Blog Post

Focus exhibition: David Begbie

Kate Downes • Feb 11, 2020

Mesmerising figurative sculptures, formed of steel and air...

“It’s there but not there…”

“Like a digital projection in the air…”

“A 3-D shadow.”

We love artists who invite comments and discussion from our visitors, and few artists receive as many intrigued comments as David Begbie. The classical forms of his sculptures suggest works from the great masters of art history, while the pixelated appearance of the mesh confirms his style as utterly contemporaryalmost futuristic.

These sturdy, athletic forms are captured in delicate mesh, which seems at once completely solid and hardly there. The figures appear to float in the air, transforming the space around the sculpture into part of the artwork.

Light has an even more important part to play, as the mesh creates just enough of a shadow to project the image of the sculpture onto any surface behind the piece. The effect of the sculpture is instantly altered depending on the way it is positioned and lit.

In this way, each of David’s hand-crafted sculptures becomes an installation in its own right.

David is a favourite at Watson for another reason – he is originally from Edinburgh! Although he is now recognised at galleries and exhibitions around the globe , we are proud to name him among our local artists, as he was born in the city in 1955.

We are excited to share David’s work with all our clients and visitors, and as such we will be holding a focus exhibition of David’s sculptures at Watson this month.

Stop by and see these unbelievable artworks for yourself! And if you would like to make an enquiry or reserve any of the sculptures pictured above, please contact the gallery.


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