David Asher Brook is a contemporary Sydney artist working in painting, sculpture, mixed media, tapestry and videography.
He has been recently selected as a finalist in the 2020 John Villiers Art Prize, The Broken Hill Regional Art Gallerys' Pro Hart Outback Art Prize, The Alice Prize, The Hornsby Art Prize, and the 2018 NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize. His film, Talking Skull, was an official selection for The 2018 Film and Video Poetry Symposium in Los Angeles, California.
In 2016 David won the Eva Breuer Memorial Art Prize, and has been a four times finalist in the NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize, as well as a finalist in The Blake Prize, Salon de Refuses, Paddington Art Prize and the Brett Whiteley Travelling Artist Scholarship.
"In my paintings I am aiming to find a synthesis of approaches. I use dots and lines with over-painting to hide the figures or image underneath. I do this to try and give a consistency of weight to the work and to create an array of subtle movement in the image. Depending on the which direction the dots are coming from, the heaviness, the spacing and idiosyncrasies of the hand, a wide range of gestures could be made. This consistency of weight from one corner of the canvas to the other, gives attention to the details in all areas of the canvas to create an overall movement and energy within the work.
I have experimented with this approach in various ways and mediums.
In the last year I have been working on three tapestries where in this medium equal attention is given to the whole image. I have also applied this to painting, to sculptural and mixed media work...
I find painting a real and intense moment where you can notice and feel things that people don't see in the mad rush of this world... It is a challenge to carry the same mystery through to the end of the painting that existed at the beginning of it."
David Asher Brook
For John Cruthers, Sydney based art advisor, curator, writer and collector, David Asher Brooks´ work has
"...qualities deeper than technique, such as sensibility, attitude and heart. And I think this is what is special about David´s painting. In fact, what is special about David´s painting is David – his life, his thoughts, his feelings - and his willingness to share these with us in the paintings... they breathe love, wonder, tenderness, abandon, compassion, loss – and faith."
David Asher Brook Life Paintings 2005-2011
Introduction by John Cruthers, 2014.
Solo Exhibitions:
2020
Topography, Artsite Galleries, Sydney, NSW.
2018
David Asher Brook, Artsite Galleries, Sydney, NSW.
2017
New Works Salon, 583 Elizabeth Street Projects, Sydney, NSW.
2015
Analogy, Bondi Pavillion, Sydney, NSW
Recent Works, The Attic Gallery, Melbourne, Vic.
2014
New Energy, Bondi Pavillion, Sydney, NSW
Centrifuge, 107 Projects, Sydney, NSW
2012
Rubicon Drive, Maunsell Wickes, Sydney, NSW
2010
Here and Now, The Depot Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2009
Night Life, The Art House Hotel, Sydney, NSW
2008
Two Suns Rising, Global Gallery, Sydney, NSW
Group Exhibitions (Selected)
2020
Collector's Choice 2020, Artsite Galleries, Sydney, NSW
Finalist Exhibition, Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney, NSW
Finalist Exhibition, 2020 John Villiers Art Prize, Outback Regional Gallery and the Waltzing Matilda Centre in Winton, Qld.
Finalist Exhibition, The Pro Hart Outback Art Prize, Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery, NSW
Finalist Exhibition, The Alice Prize, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT
Finalist Exhibition, The Hornsby Art Prize, Sydney, NSW
2019
Collector's Choice 2019, Artsite Galleries, Sydney, NSW
2018
Film & Video Poetry Society, Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, USA.
Collector´s Choice 2018, Artsite Galleries, Sydney NSW.
2018, 17, 13, 12, 11
Finalist Exhibition, The NSW Parliament Plein Air Award, NSW Parliament House.
2017
Collector´s Choice 2017, Artsite Galleries, Sydney NSW.
Introducing... David Asher Brook, Gary Shinfield, Lynne Sung. Artsite Galleries, Sydney NSW
dot, dot, dot […] (Bronwyn Bancroft, Jon Cattapan, Lindy Lee, Dacchi Dang, John Di Stefano, David Asher Brook, Ms Saffaa, Armelle Swan, ek.1 [Emma Hicks + Katie Louise Williams] + Will Cooke, and Janelle Evans), SCA Galleries, Sydney College of the Arts, Kirkbride Way, Lilyfield, NSW.
Artist in Residence Exhibition, Woollahara Library, Double Bay, Sydney, NSW.
