David Mackay Harrison

Born in Lismore, New South Wales, David is a formidable sculptor of the human body. His languid nudes possess a freedom of form that contributes to their appeal. His Reclining Lady with the heavy hair draped over her shoulders and falling onto the floor could almost rise up and walk towards you. Within the solidness of the bronze medium, David has created a unique sense of movement. The pointed finger of a ballet dancer resting between her steps, the lazy stretch of the young girl awakening or the posing preminando poised on a plinth appear not only life-like, but alive. It is in the subtleties of movement that David displays his brilliance as a sculptor.

Using life models he sculpts initially in clay working and reworking to achieve the desired effect. His aim is to capture the femininity of his subjects. The female body is recognised as one of the most beautiful forms to sculpt and yet it is one of the most difficult. David’s observation and attention to every detail make him a master of his medium. His sculptures are incredibly tactile. Your initial urge is to stroke the sloping back and feel the curve of a rippling thigh, or sweep the hair away from a face to uncover a gentle smile. Aesthetically beautiful. David’s female figures demand to be gazed at. His animals also appeal to our senses. The cat curled up in a corner, chin on paws and ears flattened, the stately pose of the fierce rhinoceros or the anxious kitten ready to pounce find a perfect balance between stylisation and realism. They are executed with an amazing technical precision. The mottled surface of the bronze dances with varying degrees of light and creates a textured surface on his smooth sculptures.

David’s work is uncomplicated. No abstract shapes with underlying meanings or messages. No angst or anger here. Just beautiful figures, beautifully executed. Art for arts sake

1941

Born Lismore, Scottish/Australian parents. Attended schools Sydney, Albury, Brunswick Heads, Mullumbimby, Lismore.

1958

Graduated Lismore High School.

1971

Held first one man exhibition at the Lismore Regional Gallery.

1975

One man exhibition Strawberry Hill Gallery, Sydney.

1976

Mixed exhibitions Kay Lyn Galleries, Gold Coast.

1990

Selected as finalist in the Doug Moran Portrait Prize.

1991

One man exhibition, Galloway Galleries, Brisbane.

1992

One man exhibition, Cooks Hill Gallery, Newcastle.

1993

Joint exhibition (John Guy), Galloway Galleries, Brisbane.

1994

Selected as a finalist in the Doug Moran Portrait Prize.

1996

Joint exhibition, Stafford Studios, Perth

1996

Joint exhibition, Beach Side Galleries, Noosa

1996

Joint exhibition, Cintria Galleries Brisbane

1996

Joint exhibition, Framed Galleries, Darwin

1996

Joint exhibition, Cooks Hill Gallery, Newcastle

1996

Joint exhibition, Dridan Fine Arts, Adelaide

1996

Joint exhibition, Solander Galleries, Canberra

1997

Joint exhibition, Greythorn Galleries, Melbourne

1997

Joint exhibition, Art Galleries Schubert, Gold Coast

1998

One man exhibition, Wagner Art Gallery, Sydney

1999

Joint exhibition, Masterpiece Fine Art Gallery, Tasmania

2001

Exhibition, Gallery America – Carmel, U.S.

2001

Exhibition, Wally Findlay Galleries – Florida, U.S.

2003

Exhibition, Galerie Tourgeville – France

2005

Exhibition, Wagner Gallery – Sydney

2011

Exhibition, Moulton Galleries – Sydney

2011

Exhibition, Cooks HIll Gallery – Newcastle

2012

Exhibition, Red Hill Gallery – Brisbane

2012

Exhibition, Manyung Gallery – Melbourne

2013

David Sumner Gallery – Adelaide

2013

Red Hill Gallery – Brisbane

2013

Yallingup Gallery – Yallingup

2014

Gallery One – Gold Coast

2014

Moulton Gallery – Sydney

2014

Manyung Gallery – Melbourne