Sugar Buzz

Back after a bout of dreadful lurgy following my holiday sabbatical home. Home by turns wasn't so sad, but magic,idyllic- all the Raymond Briggsesque, warm family hearth of brewing parochial Englishness I could hope for. 

So here I am, mid January 2019, sequestered in the studio once more,frantically staring down the barrel with less than the final two months to go before the opening. Lumee!!  No more did that reality descend like a vampires teeth, than when opening the pages of the latest Hi Fructose magazine, and this rather lovely snippet confronted me. 

It's a big deal, an honor and very welcome first as things go. Thank you HF and Dark Art Emporium, a much needed sugar buzz, that other high energy drinks fail to.

Still two more pieces to go, so no time to lose before showtime.

Our Father-excerpt from Dead/Ends

Further to it's recent release, here is another exclusive excerpt from my book-of Dead/Ends:

My dad Joseph, was a demolition man. Liverpool was a dereliction of extinct tenements, waiting to be razed to a landfill.

Caked in the muck of a days toil, he would often return with some relic—a yellow paged book or a faded tin toy.
The empty buildings were embellished with a forgotten era -cornices or metal fireplaces, wooden doors or roof slates could be stripped and sold for extra subsidy.

That’s the way it was during the searing summer of 77, when my Dad had clamored through a window onto a two- story building to retrieve the slate. Except the slate wasn’t secure, and as it slipped from its battens, my father lost his footing, falling thirty feet to the pavement below.
His body was shattered, his back broken and he spent the next eight months in a hospital healing, forcing himself to walk again, though he never truly recovered.

My Dad was a demolished man.

Years later, he would recount that there had been no slideshow of life flashing before him, only the presence of mind to land on his feet.

People would thank God, and say it was a miracle my Dad survived.
At the time I wondered why any merciful God would set him on a path to fall in the first place. To my mind, my dads suffering made the almighty fallible, a brat petulantly toying with lives on a whim, all for the sake of being afforded some graciousness for abstaining his hand from an untimely end.

It wasn’t any God I wanted to revere.

Two fathers fell that day.


Dead/Ends is available to order from HERE

Upon a Midnight Dreary book review

Written by the delectable Dahlia Jane for her blog of all things macabre-Upon a midnight dreary-the first review of Dead/Ends is in, and its really rather wonderful.

You can read it in full from the following:

Dead Ends Review

Dead/Ends-The Beginning of the End-art book by David Gough

DEAD/ENDS ART BOOK



Here it finally is-A project literally three years in the making-Dead/Ends...as it were.



The order page is up and running, and I'm making a special limited edition signed (soft) release available for just 30 days.



There after, the book will be available through Amazon, Indie Store finder etc, with full ISBN.



Those who would still like a signed copy after that date, can come and purchase one in person, as I shall be doing a short tour here in San Diego.

Whilst venues are still to be announced- suffice to say that I can confirm that one of the dates coincides with my Momento Mori showing at the Oceanside Museum of Art on October 15th.



Exciting times ahead.



Below is the full official press release:



Enjoy.



==============================================================================

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

1/8/2011

San Diego

DEAD/ENDS words and pictures by David Gough

In 2005 artist David Gough left his English roots to live and work in America.

Affected by what he saw as extreme fundamentalism in the media, he began a series entitled The Theothanatos Series, which would deal with broad questions of religious dogma and human origin.

However, as the series developed, he began to confront more existential questions of his own mortality, bringing to the forefront memories of personal loss, and an obsession with both the human skull and the number three.

Dead/Ends presents twenty-five works as well as the annotations and recollections that shaped the series.

A special limited signed edition is available for a thirty days online from the following link:

http://davidgoughart.com/Dead_Ends.html

In October, the Book shall be available on Amazon, followed by a short book tour in San Diego. Venues to be announced.

FOREWORD BY DAVID BUCKLEY

Author of Strange Fascination: David Bowie — the Definitive Story, No Mercy: the Authorised and Uncensored Biography of the Stranglers, R.E.M. Fiction: an Alternative Biography, David Buckley,reflects on parallels between the lyrics of David Bowie and Gough's Art, as well as growing up in their mutual home town of Liverpool.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Raised in Liverpool, England, David Gough has been working as a professional artist for over twenty years.A former commercial illustrator, now living in the U.S, his work has been collected and licensed worldwide, as well as being exhibited and collected both in prominent exhibitions in the U.K, as well as being a regular addition to shows on both the West and East coasts of the U.S. Recently he was honored with the distinction of featured artist of 2010 at the San Diego Art Institute, as well as being featured at gallery’s in LA and Monterrey.

In the coming months, his work shall be included at the Oceanside Museum of Art as part of the 'Momeneto Mori' show

###

Dead / Ends by David Gough-a taster part two

Continuing with preparations for the forthcoming release of my book-Dead/Ends-here is another exclusive excerpt for you to read.
I shall also be making an announcement in the coming weeks with regards to a special contribution from an esteemed writer. More to follow soon.

