Profile
David Westby
07791600515 david@ilcollegio.com
After many years working in Italy I have now returned to Cornwall and set up a new studio in Redruth. My old Cornish store of two and three dimensional works, which had languished far too long while I was away, is proving to be a treasure trove to be re-cycled, and my work has been re-invigorated by these fragments of the past being integrated with my current preoccupations .
I am essentially a figurative sculptor, making images that evolve from myths and fables from around the world intertwined with my dreams and experiences, the emotional and intellectual content taking on wider connotations by considering pertinent cultural and historical reference.
Recently the most fruitful and inspirational has been the rich global histories of messengers that fly between man and the gods and the mythical, anthropomorphic creatures inhabiting man’s imagination, hopes and dreams.
There is also a continuing dialogue between figuration and abstraction during the evolution of each piece, so developments are informed by considerations of perspective, architectural space, changes of scale, distortion, abstraction and geometric composition. Sketchbooks, maquettes and working drawings underpin my search for alternative solutions during the development of my ideas. The physical process of construction and experiments with a variety of media also contribute to changes in my work, but the desire to add a gentle humour and the figurative and narrative content remain the crucial factors in resolving the final image.
B.A. Hons. Falmouth Scool of Art 1971
H.D.F.A. (Lond.) Slade School of Art 1973
Biose Scholarship awarded by University College London. Travelling sholarship in Sicily and southern Italy for 6 months studying historical use of sculpture in architectural settings. 1974.
Sainsbury Award, Artist in residence at Eggbuckland School, Plymouth. 1987.
Commissions
Public sculpture for the blind. Commissioned by Marks and Spencer P.L.C. Bronze, tactile map of the city, sited on The Mound, Princes Street adjacent to the Academy Galleries, Edinburgh. 1988.
Sculpture for Don Valley Stadium. Sheffield. Competition finalist. Maquette and working drawings exhibited Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield. 1989.
Sculpture in copper and wood for David Sheppard, Architects Offices, Martock, Somerset. (Private Collection) 1991.
Surface Artworks for pedestrian area, Bolton M.B.C., Lancashire. Recycled stone and brick used to create a map representing the history of the area and a series of tactile journeys. Workshops with local school children. (Joint design with Philip Booth, Artery.) 1993-96.
Public Courtyard Gardens for Treliske Hospital, Truro, Cornwall. Abstractions from ancient turf mazes led to a series of hard and soft landscaping. (Joint design with Philip Booth, Artery.) 1996.
Sculpture in bronze, half life-size portrait figure for Mike Hawkins, Wadebridge, Cornwall. (Private Collection) 1997.
Sculpture, Monuments, bas reliefs carved in pietra serena and marble for Alberto Giannechinni, Arthur Goodwin and Famiglia Rigali, Private commissions for Public Cemetry , Lucca, Tuscany, Italy. 1995-98.
Public, site-specific artworks and street furniture in concrete, stainless and galvanised steel for Falmouth town centre, The Moor regeneration scheme. Commissioned by Carrick District Council, Truro, Cornwall. Including bollards, planters, cycle racks and litterbins. Themes evolved from working with schoolchildren as well as forms and motifs taken from the qualities of water and local architectural detail. 2000-01
Street Furniture, cycle racks commissioned by Mor Landscape Design for Exeter Hospital, Devon and Lemon Quay Piazza, Truro, Cornwall. 2001
Public, site-specific artworks for Oxclose Park, Halfway, Sheffield. Commissioned by Hallam Land Management Ltd, Sheffield. Workshops in schools and collaboration with local historians and community groups led to a series of sculptures and street furniture. Including; ‘Janus 2002’ a large lazer cut steel sculpture, ‘Pigeon Loft and Signpost’ stainless and galvanised steel with etched steel plates and text, ‘Oxclose Seating’ sculpted forms in painted steel and wood to make seating units. 2001-03
Sculpture, ‘Ballo’ for Jonathon and Jeanette Davies, Truro, Cornwall. Wood carving and construction. (Private collection) 2002
Sculpture, Liskeard Community School, Cornwall. Created as culmination of two weeks residency to develop site specific sculptural ideas. 2002.
Sculpture. Commisioned by David Wilson Homes Scotland (commissioned originally by Hallamland Management Ltd) to continue a programme of community consultation and collaboration leading to a series of permanent, public art works. For major development at Prestonpans, East Lothian, Scotland. 2003-05
Retained by AGP Architects to advise on Public Art for new Church and Conference Centre, Nottingham.
Sculpture. for gardens and interiors at Masseria Impisi, Ostuni, Puglia, Italy. 2003-17 A variety of sculpture, constructions and decorative architectural features in stone, cement, plaster, ceramic, found objects, steel and direct resin.
Public, site-specific artwork. Commissioned by Holmes Miller International Architectural Group on behalf of Huafa Group Zhuhai . Gateway Entrance to Zhuhai Intelligent Industrial Park, Guangdong, China. Shortlisted finalist. Presentation included comprehensive working drawings, maquettes, computer generated images, rationale plus pricing and materials resume for final structure. 2017
Sculpture. ‘Iris’ for Ros Pritchard, private gardens Lyme Regis Dorset. 2017-18 Bronzed direct resin. (Private collection)