Dave Head Stencil
When I first thought about doing portraits, I figured I had better work out the mechanics on myself. This is a stencil that I cut, based on a selfie. It is about 5 feet tall and maybe 4 ft across at the widest part.
Cutting complicated stencils is not difficult. Usually I blast music or listen to the Leafs lose. The cutting part is quite relaxing. It has taught me an important lesson: that lines have two sides.
Also the trick in cutting out a stencil is that you can never complete a circle (otherwise that part falls out on the floor, damn!)
Cutting complicated stencils is not difficult. Usually I blast music or listen to the Leafs lose. The cutting part is quite relaxing. It has taught me an important lesson: that lines have two sides.
Also the trick in cutting out a stencil is that you can never complete a circle (otherwise that part falls out on the floor, damn!)
Dave Stencil on cardboard
Using that same stencil I used spray bombs to spray paint through it. In this case onto cardboard.
While cutting the stencil might take a great many hours (50? 60? 100? depends). The actual painting might take 30 seconds.
While cutting the stencil might take a great many hours (50? 60? 100? depends). The actual painting might take 30 seconds.
As Seen On TV
An installation of a show I had at 64 Steps (a gallery now long gone from Queen West.) My idea was to replicate the experience of watching a series of screens in TV sales shop.
Transfixed by Blue
Two panels, each 30 in square. Spray paint through hand cut stencils on plywood prepared with liquid enamel paint.
A pair of panels from the "As Seen On TV" serices. In this case my take on a "rural" legend: If you draw a line in the sand and stick a chicken's beak to the line, the poor creature will remain transfixed until you take it away. In this case the line is blue and the "chicken" is really a rooster. I sold this painting, but the owner reported that it had been subsequently stolen. Out there somewhere, doing its thing...
A pair of panels from the "As Seen On TV" serices. In this case my take on a "rural" legend: If you draw a line in the sand and stick a chicken's beak to the line, the poor creature will remain transfixed until you take it away. In this case the line is blue and the "chicken" is really a rooster. I sold this painting, but the owner reported that it had been subsequently stolen. Out there somewhere, doing its thing...
Dolly
Two panels, each 30 in square. Spray paint through hand cut stencils on plywood prepared with liquid enamel paint.
Two panels, each 30 in square. Spray paint through hand cut stencils on plywood prepared with liquid enamel paint.
From the As Seen On TV series. My first go round at Dolly the Cloned Lamb. In this case, she is fighting the demons of greed! Go, Dolly, Go.
Two panels, each 30 in square. Spray paint through hand cut stencils on plywood prepared with liquid enamel paint.
From the As Seen On TV series. My first go round at Dolly the Cloned Lamb. In this case, she is fighting the demons of greed! Go, Dolly, Go.
The Big Bang
Two panels, each 4 ft. x 6 ft. Spray paint through hand cut stencils on plywood prepared with liquid enamel paint.
From the As Seen On TV series. The title kind of says it all.
A lot of my process doing the stencils was to reveal the compelling grain naturally in the wood. Quite often this meant sanding off ten's of hours of painting to show the texture
From the As Seen On TV series. The title kind of says it all.
A lot of my process doing the stencils was to reveal the compelling grain naturally in the wood. Quite often this meant sanding off ten's of hours of painting to show the texture
Two Legs Good
Two panels, each 4 ft. x 6 ft. Spray paint through hand cut stencils on plywood prepared with liquid enamel paint.
From the series "As Seen On TV".
About the pigs in George Orwell's animal farm gaining intellecutal enhancement (and in turn, becoming authoritarian.) In this case, I have turned the whole event into a late night sci-fi feature, where the pigs gain intelligence after wearing some diabolical brain enhancing head gear.
This image of the dancing pigs returrns repeatedly over the years in other works of mine.
From the series "As Seen On TV".
About the pigs in George Orwell's animal farm gaining intellecutal enhancement (and in turn, becoming authoritarian.) In this case, I have turned the whole event into a late night sci-fi feature, where the pigs gain intelligence after wearing some diabolical brain enhancing head gear.
This image of the dancing pigs returrns repeatedly over the years in other works of mine.
The River Kraken
5 ft. x 6 ft. Spray paint through hand cut stencils on plywood prepared with liquid enamel paint.
From a series "Three Feet from Shore"
This whole series was based on a natural science book that I found in my grandmother's house.
Published in Philidelphia in 1885. The remarkable thing about the book was that it purported that everything in it was scientific fact. It treated more conventionally known facts about nature - such as how sunfish nest - equally with deadpane seriousness descriptions of monsters. Like the Kraken. I was captivated by the florrid quality of the Victorian illustrations.
What mysteries lurk just a few feet from shore!
From a series "Three Feet from Shore"
This whole series was based on a natural science book that I found in my grandmother's house.
Published in Philidelphia in 1885. The remarkable thing about the book was that it purported that everything in it was scientific fact. It treated more conventionally known facts about nature - such as how sunfish nest - equally with deadpane seriousness descriptions of monsters. Like the Kraken. I was captivated by the florrid quality of the Victorian illustrations.
What mysteries lurk just a few feet from shore!
Desperate Escape OverThin Ice
5 ft. x 6 ft. Spray paint through hand cut stencils on plywood prepared with liquid enamel paint.
From the Three Feet from Shore series.
Some kind of hybrid horned beast tries to escape pursuing wolves by venturing out on thin ice.
From the Three Feet from Shore series.
Some kind of hybrid horned beast tries to escape pursuing wolves by venturing out on thin ice.
