David Spiller
"Don’t be afraid to give your heart.
Don’t be afraid to walk in the dark.
Don’t be afraid to say yes.
Don’t be afraid to say no.
Don’t be afraid to have fun.
Don’t be afraid to say I love you".
David Spiller 1942 - 2018
Born in Dartford, Kent, David became engrossed in art and popular culture from a young age. His olders brothers would play him projections of Mickey Mouse cartoons and he would spend hours drawing the characters, as a way of keeping them close to him. After studying Graphic Design at Sidcup Art School and painting at Beckenham School of Art, in 1962 he went on to the Slade School of Art, where he was taught Frank Auerbach and William Coldstream and where he won the Henry Tonks Prize for Drawing. Throughout his long career he enjoyed huge success with regular solo shows through Europe, the UK and America and his paintings are held in important private and public collections worldwide.
Spiller's vibrant and playful works blend iconic imagery and song lyrics, intertwined with freehand drawings and spontaneous messages. Sometimes happy, sometimes sad - at the core of each of David's work is the universal message of love. As well as being visually bold and beautiful, his pieces have the ability to strike a chord - helping us replay moments in our own lives and reminding us of what is really important.