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Fifty Years of Creative Evolution

A curated journey through the artistic mind of David Currie — from early sketches to mature expressions of thought, colour, and form.

A Lifetime of Creative Output

Rotating Rose, drawing, 1976

1. Exploring the science of visual engagement

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On April 10, 2024, a post by Ghee Beom Kim on the Facebook group Mathematical Tiling and Tessellation left me utterly captivated. It depicted a non-repetitive pattern, something that I had been striving to achieve for years.

My curiosity heightened, I delved deeper to discover a recent finding known as an “aperiodic” mono-tile, affectionately nicknamed “The Hat”.

For a better understanding of “The Hat” and its profound significance in science and mathematics (not to mention art and design), I recommend watching the accompanying YouTube video posted by Oxford Mathematics.

By late February 2024, after a wonderful three-week trip through Southern Spain, I was eager to return to the studio.

The task at hand was clear: further explore visual solutions that support the idea that people are hardwired to identify and engage with patterns within their environment. Additionally, find visual solutions that would contribute to sustaining engagement by developing specific patterns that can be used in the same way compositional arrangements are used to sustain viewer interest.

To achieve this, I had been exploring and developing various complex visual patterns that might be able to “trap” the viewer in a (psychological) no-man’s land between sensing a pattern while simultaneously not being able to fully comprehend exactly what the pattern is. It was my hope that these solutions could be equated with the type of engagement a teenager might experience while trying to solve a Rubik’s cube riddle. In other words, I believed (and still do believe) that engagement is better sustained when the riddle (the pattern) is difficult to fully understand.

However, by April 2024, the solution had fallen into my lap. And, this solution has been completely sustaining my engagement ever since.

Why is visual engagement important? Sustaining audience engagement has ramifications applicable to almost every aspect of visual thinking!

2. A time for change

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Dec, 2023 to April, 2024

3. A mural-sized painting, Blossoming Bush

August to November 2023

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To put the period between February 2023 and the end of October into proper perspective it can only be said that in hindsight that this period is a bit of a blur. I was receiving medical treatments that, though not causing hair loss or an inability to eat, had a significant impact on my energy levels. Regardless, I made an effort to go for daily walks and work several hours a day in the studio.

Getting a body of professional-quality work together, a body of work that could be shown to potential art dealers, became my priority. I hoped this work could eventually be exhibited. And, as part of this desire, I felt compelled to create at least one mural-sized piece that could truly stand out.

In hindsight, undertaking such a task was probably one or two years premature. Regardless, it required planning on a level I had never experienced before, and it undoubtedly contributed to my growth and development. For instance, I had to figure out how to produce this massive work within the confines of a very small studio space. Detailed sketches and models had to be created in advance, and quantities of paint had to be produced in sufficient amounts to last through to the end of the project. Additionally, many of the painted areas consist of four or five layers of translucent pigment, and since the project had to be produced in sections, I needed system to ensure colour consistency along the entire length of the project.

The initial drawings and planning began in early August, and it wouldn’t be until the first week of December that I could finally declare the project complete.

4. Rotating flower patterns

Late 2022 to Dec. 2023

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There was one problem – it wasn’t a new issue, actually it had been quietly nagging me for years. However, by mid-2022, I found myself struggling to rationalise my artistic vision.

Patterns within visual images could certainly have enhancing qualities, but like wallpaper, they could also be boring. How could my work break free from the “Mr. Boring” category? It appeared to be a daunting task; the success of an image, its ability to exist independently as an engaging entity, was an incredibly complex proposition.

With a world saturated with images, some perhaps skilfully crafted, others manufactured, and many now generated digitally for the purpose of enticing consumers to buy products and services, the role of the conventional artist seemed to be under threat. If the artist intended to sustain relevance as a quasi-scientist, a strong foundation in physics and mathematics would likely be essential. Similarly, regardless of whether the artist’s relevance is linked to psychology, sociology, or another science, a strong academic foundation would be crucial.

In such an environment, how could I possibly conceive of producing anything worth the cost of the Arches watercolour paper it was painted on?

The answer (perhaps the excuse) was to explore, in my own way, methods for using readily available resources to create engaging images. Imagery, material usage, design/compositional elements, and painterly skill were the tools at my disposal. The task would be a little like mastering a musical instrument – a mix of continuous learning, persistent practice, and openness to different approaches.

My beliefs were that art should be beautiful, it should also hold meaningful inferences to the world in which it was created, and most importantly, it should elicit an emotional response.

So, focusing on complex, not-so-easily recognisable, compositional patterns was one obvious method for achieving this.

5. The Dalmatian Series

By this stage of development, I was confident that my ideas regarding visual engagement could have broader applications in areas like marketing and advertising.

For example, I wondered if brand logo patterns on handbags and clothes could be presented in more complex arrangements to create a more sustained visual sense of engagement.

I was also curious about presenting the ideas more playfully. I even thought about using objects like handbags and shoes as the main focal point, leaving complex background patterns to do the job of sustaining visual engagement.