Pike With Prey
Two panels, each 2.5 ft. x 4 ft. Spray paint through hand cut stencils on plywood prepared with liquid enamel paint.
From the The Three Feet From Shore Series. In the left panel, a pike is snagging a barn swallow. Clearly asserted by the text book as a regular occurence in 1885. I would put a contemporary toonie down that says that here is no way that a pike could grab a barn swallow swooping in at over 20 mph.
Automat Coffee
12 in. x 12 in. Spray paint through hand cut stencils on plywood prepared with liquid enamel paint.
From the series "Abundance"
From the series "Abundance"
Piece of Pie
12 in. x 12 in. Spray paint through hand cut stencils on plywood prepared with liquid enamel paint.
From the series "Abundance"
From the series "Abundance"
Abundance Installation Shot
Dream of Two Perfect Pies
3 ft. x 5 ft. Spray paint through hand cut stencils on plywood prepared with liquid enamel paint.
From the series "Abundance"
From the series "Abundance"
Family Hold Back, two panels
Two panels, each 3 ft. x 5 ft. Spray paint through hand cut stencils on plywood prepared with liquid enamel paint.
From the series "Abundance"
From the series "Abundance"
You Know You Want It
Two panels, each 2.5 ft. x 4 ft. Spray paint through hand cut stencils on plywood prepared with liquid enamel paint.
From the series "Abundance". Much of the inspiration for this series was the idea of food "porn" - something the Globe riffed on in the review of the show. Something about "unattainable" food presented to us in various gourmet magazines and cooking shows. While most of the world goes hungry. In this case, the ulimate, most decadent ice cream dessert.
From the series "Abundance". Much of the inspiration for this series was the idea of food "porn" - something the Globe riffed on in the review of the show. Something about "unattainable" food presented to us in various gourmet magazines and cooking shows. While most of the world goes hungry. In this case, the ulimate, most decadent ice cream dessert.
Happy Motoring
From the series 1963. An exploration of my memory of the year in which my father died. Filtered through some 50 years further on, events get mixed up - but still form an essential part of my being. In this case, Murray Westgate from the Esso ads on Saturday Night In Canada. The panel below depicts the Cuban flag - as in the revolution and the so-called "crisis" (missles and all) that happend early in that decade.
Chrysalis
From the series "1963". Something about the pigs in Orwell's Animal Farm emerging into their new found power.
Snip
From the series "1963".
Laika, the soviet Space Dog
From the series "1963".
Alright, I know not 1963, but rather 1958. My older brother was keeping a journal for school about the space race. I was horrified by the reports that wester ham radio operators were able to pick up the failing heartbeat of Laika, dying as she orbited the earth. The Soviets had either not planned nor figured out how to bring her down
Alright, I know not 1963, but rather 1958. My older brother was keeping a journal for school about the space race. I was horrified by the reports that wester ham radio operators were able to pick up the failing heartbeat of Laika, dying as she orbited the earth. The Soviets had either not planned nor figured out how to bring her down
The Moment Before
From the series "1963".
JFK was assinated iin November 1963 (on my mother's birthday). Even only being 10, I remember the event quite well. All the teachers crying in the class room. I also clearly remember watching Oswald being killed by Jack Ruby on TV. Single shooter? my ass!
JFK was assinated iin November 1963 (on my mother's birthday). Even only being 10, I remember the event quite well. All the teachers crying in the class room. I also clearly remember watching Oswald being killed by Jack Ruby on TV. Single shooter? my ass!
Future Past Perfect, Installation shot, David Kaye Gallery
A post-apocolyptic world - following an environmental catastrophe. But the plucky human race survives, and monetizes the whole experience by turning us all into "eco-tourists". The cardboard imagery becomes like giant postcards fluttering back to us from the future.
The Holland Marsh Erupts, 1 of 3
From the Series, Future Past Perfect.
I reproduced each image 3 times. But the physical abuse - burning, stomping on it, immersing in water, made each version unique.
I reproduced each image 3 times. But the physical abuse - burning, stomping on it, immersing in water, made each version unique.
Future Past Perfect, Installation shot
From the series Future Past Perfect
Enhanced Runner, 1 of 3
From the series "Future Past Perfect". One of the plucky "eco-tourists"
Drawing for Enhanced Runner
The drawing I did in preparation for the stencil.
Flying Doctor, 1 of 3
From the series "Future Past Perfect". One of the plucky "eco-tourists"
Male Audience Head
From the series "Future Past Perfect".
On the walls opposite to the principal installation of the imagery (some 25 plus images), there was a bank of male and female portraits: the audience watching the cataclysm unfold in real time on their large screen TVs from the comfort of their homes.
On the walls opposite to the principal installation of the imagery (some 25 plus images), there was a bank of male and female portraits: the audience watching the cataclysm unfold in real time on their large screen TVs from the comfort of their homes.
Somethjing About Small installation shot
My last show (at least since then) using stencils. A number of very large portraits (approx 5 ft x 3 ft) on cardboard. Myself, my beautiful partner Sue, and our emminently lalented son, Jaimie.
Each head is speaking some stencil cut text
Each head is speaking some stencil cut text
Actual Stencil for Jaimie Portrait
From the series "Something About Small".
Because I knew it was going to be my last stencil show for a while, I thoujght that the "magician" could reveal some of his tricks. In this case, I mounted and presented on plexi, the stencil that I used for one of the portraits of my son
Because I knew it was going to be my last stencil show for a while, I thoujght that the "magician" could reveal some of his tricks. In this case, I mounted and presented on plexi, the stencil that I used for one of the portraits of my son