Apparitions

David Ramsden

11–28 MAY 2023

David Ramsden's second solo show Apparitions contemplates the creative connection between people and place.

Taking the form of dreamlike oil paintings, these works layer portrait and landscape styles. Figures emerge or disappear into a place of importance or throughout abstracted space echoing the way feelings and inspirations can emerge and vanish in a creative’s consciousness. While the themes come from the artist’s emotional state and relationship to art making, the visual imagery was inspired by external place and his fellow local creatives. 

The subjects in these paintings include a painter, a teacher, a photographer, a musician and drag artist. Also present in the artist’s most recent works is the element of time passing with the location depicted from late evening to early morning. This represents the painter’s practice which takes place mostly throughout the night.  These works attempt to express the feeling of being both deeply connected to a place but also outside of it which sometimes occurs when painting for long isolated hours. The artists considers this series a thank you letter to the place and people that inspire and centre his work.