About the edition
David Austen created two subtle etchings (Apple and Medusa Tree) during his collaboration with DCA Print Studio in 2020.
Medusa Tree originates from a series of drawings he made for a painting of the same name in his 2019 DCA exhibition Underworld. It evokes the ‘mythological dimension’ he had observed in this unusual tree while in Majorca, and what he called the ‘elephantine’ quality of its leafless and twisting branches.
By finding instants where archaic symbolism and mythology cross over into our world and capturing and retelling such moments through finely observed detail and texture, Austen reconnects his subjects with the here and now, with human hand and touch. Seen together, these etchings suggest the artistic genre of the still life, or ‘nature morte’ in which the transience of nature is halted, ‘suspended’ in print upon the page. Such stories, re-imagined through print, cause us to reflect upon the historical complexities and nuances within the everyday, and to re-see moments that hover at the intersection between the real and inventive.
Photo: Andy Keate
| Year | 2020 |
| Edition of | 10 |
| Media |
Etching from original drawing by the artist on Fabriano
Rosaspina Bianco 285gsm paper
|
| Dimensions | 48.3 x 34.5cm |
| Signature | Signed numbered and dated by artist on recto |
About David Austen
David Austen (b.1960 Harlow) is an artist based in London. A graduate of the Royal College of Art (1985), he has exhibited widely over the past 30 years.
Solo exhibitions include: The Drowned, Matt’s Gallery, London (2018); The stars above the ocean... the ocean beneath the stars, David Totah Gallery, New York (2018); Black Heart, Museo d’Arte Contemporanea di Cogliandrino, Basilicata; End of Love, Modern Art Oxford (2010); and My love, I have been digging up my own bones in the garden again, Ingleby Gallery, Edinburgh (2009). His work has been featured in major international group projects and is held in collections such as Tate, British Council, Arts Council England and the Government Art Collection.
He is represented by Ingleby Gallery, Edinburgh.
Own Art
Spread the cost of buying artwork with Own Art and purchase Medusa Tree by David Austen in 10 monthly payments of £60 (representative 0% APR). Email onlineshop@dca.org.uk for more information or to buy.Pick up in Store
If you would like to buy online and then collect your edition at DCA, please select the Pick up option at checkout. We will then be in touch to arrange a convenient collection time with you.