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Summer, 2022

6. Selected works

Finally, at the end of 2021, I retired and wasted no time getting into the studio. Despite knowing something was amiss with my health, I was unaware that within a few months, I would be diagnosed with a relatively serious health issue that would ultimately leave me struggling for energy for almost two years.

On a more positive note, years of experience as a teacher and company trainer helped me understand that talent is a combination of knowledge, skill, and an innate qualities that must be carefully and diligently cultivated over time.

When an individual can put together meaningful ideas in a creative, inspiring, and unique way, audiences, whether a classroom of adolescents or a group of middle managers, will engage. I also realised that audience engagement is a positive emotional response. And, to be successful as an artist, I needed to use my innate creative qualities in a refreshing manner that could act as a catalyst for audiences to respond emotionally.

However, not only did I have health and age issues that challenged my creative development, but I also had shortcomings in terms of knowledge and skill. Despite these challenges, I had determination.

2022

7. Selected works

This marked the end of the Covid era in China’s mainland. During this period, people’s movement was strictly monitored, and entire residential communities, sometimes with populations of several thousand, could be locked down at a moment’s notice.

I worked as an English teacher at a vocational college, nestled on a hill near Shenzhen’s airport. I was part of an international programme designed to prepare students for college or university in Australia. It was a very rewarding job. My teaching skills had improved, and I had developed well-articulated teaching plans. My personal toolkit of teaching techniques had also expanded, making it easier to sustain student engagement.

The artwork produced during this time was also coming together. Paper became just as integral the picture as paint. My technical skills were improving, and I found solace in the solitude of my small studio.

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Late 2020 and the end of 2021

8. Selected works

2018 to 2020

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For most of 2017, I worked on a term-by-term contract basis in the English department of the China Southern University of Science and Technology, teaching academic English. Working with some of the brightest university students in China was a truly rewarding experience, but the workload was quite heavy. So, in January 2018, I transferred to a foreign language high school closer to my home. My work at the highschool was greatly appreciated, and I was given the freedom to produce my own teaching content. This allowed me to have more time to work on my own creative projects and to freelance as an art teacher on weekends and evenings.

During this time, my ideas about rotating patterns and visual engagement really began to take shape. I was also exploring ideas in photography, broadening my painting skills, and further defining my artistic goals and aspirations.

9. Selected works

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In the decade before about 2015, I had become convinced that conventional painting was dead. However, my feelings abruptly changed! I found myself increasingly sensitive to the reality that my innate sense of creativity had been significantly influencing my work as a teacher/trainer and also other aspects of my life. This realisation acted as a catalyst for a renewed interest in creating.

I started painting, using my iPad 2 as a drawing tool, and even participated in a friend’s traditional Chinese painting class. I made relatively quick progress and began posting work on the popular Chinese social media website, “WeChat”. This led to opportunities to connect with other artists and to teaching opportunities related to drawing and painting. I even had a small exhibition in a gallery in Shenzhen.

2015 to 2017

10. The Hong Kong years

In the mid-1990s, I was yearning for a change. To be honest, I detested my job as an operating room nurse in the neurosurgery department at the Toronto Western Hospital. My partner, also a nurse, was a native of Hong Kong and after discussing our options, we decided to leave Toronto.

In June 1996, we arrived in Hong Kong and settled into a small 350 square foot apartment on Hong Kong Island. Our primary focus was earning money, but somehow, between work and pursuing an MBA, I managed to teach a drawing class, do some freelancing, and even manage to get some of my own work done.

However, after several years, other priorities began to take precedence. Additionally, the increasingly saturated world of digital images made me question the relevance of my creative skillset. It seemed that my creative dreams were quickly fading away.

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1996 / 2002

The Toronto years

The Toronto years truly marked the beginning of a new direction in my life. The primary reason for moving from Vancouver was to seize economic opportunities that were only available in Canada’s economic heartland.

Shortly after settling in Toronto, a friend of my dad suggested that I pursue a career in nursing. So, in September 1986, I enrolled in a three-year nursing program at George Brown College.

During my college years, painting was not a priority, but once I graduated and having secured a job at the Toronto Hospital, I found time to nurture my artistic interests. In hindsight, my artwork began to develop a distinct style and a sense of maturity.

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1985 to 1995

12. The Vancouver years

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1980 -1985

For most of my time in Vancouver, I maintained a living through my self-owned art store and picture-framing gallery, ArtVest Graphics, located at 57 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver.During this period, my primary work involved mixed media, where I experimented with coloured photocopied (xeroxed) images, sometimes combined with paint or other materials, on paper.

13. Studio Program in Art, The Banff Centre

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1978/1980 (four semesters)

I attended the Studio Program in Art at the Banff Centre for four semesters between 1978 and 1980. The programme provided ample space for large-scale work, and I also had access to a woodworking shop.

During my time at the school, the artist in residence was Takeo Tanabe. He was an excellent mentor and played a pivotal role in helping me find my direction in life.