FINDING / DOG

"When I was 16 I became all consumed with getting high-anything to elevate myself from the gray dirge of provinciality, anything to get me closer to knock, knocking on heavens door, and finding God in a ring of fire or the Garden of Earthly delights.

Sitting in a circle sparking a spliff did nothing for me, it had to be the total mindgasm of hallucinogenic submission.

I’d tried unsuccessfully with a girl I was fond of on my Art course, after we’d convinced ourselves some fungus in the adjoining field held promise. Unfortunately, it provoked nothing more than a puking session in the adjoining toilets.

Finally, at a party in some ghastly council house backwater, magic mushrooms were procured at which point without prompting, I chomped the little black headed veggies like candy, before swilling the gritty remnants from a cheap beer can.

An hour later, and I’m in the midst of a spastic freak out, convinced that the Cyprus trees across the road, are involved in a brutal fight to the death. I am consumed by mortal terror at the sight of this, & take flight, avoiding the valley chasms that are opening between gaps in the pavement, and marveling at my ability to traverse them.
Somehow, and it felt like days but could have been hours, I find my way home, and am met by the neighborhood mutt who stands between myself and my front door.

The little dogs head inflates like a balloon and I dwarf beneath its bulbous magnificence.

No ring of fire, no God, just a little sausage dog with a fifty foot head."

Dead / Ends book by David Gough

So here we have it-thirty two pages, filled with twenty five color plates and complimented by annotations and anecdotes, and self published on my own Darq Matter imprint-I am finally able to reveal the cover for my upcoming Dead/Ends book, along with the blurbage that accompanies it:

"In 2005 artist David Gough left his English roots to live and work in America. Affected by what he saw as extreme fundamentalism in the media, he began a body of works entitled the Theothanatos series which would deal with broad questions of religious dogma and human origin.

However as the series developed, he began to confront more existential questions of his own mortality, bringing to the fore memories of personal loss and an obsession with the human skull and the number three.

This volume collects together twenty five works as well as the annotations and recollections that shaped the series."

At this stage and if all goes according to plan, I am aiming for a full release April 30th, which will be available through my site as well as several online outlets, as well as a possible show to accompany it sometime in May. I'll also be publishing small excerpts in the run up to release here, so you know drill by now, stay tuned as there are more details to follow.

Skull candy-I want your skull Art zine featuring art by David Gough

I want your Skull-Issue 9

As promised, the new issue of 'I want your Skull' is now available. Amongst the coterie of bonedome themed renderings, is a submission by yours truly.Not having had a chance to see a copy first hand, I can only postulate the quality, but going by the picture evidence, it looks spiffing.
Also sharing headspace are David D’andrea, Jimiyo, Kaitlin Beckett, Joshua Belanger, Nadja Schueller-Ost, Jeff Lamm, David Gough, Horrorwood, Justin Ryan, Sean Causley, Matthew Amey, Shawn Hebrank, Skullface, Todd Lambright, Miguel Cervantes, Scott Move, Iain Macarthur, Logan Kornhauser, Geoff May, Joshy, Ryan August, Mark Goss, Michael Heinz-Fischer, Nick Volkert, A Killer Wombat, Joe Boccia, Nick Mcpherson, Kenneth Botsford Jr, Nick Beaulieu, Nick Machia, Johnson, Joey Potts, Franx and Self High Five, with interviews with Thomas Hooper, and painter/illustrator, Stephen Haynes.

Sealed in a neat little black envelope, theres a limited edition of 350, individually hand numbered, along with a giveaway screen-printed bandana featuring a killer illustration by Brian Morris. The 22 inch square bandana features a white print on a 100% cotton, black bandana. A 4×6 inch sticker also designed by Brian Morris is included as well.

Kick arse!!

Get yourself a copy whilst stocks last.

Gothic Art Now-contemporary Gothic Art and Illustration by Jasmine Becket Griffith, featuring David Gough

Amongst the forest of paper that has bloated our mailbox lately-'tis the season and all that-was the rather delicious tome-'Gothic Art Now'- compiled by the delectably gothic,talented and sickeningly prolific-Jasmine Becket Griffith.
Resplendently lavish, beautifully designed and containing luminaries such as Brom-who pens the foreword-Master H.R.Giger, David Bowers, Scott Radke,David Stoupakis, and more names than you can shake a sable at-it also includes the work of one diminutive David Joseph Gough, who I've never heard of, but I believe shows some promise.

Its a real honour to be rubbing galley shoulders, alongside a pantheon of names I've admired since sprogdom, and I am very much at Miss Jasmine's requital, for my magnamanous insertion. I also owe her big time, for the very cheeky finale, where I get a name check (for the hell of it) in her acknowledgement's.
The book is available at most High street retail outlets, and with one day before Xmas,if you can stomach the bun fight-it would make a hefty gift in someone's stocking, or if you want to make up for missing the day altogether, its available from Amazon (in its US incarnations *note sleeve) from the following link:

Gothic Art Now on Amazon