david whittaker
The work of Newquay-based and self-taught artist David Whittaker has been described as a mash-up of John Constable and Francis Bacon. The identity crisis you might attribute to Whittaker’s powerful artwork is understandable when put into the context of the artist’s own gender dysphoria. There is a suggestion of the powerful and inescapable link between Whittaker and his art that both live through each other and that the paintings unmask and reveal a true identity. This identity is ambiguous, internal and ephemeral, our own warren to explore, but where some of the tunnels remain blocked consciously or unconsciously. Through art these tunnels can be accessed. The artist says, "There is a reflection of myself in a lot of the work. There is definitely something within me that makes me produce art. I find it’s a very raw place when I’m active in the studio. It’s completely opening the soul, really. Baring all as much as I can while I’m here."