A Blanket of Woven Shadows
Belfast Exposed presents a solo photographic exhibition that showcases new photographic works by Futures Awardee David Copeland ‘A Blanket of Woven Shadows’, Copeland’s work employs conceptual and documentary approaches, exploring states of mind, place and the boundaries physical and psychological that can hold us in-between.
The Belfast Exposed Futures Awards support artists using photography to create new work and significantly develop their practice. Through curatorial and mentorship in career development, the awards particularly seek to encourage new approaches to photography.
David’s photographs explore light and dark, familiarity and distance, the beautiful in the banal. Taking our ‘everyday’ whether nurturing or constraining and finding harmony within. In the heightened awareness that comes when walking through a landscape known so well, his work abstracts place in its search for something more.
Using atmosphere and light to provoke an unwarranted psychological connection and empathy, perhaps a ‘sense of place’, but more a state of mind.
“We have made a significant investment in our ‘Futures Awards’ over the last 6 months for 6 emerging and inspiring artists. David is the 1st of the Futures Artists to have the opportunity to present his first solo show. The captivating dark landscapes take us on a journey that somehow manages to make us feel both uneasy yet captivated by the works. ” – Deirdre Robb, Chief Executive, Belfast Exposed.
Click here for David’s Futures Video: https://youtu.be/eizMuwZDrp8
THE ARTIST
David Copeland
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
David is a Northern Irish based photographer who graduated with an MFA in Photography with distinction in 2020 after achieving a first-class Hons degree in 2017 from Ulster University.
David’s personal work utilizes conceptual and documentary approaches to explore states of mind, place and the boundaries physical and psychological that can hold us in-between.
David’s previous work, ‘a place to sleep,’ examines his position within the boundaries of the provincial town he calls home.
Interested in Landscapes’ power to both delight and disturb, David continues to explore psychology, landscape and place.
Showing work in both solo and group exhibitions and commissioned recently as part of the renowned ‘SIXTEEN’ exhibition – which toured in 2019 throughout the UK. His portrait of Patrick Adams, made as part of the Sixteen project was published on the cover of the Guardian weekend magazine.
David has recently been awarded a membership Bursary with Shutter Hub and has also had his project ‘a place to sleep’ shortlisted in this year’s Royal Photographic Society’s International Photography Exhibition 163.
David’s commissioned practice as a freelance photographer consists of socially engaged projects like ‘the Sixteen-touring exhibition, as well as providing images for clients such the BBC / Martin parr, Ulster Orchestras, OH yeah music centre and Ulster University.