Edinburgh born artist David Cass (1988) has exhibited his multi-media artwork in a range of venues and festivals since graduating in 2010: including group showings at Tatha Gallery, The Royal Academy, Royal Scottish Academy, Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, MAXXI Museum and solo presentations at The Scottish Gallery, British Institute of Florence and Venice Biennale.
His artistic approach is wide-ranging: each project anchored by sustainability and environmental campaign. While painting and construction are the artforms he uses most often, his recent projects also involve photography, writing, audience participation and curation. Bound by their use of gathered and recycled source materials, Cass’ artworks each investigate water in some way.
Historian Roger Rotmann comments “in order to comprehend the true core of Cass’ work – the tension, the voltage that runs through it – one must observe it in the flesh.” Cass principally creates work using exclusively found materials sourced at flea-markets and antique fairs around Europe. “Nature and Nostalgia Merge in Assemblages Made from Vintage Boxes by David Cass” (Colossal, 2022).
Upon graduation from Edinburgh College of Art's School of Drawing & Painting, Cass received an RSA scholarship to Italy. This event had great influence on his practice and his current projects still make reference to the country. Since then, Cass has made responsible travel a key component of his practice, as well as his exhibition activities. He has participated in projects worldwide, and has artworks in numerous notable collections, both public and private. His activities have had an increasing focus on sustainability and the environment, with recent projects exploring the issue of rising sea levels.
Among other awards, Cass has received Winsor & Newton’s top award for his projects in watercolour (2016) and the RSA Benno Schotz prize (2018) as the most promising Scottish artist under 35. He’s provided illustrations for books by Mark Haddon (2019) and Claudia Roden (2021) and worked collaboratively on climate change related projects with artists around the world via the blog he co-produces, A La Luz.
The artist is currently on the move. At various points throughout this year and next, travel restrictions allowing, David will be found working in London, the Scottish Borders, Venice & Athens.