About

David Molony is an Irish-born, lens-based artist currently living in Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand. He works daily in a studio at Toi Auaha as part of the Ōtautahi Arts district. After graduating from Ara Te Pūkenga in 2020 with a BA in Design (Photography), he went on to obtain his MA in Creative Practice, where he investigated the intricacies of abstract art literacy - and in turn, spurred the question: How can I produce aesthetically pleasing and intellectually gratifying, expressive images, using colour, line, texture, and shape, independent of literary or anecdotal considerations?

This all-encompassing research methodology simmers behind each project, before even looming close to the point of creation. Extensive layers of inquiry spanning comprehensive fields such as colour theory, symbolism, the Baroque, and Japanese philosophy of dark and light, inspired by Junichiro Tanizaki’s essay' In Praise of Shadows' and phenomenology, act as essential fuel for the eventual release through the making of each painting or photograph. Crucially, this release is intensive and controlled. Many photographic works require weeks to months of meticulous experimentation with analogue film and digital photography before culminating in a final image, sometimes involving a manipulated image process, ready for quiet consumption. Paintings have resulted from planned rituals that evoke raw emotions, such as listening to repeated music. Most recently, cherished family heirlooms of several silverware pieces have been passed down through the generations, containing the vital ‘mauri’ in them as they are used to make earnest marks in the paint. Unrestrained aggression is channelled for the arrival at a textured surface, feeling around in the dark.

While a large part of David’s body of work may appear darker in spirit, a remarkably hopeful sentiment shines through his diverse portfolio. Personal near-death experiences and being informed of a mere 4% survival rate has pulled life into focus, compressing only the important and meaningful into his lived experience.

The absolute appreciation of life itself naturally imbues each piece, as yonic and phallic imageries come into frequent play. As symbolic doors to life and pleasure, human existence is depicted as the saying goes: ‘In darkness, there is light.’ Through this assured hope, the viewer is invited to feel for their metaphors and derive individual meaning from the tactile, saturated pieces, engaging the body in the experience and reflecting the works’ immersive making process. The philosophy of aesthetics will be a continuous, life-long investigation into how aesthetics are interpreted, how meaning is derived from those interpretations, and finally, how this meaning relates to our real-world experiences.