David Harrison (born 1954) is an English artist based in London.
Harrison's work comprises mostly representational paintings and sculpture. Influenced by mythology and fairy tales, he paints scenes that juxtapose, often humorously, humans with natural and supernatural creatures including birds, insects, foxes and fairies. His paintings are typically rendered on canvas, wood panels or found flat objects and his sculptures often include discarded objects. He also makes short films. His work often contains social comment, often lamenting the breakdown of society (for example the rise of hoodie culture) or the desecration of nature by human activity.
Harrison received his BA from St Martin's School of Art in 1984. He has shown work in many exhibitions including Sickbed at the Cubitt Gallery in London, One-Man Show at the Cowboys and Poodles Gallery in San Francisco, and Mother Nature at Vilma Gold in London. In 2008 his first New York solo show entitled Green and Pleasant Land was held at the Daniel Reich Gallery which received favorable press reviews. His most recent solo show, entitled Existence, was held in September 2009 at the Victoria Miro Gallery in London.
A book David Harrison was published in 2009 by Philip Wilson Publishers. The book includes a foreword by architectural historian Lucinda Lambton, a study of Harrison's work to date by Alistair Robinson, director of The Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, and an interview with artist and fellow student at St Martin's School of Art Peter Doig.
He is represented by the Victoria Miro Gallery (London).
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