David Myers at Gallery 88

New artist not too old to be new kid on the block this November

Four years almost to the day since the untaught former creative marketer David Myers started painting, his first solo exhibition is at the new contemporary Paarl space, Gallery 88, on Friday November 18, 2011.

While many people retire at 65, David embarked on a third career as a contemporary artist, a departure from his 20-year law practice and from running his two-decade marketing consultancy, Freshly Squeezed.

“It is no coincidence that even in creative marketing, I was coming from a totally different angle – I still question everything. I challenge the idea that a painting should be a square or a rectangle or have to be placed on the wall,” he argues. 

His story of how he came to painting has a dream-like quality. David was pitching his company to a potential new client, who interrupted him to ask if he painted. “I replied that I didn’t, had no interest in painting and couldn’t even draw.”

 “I have had no background or training in art. Even the art on the walls in my home was purchased to match the décor - I didn’t necessarily even know the names of the artists. I’ve been painting for four years now, the first three of which while I was still working full time when I painted evenings and weekends. I want to push the envelope, if it doesn’t challenge or test me, I get bored.

One of the avenues I’m exploring is to blur the boundaries between art and décor, like my paintings which are also lights, or a painted storage unit that I’ve created. I haven’t put down the brushes since I first picked them up.”

An overview of art galleries in Cape Town and surrounds.

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