David Spiller

David Spiller was a contemporary British painter known for his Pop Art style and expressive graphic approach. Largely depicting cartoon subjects incorporated with typography, David’s work explores themes of popular culture merged with playful childhood memories. David’s energetic manner also alludes to street art, specifically graffiti. The textural surfaces of David’s paintings reflect the nature of his art. Images of Donald Duck are layered with scribbles of thoughts and anecdotes whilst blocks of typography flatten and overlap some of his characters.

David Spiller’s Education and Career

Born in Kent in 1942, embarked on his artistic career at the young age of 15. From graphic design at Sidcup Art School to fine art painting at Beckenham School of Art, by 1962 David had started training at the Slade School of Art, where he was taught by artists such as Frank Auerbach and William Coldstream. Throughout the 80’s, David’s work became established internationally, with solo shows in over 10 countries. To this day, David’s work is still exhibited in private and public collections worldwide, from Morgan Stanley Bank in Frankfurt to the Hanwon Museum in Seoul.

Inspiration

Characteristic of his Pop Art style, David references music throughout his work, and includes lines from songs by The Beatles, Bob Dylan and The Pogues. So many of David’s works are centred around love, with the vast majority of them containing the word ‘love’ in either the canvas or the title. David’s work cites anyone and everyone, drawing together influences from Picasso to Warhol, from Disney to Dubuffet.