David Laity

The Wangaratta-born painter, sculptor, and graphic artist, David Laity began his career as a cartoonist in the 1980s, publishing regularly in regional and metropolitan periodicals. His graphic oeuvre garnered him a curatorial following with survey exhibitions in the Benalla and Shepparton regional galleries and a publication of a monograph, ‘It’s a Rat Race’. Focusing from the 1990s on painting and sculpture, Laity launched his exhibition career with the iconic Jackman Gallery in St Kilda.

His recent works continue the artist’s ongoing exploration of the two parallel themes within his oeuvre: the nude and the environment.

Laity’s background as a professional cartoonist is seen in the laconically of shape and form. The focus on the silhouette against the uncluttered abstracted backgrounds gives his images immediacy and clarity.

While the limited colour palette also references his background as a graphic artist, it is also reflective of his fascination with the dominant colour schemes of the 1950s.

The 1950s were the era when, after the end of the Second World War, women replaced men in the workforce—hence the empowering uniformity of frocks and coats within the paintings. Within the privacy of the domestic setting, the sensuality reigns supreme and the individuality is regained.

The second tranche of his present oeuvre focuses on David’s immediate surroundings.

His home and studio are located on the outskirts of Benalla in regional Victoria, where the interactions between the artist and the local flora and fauna are regular and spontaneous. Collectively, the works reflect concerns about the environment, conservation, and regeneration.

The life of the artist can be a lonely experience, especially in the context of the recent lockdowns and travel restrictions. These sentiments are expressed through the paintings of dogs and skulls, both a long-standing synecdoche for the artist’s self-portraits.

David's use of Hessian fabric imbues the work with sensuous textuality, while the build-up of pigments gives his paintings rich saturation and warm glow.

Laity's highly individual, memorable, and immediately recognisable images have garnered a collectors' following, and his works have been acquired by a number of public, corporate, and private collections.

CV

Selected Exhibitions

2015

Lost (Dog Days), Metro Gallery, VIC, Australia

2007

David Laity: 25 years laid bare, Benalla Art Gallery, VIC,Australia
David Laity: Dancing with the Devil, Metro 5 Gallery, VIC, Australia

2005

Zebra Girls, Metro 5 Gallery, VIC, Australia

2003

Underneath, Metro 5 Gallery, VIC, Australia

2002

The Jackman Gallery, VIC, Australia

2001

The Jackman Gallery, VIC, Australia

2000

Entice, The Jackman Gallery, VIC, Australia

1999

Lure, The Jackman Gallery & Marise Maas, NSW, Australia

1998

Dare, The Jackman Gallery, VIC, Australia

1997

Tease, The Jackman Gallery, VIC Australia

1996

Seductions, The Jackman Gallery, VIC, Australia

1995

Girls, Kazbar, VIC, Australia

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Waiting
David Laity
$ 9,000.00 AUD
David Laity, Waiting, 2013, Acrylic on hessian, 50 x 140 cm
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Lover
David Laity
$ 6,500.00 AUD
David Laity, Lover, 2017, Oil on hessian on board, 120 x 45 cm
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Linoleum
David Laity
$ 19,500.00 AUD
David Laity Linoleum, 2008-2015, Oil on hessian on board, 140 x 150 cm
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Factory Girl
David Laity
$ 16,000.00 AUD
David Laity, Factory Girl, 2009, Oil on hessian, 204 x 87 cm
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Balcony
David Laity
$ 9,500.00 AUD
David Laity, Balcony, 2018, Oil on hessian on board, 100 x 100 cm
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