David Molony
Ōtautahi Christchurch, NZ | April 2025
Link to the text on David’s website here.
This was a freelance commission done after an in-depth conversation about David’s practice in his studio.
He explained how complex his practice is, with heavy research into layered and broad subjects such as colour theory, phenomenology, symbolism, etc. He never knew how to explain his work to others and also found writing challenging, especially in describing his diverse ways of working. I was very happy to sit down with him and ask questions to prompt insights into his motivations and process.
First Draft with Comments:
David Molony is an Irish-born, lens-based artist currently living in Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand. He works daily in a studio at Toi Auaha as part of the Ōtautahi Arts district.
After graduating from Ara Te Pūkenga in 2020 with a BA in Design (Photography), he went on to obtain his MA in Creative Practice where he investigated the intricacies of abstract art literacy - and in turn, spur the question: how can one glean academic pleasure from colour, shape, and form? [can replace with specific research question too]
This all-encompassing research methodology simmers behind each project, before even looming close to the point of creation. Extensive layers of inquiry spanning across comprehensive fields such as colour theory, symbolism, the Baroque, [japanese philosophy of dark and light - is there a specific name for this concept you mentioned?], and phenomenology acts as essential fuel for an eventual release through the making of each painting or photograph.
Crucially, this release is intensive and controlled. Many photographic works take weeks to months of meticulous experimenting with analogue film and digital photographs before culminating into a final, unedited [do they sometimes go through manipulation?] image, ready for a quiet consumption. Paintings have been the result of planned rituals inciting raw emotions - for example, from listening to repetitions of curated music. Most recently, cherished family heirlooms of several silverware pieces have been passed down through the generations, containing the vital ‘mauri’ in them as they are used to make earnest marks in the paint. An unrestrained aggression is channelled for the arrival at a textured surface, feeling around in the dark.
While a large part of David’s body of work can appear darker in spirit, a remarkably hopeful sentiment glows behind his diverse portfolio. Personal near-death experiences and being informed of a mere 4% survival rate [don’t have to mention this part if too personal] has pulled life into focus - compressing only the important and meaningful into his lived experience.
The absolute appreciation of life itself naturally imbues each piece, as yonic and phallic imageries come into frequent play. As symbolic doors to life and pleasure, the human existence is depicted as the saying goes: ‘In darkness, there is light.’ Through this assured hope, the viewer is invited to feel for their own metaphors and derive individual meaning from the tactile, saturated pieces - engaging the body in the experience and reflecting the works’ immersive making process.
The philosophy of aesthetics will be a continuous, life-long investigation into how aesthetics are interpreted, how meaning is made from those interpretations, and finally, how this meaning concerns our real-world experiences.
Looking inwards, the artist has enjoyed what he found so far. Something dark, light, conscious, and hopeful. [can take this out if too wishy-washy!]
Final Version with the Artist’s Edits:
David Molony is an Irish-born, lens-based artist currently living in Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand. He works daily in a studio at Toi Auaha as part of the Ōtautahi Arts district. After graduating from Ara Te Pūkenga in 2020 with a BA in Design (Photography), he went on to obtain his MA in Creative Practice, where he investigated the intricacies of abstract art literacy - and in turn, spurred the question: How can I produce aesthetically pleasing and intellectually gratifying, expressive images, using colour, line, texture, and shape, independent of literary or anecdotal considerations?
This all-encompassing research methodology simmers behind each project, before even looming close to the point of creation. Extensive layers of inquiry spanning across comprehensive fields such as colour theory, symbolism, the Baroque, and Japanese philosophy of dark and light, inspired by Junichiro Tanizaki’s essay In Praise of Shaddows, and phenomenology act as essential fuel for an eventual release through the making of each painting or photograph. Crucially, this release is intensive and controlled. Many photographic works take weeks to months of meticulous experimenting with analogue film and digital photographs before culminating into a final, sometimes they go through a manipulated image process, ready for quiet consumption. Paintings have resulted from planned rituals inciting raw emotions, for example, from listening to repetitions of curated music. Most recently, cherished family heirlooms of several silverware pieces have been passed down through the generations, containing the vital ‘mauri’ in them as they are used to make earnest marks in the paint. An unrestrained aggression is channelled for the arrival at a textured surface, feeling around in the dark.
While a large part of David’s body of work can appear darker in spirit, a remarkably hopeful sentiment glows behind his diverse portfolio. Personal near-death experiences and being informed of a mere 4% survival rate have pulled life into focus, compressing only the important and meaningful into his lived experience.
The absolute appreciation of life itself naturally imbues each piece, as yonic and phallic imageries come into frequent play. As symbolic doors to life and pleasure, human existence is depicted as the saying goes: ‘In darkness, there is light.’ Through this assured hope, the viewer is invited to feel for their own metaphors and derive individual meaning from the tactile, saturated pieces, engaging the body in the experience and reflecting the works’ immersive making process. The philosophy of aesthetics will be a continuous, life-long investigation into how aesthetics are interpreted, how meaning is made from those interpretations, and finally, how this meaning concerns our real-world experiences.