Ian Davenport
' Untitled Circle Painting (red and deep pink)'

Household paint on MDF
122 x 122 cm

Ian Davenport was born in Sidcup in 1966. He studied at Northwich College of Art and Design 1984-85 and Goldsmiths' College 1985-88. He exhibited in 'Freeze' 1988 and his first one-person show was in 1990 at Waddington Galleries London. He was nominated for the Turner Prize 1991. He has since shown widely throughout the UK, Europe and the US. In Liverpool his work has been seen recently in John Moores 21 1999 and in Project Space, Tate Liverpool 2000.

From a conversation between Ian Davenport and Michael Bracewell:

MB: You mentioned how English light is very specific, and how this could be something your paintings articulate.

ID: I'm interested to see how intense or subtle a colour the paintings can hold. In this country the bright colours you see do tend to come from commercial things. Cars, signs, removal vans.

MB: Then we talked about balancing tensions…

ID: I think the paintings are about the tension of opposites. Between, say, a very large and physical painting having a side to it which is also very delicate. I have to take the painting to the point where I feel completely in control of the material and after that I can let go to an extent. I need control in order to have that freedom.

MB: You’ve said that you "don’t see the point in getting the aesthetic to do the good bit". And I think what you meant was that the actual pleasure of pouring or dripping paint could have a parity with the aesthetic pleasure of the work.

ID: Yes, that's true. My work is so much to do with the activity of making.

MB: The hand of the artist…

ID: Like scoring a goal.