New works by David Griggs’ for his exhibition ‘Baseline’ stem from a starting point that is imaginary. A baseline for what is the question. Historically though, Griggs’s starting points have mainly been derived from a topic, a gesture, or a lived experience. These new paintings unfold differently; the only keys to a direct link regarding anything tangible are in some of the titles. They offer very direct answers. One painting simply titled ‘Ultrasound’, gives off a blue aesthetic that is dependent on our understanding of being poked and prodded by such a machine. Then what to make of the other paintings? In another, a jovial skeleton with one leg is balancing next to a tennis ball? Oh wait, the answer is simple. He was thinking about mortality after having an ultrasound in the morning, then he went to the studio after, then he went home to watch the Wimbledon men’s final. A baseline? This makes some sense, but what about the raw, crude yet extremely technical approach to the physical painting process of Griggs? There is chaos, and refinement all on the one canvas. There is a sense though that every mark is approached as if his life depends on it. This energy is both unsettling and exciting. Imaginary imagery or baseline points of reference, either way it is violently clear that Griggs is 110% unapologetic.

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Griggs uses an ambitious scale to draw viewers in, with subjects including people, politics and phobias, abstracted and smashed together with surreal conjunctions, his style is wide-ranging, restless and eclectic.

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“Most recently my process is to make detailed paintings, before disrupting them with a more gestural application, to try and wash away the mechanisms we have as painters” - DG

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A survey exhibition, created by the Campbelltown Arts Centre David Griggs: Between Nature and Sin toured galleries in Australia (2017-2019), his works have been curated into exhibitions at the Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France; Den Frie Center of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, Denmark; along with exhibitions in the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, USA, Belgium, Germany and Indonesia.