There are artists you come across whose work fills you with joy and awe in equal measure. What a treat then, to discover that they are also utterly delightful as people.
I had been following David Mankin on Instagram for some time when I discovered that he was exhibiting in the Cornwall Contemporary Gallery in 2021 and I let him know I was visiting. He and his lovely wife Pippa made time to meet and greet us when we arrived, and despite a busy Private View, he took time to talk to me, both as an interested viewer and as an artist. David is phenomenally generous in talking about his process, what inspires him, and he is also incredibly encouraging; indeed, he is a big part of the reason that I started to paint again. ‘Paint Big, Susie!’ he said. Well, I’m working on it!
David paints in his studio from sketches he makes when walking which is practically a daily occurrence. If you know west Cornwall, it is a place of wild beauty, dramatic coastlines and extreme, capricious weather that can change in moments. Plants and trees bow to the will of the wind. Natural and unnatural detritus wash up on beaches and are rich pickings for the beachcombing painter who can see their beauty.
To capture this landscape, most of Davids paintings are large – huge swipes and arcs of paint; bold marks and scratches which give voice to his visual language. Historically there is a lot of sea colour – how many blues can you count? To juxtapose this, there are dashes of unexpected contrast – suggestions of lime moss, or orange rope, the red of a boat; abstracted shapes which offer clues to the viewer.
I couldn’t attend this year’s show in September – Frontiers. From what I saw, there were a lot of smaller works available and many of these have a lightness which I haven’t seen before both in terms of colour and design. Perhaps this is aimed at providing more accessible art to his growing number of collectors, or it may be a personal journey for David, whose sketchbooks are always filled with miniature views and workings, which inspire his overall process.
A book about David’s paintings is available. David Mankin: Remembering in Paint is written by Kate Reeve-Edwards. This is a terrific book, engagingly written and filled with glorious images. You can take a closer look at his work on his website www.david-mankin.com and on the Cornwall Contemporary website https://www.cornwallcontemporary.com/artist/mankin-david/
The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls, The Twilight Darkens, The Curlew Calls.
122 x 185 cm, acrylic and mixed media on canvas.
Image copyright David Mankin.
