David Studwell wants to get more people to enjoy photos, paintings, and prints. The aim is to bring it to homes through popular topics such as his silkscreens of iconic celebrities from all eras. I took a look at some of his recent pieces of art.

In the past year, we have all had to stay indoors more than we would care. The term staring at four walls has never been more prominent, and while we have been looking at those walls, we have wanted to improve our homes as a nation.

DIY has increased, as has Interior Design, people taking on themselves to reimagine their rooms. Many have turned to art and, in particular, paintings and prints to make features within their homes.

An exciting artist David Studwell trained at Central Saint Martins School of Art, wants art to be more popular and available to a broader audience.

Rather than the staid images most people perceive art to be, David prints bright silkscreens with a mass appeal. They are also far more accessible than a Picasso, Monet or Pollock.

Studwell mixes that desire for value with the nation’s amplified love affair with retro films, music and TV shows, the cult of celebrity with a deep nostalgic vibe. Iconic, his silkscreens represent the culture of fame.

Marrying traditional printmaking techniques with a dynamic modern approach that captures the spirit of the sixties and seventies; prints of celebrated movie stars and musicians are saturated with vibrant colours, embracing Andy Warhol’s legacy.

Some silkscreens show the darker side of fame, full of nostalgia and Americana-police mug shots to show stars at their most vulnerable or at their most defiant.

He says: “My motive is to explore celebrity, its dark side as well as what we see in magazines or on TV. That is why I create the mugshots – to display the cracks and flaws – to prove they are only human like you or me.”

Studwell’s medium is Silkscreen printing with a very demanding level of technical precision, and he often incorporates razor-sharp diamond dust to finish his works. The signature look is a high-end classic Hollywood glamour, which evokes high fashion whilst eschewing fads.

David has exhibited in London, Germany, and the USA, pieces hang in private collections worldwide. They are collected by the likes of Kate Moss, Sheryl Crow and Nile Rodgers, amongst others.

David Studwell The Artist
David Studwell is a contemporary British artist and printmaker who has worked as an artist for over 20 years. He harnesses the spirit of the sixties and seventies, the cult of celebrity, and Warhol’s legacy to produce iconic screen prints.

David has a passion for photography, and his works showcase the history and technology of photographers in the 20th century. Studwell worked with Sir Elton John and renowned photographer Terry O’Neill to produce ‘Elton John: Home Run-Dodger Stadium 1975,’ a six-colour screenprint with diamond dust.

The print is a reworking of the iconic photograph, capturing Elton at the height of his fame in 1975. A special edition was co-signed by Elton and Terry and sold out immediately.

In 2019 a co-signed print was auctioned through the London Evening Standard, raising over £12k for the Elton John Aids Foundation.

For more information on David Studwell, please visit his website: www.davidstudwellgallery.co.uk.