Rokoko Gallery Stuttgart Germany (works on paper)

1987

Zeitkunst Gallery Innsbruk & Cologne (solo show)

Gallery Cotthem Knokke Belgium (solo show)

(Catalogue)

Beaux Arts London (solo show) (Catalogue essay by

Eugene Lendel Gallery Gras Austria (solo show)

Edward Lucie-Smith)

Woord & Reeld Museum Hedendaagse Kunst Utrecht Holland

1988

1999

Cartoons and Comics Virgin Atlantic

Woord & Reeld Stadtmuseum Ratingen Germany

Artists of fame & Promise Beaux Arts London

Materialisation Mannheim Kunstverein Germany

Gallery Moderne Silkeborg Denmark

Twinings Gallery New York (solo show)

Beaux Arts London (solo show) (Catalogue essay by Linda

Kana Contemporary Arts Gallery Berlin (solo show)

Saunders)

Zeitkunst Gallery Innsbruck & Cologne (solo show)

2000

Gallery Moderne Denmark (solo show) (catalogue essay

(Catalogue)

by Edward Lucie-Smith)

1989

Twinings Gallery New York (solo show)

Simmer Beaux Arts London

1990

Alexander Roussos Gallery London (solo show)

Guy Pieters Gallery Knokke & Latem Belgium

Twinings Gallery New York (solo show) (Catalogue)

Guy Pieters Gallery St Paul de Vence France

Ariadne Gallery Vienna (solo show)

Gallery Camino Real Boca Raton Florida USA (solo show)

Ariadne Gallery Vienna (solo show)

Gallery Klaus Peter Goebel Stuttgart Germany

Willy Schoots Gallery Eindhoven Holland (solo show)

Beaux Arts London (solo show) (Catalogue essay by Ben

1991 1992

Reflex Gallery Amsterdam Holland Pop & Artvertising Museum Van Bommel Venlo Holland

1993

1994 1995 1996

Tufnell) 2001

Gallery Moderne Silkeborg Denmark

Gallery Naviglio Milan & Venice Italy (solo show)

Summer Show Beaux Arts London

Gallery Naviglio Milan & Venice Italy

Gallery Wild Frankfurt Germany (solo show)

Gallery Rokoko Stuttgart Germany (solo show)

Beaux Arts London (solo show) (Catalogue essay by

Gallery Ferdinand Maier Cologne Germany (solo show)

Marco Livingstone)

Gallery Moderne Silkeborg Denmark (solo show)

2002

Gallery Camino Real Boca Raton Florida USA (solo show)

Gallery Cotthem Knokke Belgium (solo show)

Museum Espace Belleville Paris (L’humour dans l’art

Galley Moderne Silkeborg Denmark

Contemporian)

Gallery Cotthem Knokke Belgium (solo show)

Gallery Moderne Silkeborg Denmark

Museum Van Bommel - Van Dam Venlo Holland

Summer Show Beaux Arts London

Gallery Cotthem Knokke Belgium (solo show)

Beaux Arts London (solo show) (Catalogue essay by Martin Gayford)

44

2003

Royal West of England Academy (David Inshaw - Friends

2009

(Book essay Martin Gayford)

Gallery Moderne Silkeborg Denmark

Guy Pieters Gallery Knokke (exhibition with Robert Combas)

Wild Gallery Frankfurt Germany (solo show)

Beaux Arts London (solo show) (Catalogue essay Edward Lucie Smith)

Summer Show Beaux Arts London Ernst Hilger Vienna Austria 2004

Beaux Arts London (solo show) (Catalogue essay by

Beaux Arts London (solo show) (Catalogue essay

Edward Lucie-Smith)

Charles Darwent)

Gallery Moderne Silkeborg Denmark

Tournesols Gallery Vichy France (solo show) 2011

Gallery Moderne Silkeborg Denmark (solo show)

Guy Pieters Gallery St Paul de Vence France (solo show)

(Catalogue essay Charles Darwent)

(Catalogue essay by Edward Lucie-Smith)

Guy Pieters Gallery Knokke Belgium (solo show)

Wild Gallery Frankfurt Germany (solo show)

Guy Pieters Gallery Knokke Belgium (mixed show Jim

Love for Sale Bankside Gallery London (Curated by

Dine, Indianna, Warhol, Mel Ramos) 2012

Beaux Arts Gallery London (solo show) (Catalogue essay

Gallery Moderne Silkeborg Denmark

Sam Cornish)

Beaux Arts London (solo show) (catalogue essay by Sue

Fisherplatz Gallery Ulm Germany (solo show)

Hubbard)

2013

Guy Pieters Gallery Knokke Belgium (mixed show

Midwest Kunst Herning Museum Denmark

Christo, Delvoye, Jan Fabre, Quinze)

Gallery Moderne Silkeborg Denmark

Portland Gallery London (solo show) (Catalogue essay

Apart Media Amsterdam (solo show)

Karen Wright)

Summer show Beaux Arts London

2014

essay Emma Lilley)

2007 Mannheim Kunstverein Germany (solo show) (Catalogue essay Martin Stather)

2015 2016

Bege/Fischerplatz Gallery Ulm (solo show) Guy Pieters Gallery Knokke Belgium (mixed show)

essay by Edward Lucie-Smith) Gallery Moderne Silkeborg Denmark (solo show)

Portland Gallery London (solo show) Long-Sharp Gallery Indianapolis (2 man show)

Gallery Wild Frankfurt (solo show) Guy Pieters Gallery Knokke Belgium (solo show) (Book

At the Gallery Antwerp Belgium (solo show) Guy Pieters Knokke Belgium (solo show) (Catalogue

Artcurial Paris (mixed show) (Mickey dans tous ses etats)

2008

Espace Villegle St Gratien Paris (solo show) (Catalogue essay Edward Lucie-Smith)

Edward Lucie-Smith)

2006

2010

Guy Pieters Gallery Knokke Belgium (solo show) (Catalogue)

Raab Gallery Berlin Germany (solo show)

2005

Guy Pieters Gallery St. Paul de Vence France (solo show)

and Influences)

2017

Portland Gallery London (solo show)

(Catalogue essay Simon Grant) Tournesols Gallery Lyon France (solo show) Gallery Willy Schoots Eindhoven Holland with Rik Van Irsel) Gallery Wild Frankfurt Germany Interatrium Gallery Porto Portugal (solo show) Beaux Arts London (solo show) (Catalogue essay Martin Gayford)

45

PORTLAND GALLE RY