The GPS has no idea where I am going!, Artsite Galleries, Sydney NSW.
2017,16
Travelling Exhibition, The 64th Blake Prize, Cessnock Regional Art Gallery, NSW. Wangaratta Art Gallery, Trinity Grammar School - Delmar Gallery, Sydney, NSW.
2016
Finalist Exhibition, and Winner Eva Brauer Memorial Award, Moriah Foundation Artbeat Prize. Moriah College, Sydney NSW.
Finalist Exhibition, Wyndham Art Prize, Wyndham Art Gallery, Werribee, Vic.
Director's Cut Exhibition, The 64th Blake Prize, Online Exhibition
Rookwood Hidden Sculpture Exhibition, Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney, NSW.
Poetry Film Parallax, Backup Short Film Festival, Weimar, Germany.
Poetry Film Parallax, NES, Skagastrond, Iceland.
Finalist Exhibition, The 64th Blake Prize, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Sydney, NSW.
2016,10
Finalist Exhibition, Stanthorpe Art Prize, Stanthorpe, Queensland.
2015
Salon Des Refuses, (Wynne Prize), S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney, NSW.
Salon Des Refuses, (Travelling Exhibition), Mornington Peninsula Gallery, Vic.
Poetry Film Parallax, Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, UK.
One Night With 25 Sculptors, MARS Gallery, Melbourne, Vic.
Is This Art?, dLux Media Arts/Artereal Gallery, Sydney, NSW
Altered States, Experimental Film Festival, Electro Studios, St. Leonards, U.K.
Acland Street Projections Festival. Melbourne, Vic.
2014
Warhol Now, The Jewish Museum of Australia, Melbourne.
Monuments to the Frontier Wars, Damien Minton Gallery, Sydney, NSW
Is This Art?, dLux Media Arts/ Artereal Gallery, Sydney, NSW
Art 3K, Art Atrium, Sydney, NSW
2014,13,11,10
Finalist Exhibition, Waverley Art Prize, WWAS, Sydney, NSW
2013
Finalist Exhibition and winner of Golden Ghetto Award, Galleria Levantina, Venice Italy.
Finalist Exhibition, Cliftons Art Prize, Cliftons, Sydney, NSW
Art 3K, Art Atrium, Sydney, NSW
Needham Religious Art Prize, Riddoch Art Gallery, S.A.
2012
Finalist Exhibition, The Flanagan Art Prize, St Patrick's College, Ballarat, Vic.
Jurassic Lounge, The Australian Museum, Sydney, NSW.
Context, The Craft Centre, Columbia University, New York.
Calling Australia Home, The Jewish Museum of Australia, Saint Kilda, Vic.
2012,10
Finalist Exhibition, Corangamarah Art Prize, Red Rock Regional Art Gallery, Cororooke, Vic.
2010
Finalist Exhibition, Paddington Art Prize, Menzies Art Brands, Sydney, NSW
2008
Finalist Exhibition, The "Churchie" National Emerging Art Prize, QUT Art Museum, Brisbane, QLD.
2007
Finalist Exhibition, Brett Whiteley Travelling Scholarship, Brett Whiteley Studio, Sydney, NSW
Residencies
2017
Artist in Residence, Woollahara Library, Double Bay, Sydney, NSW.
Media/Citations/Reviews/Publications
2017
dot, dot, dot […] (Catalogue),Janelle Evans (curator), SCA Galleries, Sydney College of the Arts, NSW. pp.
ART UNLEASHES THE POWER OF THE DOT, Sydney University, Sydney College of the Arts News, 04 July 2017.
2014
David Asher Brook LIFE PAINTINGS 2005-2011, Introduction by Jon Cruthers, Blurb Books, 60 pages, July 2014.
Collaborations/Performances
2016
Collaborative art video (Director), Woollahra Library, Woollahra Council.
2015
Collaborative art video (Director), The Emanuel School, Sydney, NSW.
2014
Live painting, Bensimon Boutique Jewellery, Sydney, NSW.
2013
Live painting with Garry Eck, Happy Endings Comedy.
2012
Live painting with Old Man River, Various venues, Sydney, NSW.
2011
Live painting with The Potbelleez and Lior, Various venues, Sydney, NSW.
Live painting with Old Man River, Notes Bar, Sydney, NSW.
Live painting for Anantara Hotels, aMBUSH Gallery.
2010
Live painting with The Asthmatix.
