Bleeding Daylight
David mcclyment

January 4 - 29, 2023
Reception: Thursday January 5, 2023 from 6-8pm. Artist will be present.
Artists' Talk and Book Launch: January 14, 2023 from 2-5pm.

The Red Head Gallery is pleased to present Bleeding Daylight an exhibition of large-scale drawings by Red Head Member David McClyment!

“You have to kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight” – Bruce Cockburn

Working primarily in charcoal, I cannot avoid charging my imagery with darkness – both physical and emotional. Appropriate for this so-called post pandemic age full of economic, cultural and political upheaval. So, darkness, yes! But also, I hope with glimmers of positive daylight leaking through.

With Bleeding Daylight, I present a series of little stories. Some from imagination, some from experience, some from headlines. As a relentlessly optimistic person, I am doing my best to navigate the darkness - all that currently pervades the news, social media and a lot of personal interactions coming out of COVID. In particular, the tangle of pernicious conspiracy theories that have moved from societal fringes into mainstream consciousness.

While the content may be immediately dark, my drawing is all about play. But not in a frivolous sense, rather “play” in a very serious way. Remember as a kid when play was so intense for you – imaginary games, friends, adventures – it all seemed so real. That’s the energy I try to sustain in my studio. And when drawing isn’t play for me anymore, I will stop. But so far, for almost 70 years I have managed to keep the adventure going. These stories celebrate mystery, contradiction and the magnificent absurdity of just waking up in the morning.

I offer no answers, no morals, no lessons. The prevailing condition is the continuous present – you standing here looking at them. So, I invite you to dive into these “stories”, wander around for a bit and enjoy the adventure. There will be surprises. Look for the daylight!

For a full price list of the exhibition please click here. To see a wonderful interview with David by Mark Cohen & Charles Hackbarth - click here!

BIOGRAPHY

David McClyment: has been obsessively drawing for almost 70 years and professionally for forty. He has exhibited primarily in the GTA, but also throughout Ontario and across Europe. His work has been the focus of many grants from all levels of government, including the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council, as well as the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation. McClyment has shown his work through exhibitions with commercial co-operatives, public galleries, artist-run centres and commercial galleries, as well as organizing his own initiatives. These events have been reviewed in many major media outlets, including CBC (radio 2), Rogers TV, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Daily Star, the National Post and the Winnipeg Free Press. In becoming a member of Red Head Gallery in Toronto, he is happy to have come home to where he started in the artist-run community.

In addition to his career as an artist, he has mentored hundreds of emerging artists: first through his role as a project officer in an arts service organization, and most lately as a professor in the Fine Arts Studio program at Centennial College. In that capacity he has received a number of awards for teaching excellence.

Having now stepped away from teaching, McClyment is now able to dedicate most of his waking hours to time in the studio. Ah, life is good!

He is inspired daily by his long-time reason for living, Sue Bracken, and their multi-talented son, Jaimie.

To view more of his work check out his website: www.flyingpiecreations.com