'Distillation' - Dave Sparkes Exhibition
If you're dry in Byron Bay...
Dave Sparkes - one time surf photographer and scribe of renown - is having an exhibition of his watercolours. Dave likes to park up plein air-style on lonely north coast beach tracks or in the lee of sandstone headlands and capture that which falls before him - the primitive grasses, knotted trees, and receeding tide lines.
From the press release:
“The most subtle variations of light, design or angle can transform the bland into the magical. The distillation of a scene can also convert the average into the sublime, by simply deleting any elements that don’t harmonise with the essence, the feeling, of a place. In Dave’s work, the feeling and atmosphere has priority over the actual landscape itself, and distilling the “essential oil” of a scene is paramount to creating an exciting visual work.”
The exhibition is called 'Distillation' and opening night is tomorrow, March 4th, from 6:00pm – 7:30 pm. It then runs till April 3rd.
Lone Goat Gallery, 28 Lawson St, Byron Bay, March 5th – April 3rd
In all, Dave will have 41 watercolors on display. Here's but a few:
Comments
Nice work.
Beautiful.
Captures it well.
Dave's work captures perfectly the grey greens and grey blues of the Australian landscape and seascape.
Congratulations Dave wishing you a successful exhibition.
https://www.davesparkesart.com
Great imagery Dave....You've already succeeded..So well captured in water
from website.
"Dave Sparkes has been involved in various creative pursuits for many years. He was senior writer/photographer for the iconic surfing magazine, Tracks, for over 20 years.
He has had hundreds of photographs and over 200 feature articles published in numerous magazines internationally, and has interviewed many surfing greats such as Tom Curren, Sunny Garcia, Mark Occhilupo, Dave Rastovich and Mick Fanning. His work has appeared in many books including “The Moment” (Sean Doherty) “Archipelago” (Sean Doherty) “The World Stormrider Guide” (Anthology) and “Pilgrimage” (Anthology).
Dave has done assignment and advertising work for companies such as SMP, Billabong, Quiksilver, Etnies, Arnette, Kuta Lines and in particular Rip Curl, for whom he has completed over 30 travel/advertising assignments over a 20 year period.
His photographs have adorned the covers of magazines in many countries, including the US, Australia, France, New Zealand, England, Brazil and Spain, and most notably he photographed the cover of the prestigious 2005 US Surfer Magazine Photo Annual.
His book of words and photographs, “The Wave: Tales From the Impact Zone”, was published to rave reviews in Australia and New Zealand by Hachette Publishing in 2011.)
WATERCOLOUR
Dave has been painting watercolours full time since 2012, concentrating mainly on plein air landscapes and seascapes. He is fascinated by sunlight and shadow, and strives to create an atmospheric mood in his work.
His painting is a hybrid of impressionism and realism; true reality on paper is impossible, and his attempts at reconciling the world at large, in effect his own impression of realism, is the essence of his art. This altered reality defines his style, and dwelling in that mysterious zone is one of the reasons he paints rather than just taking photographs of a scene. He tries to evoke a sense of whimsical, almost melancholy reality, suggesting a time before man’s interference with the landscape. He likes to paint places as they once were, just humming along in their heartbreakingly pristine state.
Dave currently resides in Byron Bay with his wife, Tracey, and focuses all of his energies on landscape painting, particularly his luminous watercolour seascapes."
Another Bondi legend shines bright :) ... bloody great to see his work getting the recognition he deserves... makes a Bondi expat proud!!!! onya Dave :)
For those who missed it, a chat with Dave from 2019:
https://www.swellnet.com/news/talking-heads/2019/04/06/the-light-dave-sparkes
Well done Sparksie! A talent that defines the man himself ie: gifted, talented, unique! Congrats & I'm sure your work will be well received.