David Spriggs, artist from Manchester, United Kingdom. Photography © D. Spriggs

1.Tell us what you do and your beginnings.

I am known for my large scale ephemeral-like 3D installations using layered transparent images that lie in a space between the 2 and 3 dimensions. My artwork is primarily about notions of power, perception and phenomena. 

I began this type of work in 1999 when I was thinking about if there could be a medium between painting a sculpture. Some of these first artworks were based on the concepts of an immaterial form such as my cloud sculptures (2001) which over the years have become much larger in scale and complexity such as my artwork ‘Axis of Power’ in the Sharjah Biennial 9.  

2.What are your favorite museums in the world? Why?

Regisole, 2015, Québec. © David Spriggs

The British Museum in London is absolutely amazing as there is so much to learn from. It’s so nice to be reminded that we are all part of a long history of talented and intelligent people. I love to visit museums in every city I go to in order to learn more about the history of the place.

3.How important are social networks in your business? And which platform do you prefer and why.

Social networks are very important in creating an audience for my work. Sometimes I might make an artwork that most people would never see in person but may see it online. Hopefully they will be interested to then see the artworks in person.

I prefer using my website as a gallery and Instagram as a way to draw attention to my artwork and draw them website. Social networks are changing rapidly and I wonder if there could be a better model that isn’t financially driven. 

  • 4 colour separation, 2012, Lima. © David Spriggs
  • Epoch, 2018, Hong Kong. © David Spriggs
  • Still life (Nature morte), 2003. © David Spriggs
  • Paradox of power, 2007, United States. © David Spriggs
  • Vision II, 2017, England. © David Spriggs
  • Gold, 2017, Québec. © David Spriggs
  • Stratachrome blue, 2013, New York. © David Spriggs
  • Origins, 2018, Montréal. © David Spriggs
  • Logic of control, 2014, Sherbrooke. © David Spriggs

4.What are your future projects? 

I will be making a massive scale installation for the Oku Noto Triennale in Japan in September. I am also working on a new series artworks in the studio on colour.

Interview by Fabio Pariante, journalist

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David Spriggs on social networks: Instagram – Facebook – Twitter – Vimeo – LinkedIn

David Spirggs (Manchester, 1978) is an English artist who immigrated to Canada in 1992. He holds a Master of Fine Arts from Concordia University in Montreal and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emily Carr University in Vancouver.

Within the frames, the artist creates a series of large-scale 3D installations by overlaying hand-painted transparencies, working with abstract topographic maps and positioning a shape based on the installation’s golden ratio. Each work changes meaning according to the viewer’s perspective.

Spriggs has exhibited in galleries and museums around the world: Messums Wilthsire in the UK, Arsenal Montreal in Canada, Prague Biennial 5 in the Czech Republic, Louis Vuitton Gallery in Macau and Sharjah Biennal 9 in the United Arab Emirates and then, at the Hotel VIC Hong Kong, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Quebec National Museum of Fine Arts. David Spriggs lives and works in Vancouver.