Today we’d like to introduce you to David Adey
Hi David, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in northern New Jersey. Art has been my thing since before I can remember. My parents always kept me stocked with drawing and painting supplies, and I loved building things and working with my Dad in the woodshop. When it came time for college, I never considered any other major. I had a heavy dose of wanderlust and wanted a new adventure, so I came to San Diego to attend Point Loma Nazarene University. I eventually returned to PLNU as a full-time faculty member and have remained here for the past 21 years.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The creative life is a roller coaster! Over the years, I’ve had some incredible highs and gut-punching lows, but no one likes to talk about the lows. I once had a museum negotiate the purchase of a large sculpture for their permanent collection. Then, when a guest broke it during the last week of the exhibition, they backed out of the deal and refused to pay for its repair. I was once in the final stages of planning a solo exhibition with another museum. When the curator left to take another position, the museum ghosted me. Several times now, a public art sculpture I created in San Diego has been attacked by someone with a hammer. I was once invited to give a TedTalk. I bombed so hard that I requested it never be released. I was once a finalist for a high-profile, potentially career-making exhibition. The day before the public announcement, the curator called to tell me I didn’t make the final cut. He was kind and gracious, but it was a gut punch. I have so many more stories like these, but I’m generally an optimistic person. I’ve been at this long enough to see that the upside always wins over the long haul, and the failures make the high points even more rewarding. I realize it’s a cliché, but success really has nothing to do with fame, influence, or money. It’s about creating a fulfilling, peaceful, and harmonious life with occasional moments of transcendence. Artmaking is just a part of that for me. I’m in my fifties now, and I certainly didn’t understand that in my twenties or thirties. Very few young people do unless they experience some form of suffering or trauma early in life. One of my favorite authors and thinkers is Father Richard Rohr. He refers to this as “the further journey.” But getting old doesn’t guarantee that you’re on the further journey. The world is full of adult children in their sixties and seventies who never find it. If MOMA called tomorrow for a solo exhibition, I’d be over the moon! But it’s asking too much of art to expect it to provide harmony and transcendence in life. I’m not sitting in a cubicle staring at a screen every day, making money for someone else. I’ve never been bored, and I’m not on someone else’s clock. And I have the privilege of investing much of my life in other people. I’m still curious. I’m still taking risks and putting myself out there. And I love working in my studio. That’s more than success for me; that’s freedom!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m not exactly sure what I’m known for, if anything. I work with a range of materials, including laser-cut paper, resins and plastics, ceramics, electronics, neon, metal, wood, 3D printing, digital fab, video, installation, etc. I’m always curious about new materials, and I love learning and developing new techniques. I don’t stay in one place for long; realistically, it’s probably not a very good business model. I was in a group show one time, and I was talking to a collector couple at the opening. They were lovely people and had a lot of questions about my piece. As I was describing some of my other work, they were familiar with all of it from other shows but had no idea that it was all mine. They now own several pieces.
There are a few common themes that I find myself returning to. Since around 2006, I’ve been examining the nature of two-dimensional imagery and its effect on individuals and the broader culture. I spent the early part of my career in graphic design, immersed in the world of branding, corporate identity, and image. That experience continues to inform my work, which has since expanded into a broader investigation of the fraught intersection between our physical bodies and the increasingly digitized, two-dimensional world we inhabit. For my ongoing “Hide” series, I did a three-dimensional scan of my body that was digitally unfolded and flattened onto a single 2D plane. I also spent a year and a half doing a deep dive into gun culture, culminating in an exhibition titled “There Be Dragons.” That body of work was also the subject of a short film by Andrew Norbeck and Jared Callahan titled “White Male Shooter,” which made the rounds at film festivals. I’m currently working on another body scan and an experimental video installation about advertising within the pharmaceutical, health, and beauty industries.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Yes, I love this question! My Dad was my first mentor and my hero. He attended Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC, in the 1960s. He wanted to be an illustrator but was focused on Vietnam War protests more than school, and he didn’t finish. He taught me to draw and paint, and I was using the table saw and building things by age 12. When it came time for college, he supported my dream to follow in his footsteps and study art. Next is my college art professor, Jim Skalman. He was my mentor in school, and I was his assistant after graduation. Jim is a well-known installation artist working within the California Light and Space tradition. His impact on my life and career is immeasurable, and he remains a close friend. After college, I went into graphic design. My first two jobs were in New York and New Jersey, but after returning to San Diego, I started working for Mires Design Inc. There were three creative directors: Scott Mires, John Ball, and José Serrano. I consider all of them essential mentors. I left Mires Design to pursue my MFA in sculpture at Cranbrook Academy of Art. The head of the sculpture department was Heather McGill. She’s a badass, and I don’t have the words to express my gratitude for her mentorship. I still sometimes hear her voice in my head. If you remove any of these people, my life would be very different.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.davidadey.com
- Instagram: davidadey.studio
