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David completed an MA at the Royal College of Art in communication design in 1996 and has since worked on a range of projects, from landscapes and drawings to a major commission for the BBC. In September 1999 he set out to record the BBC’s most important architecture at the turn of the century. In June 2000 he became artist in-residence to BBC Heritage. In 2000 David’s life and career were the subject of a book written by Shelia Paine titled ‘Artists Emerging’ which explores the mysteries of drawing fluency through the work of seven artists. David lives and works in London and is available for architectural drawings and paintings and landscapes. |
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"My work focuses on the juxtaposition of history and modernity in London, graveyards lie next to modern offices, aging churches stand in built up areas. I often paint my scenes of London from an aerial position, imagining the way the landscape would look when viewed from that angle. In this way my work is a meeting of realism and imagination. I am very focussed and can capture architecture and urban-scapes in vivid detail" |
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David Downes |
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David Downes “I gave David the near impossible task to record for posterity a sense of the scale and majesty of some of the BBC’s finest buildings. David is adding a new dimension to the BBC’s heritage and building up our collection for the future.” |
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The late Justin Philips, Head of Heritage for the BBC |
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“The full extent of David Downes’ achievement as a mature professional remains to be seen. He has studied alongside the most able of art students and in the footsteps of the eminent: Henry Moore, David Hockney and other who achieved international status during their lifetimes. Whatever his ultimate achievement, it cannot now be insignificant and in the light of his history, it is already remarkable.” |
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‘Artists Emerging: Sustaining Expression Through Drawing’, Sheila Paine, Ashgate, 2000 |
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Education |
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| M.A. in Communication Design - The Royal College of Art, London P.G.D. in Narrative Sequential Illustration – Brighton University H.N.D. in Commercial Illustration – Anglia University |
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Commissions |
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| BBC Heritage Artist in Residence 1999 – 2001 Hodges and Associates, Yell.com May 200 BBC World Service, London Collage for Prague Office 2000 Land Registry, commissioned by head office, February 2001 BBC Derry July 2001 Goldman Sachs June 2005 Merill Lynch November 2005 John Jones London December 2005 St Brides Church April 2005 Westminster Cathedral August 2006 |
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Exhibitions |
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[solo] |
Italia 96 at La Biochi, West End Lane August 1996 London Scenes - The Fox Reformed Wine Bar February 1999 Urbanscapes 1 – Lea Valley Rowing Club November 2001 Urbanscapes 2 – Stoke Newington Gallery February 2002 Urbanscapes 3 – Vortex Gallery June 2002 High on Stokey 1 – Ryans Bar November 2002 Drawn to Highgate – The Wrestlers Pub 2003 High on Stokey 2 – Vortex Gallery July 2003 Above and Beyond – Conningsby Gallery June 2004 N16 – The Prince Pub in Stoke Newington December 2004 The Square Mile – St Brides Church April 2005 Goldman Sachs Exhibition September 2005 Merril Lynch Exhibition November 2005 Citygroup Exhibiton April 2006 Goldman Sachs Exhibition September 2006 Diverse London Rivercourt Goldman Sachs September 2007 Hungover Shoreditch Gestalt Centre, London November 2007 Diverse London Rivercourt Goldman Sachs September 2007 East to West, A Journey Along the Thames, Riverside Gallery April 2008 |
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| [group] | Royal College of Art M.A.Graduation Show 1996 Royal West of England Show Bristol, October 1999 The London Drawing School, St Martin in the Fields Crypt Gallery May 2004 Ooze – John Jones Group Exhibition July 2004 The Jerwood Drawing Prize – London September 2004 The Hunting Art Prize – RCA Gallery February 2005 Wood through the trees - John Jones Group Exhibition August 2005 The Artist & Illustrators Art Fair, Business Design Centre, July 2005 Jam – John Jones Group Exhibition August 2006 Juddykes John Jones Arts Space Curated by Ben Judd & Howard Dyke June 2007 '20 x 20' - White Chapel, July 2007 Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander - Sunday Times Water Colour Competition Mall Galleries September 2007 Manchester Town Hall Gallery October 2007 |
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| www.daviddownes.co.uk | All images on this website are the copyright of David Downes | ||||||||||||