Ian Davenport

Waddington Custot is pleased to present ‘Reflections’, a survey exhibition that celebrates the remarkable breadth of Ian Davenport’s (b. 1966) career. Spanning the late 1980s to the present, the paintings and drawings include early experimental pieces made right after Davenport graduated from Goldsmiths college, alongside the Puddle Paintings for which he is best known. ‘Reflections’ marks Davenport’s 11th solo exhibition with the gallery since his debut show in 1990.

The exhibition opens with the early, monumental work ‘Untitled (Large White)’ (1991). This canvas, measuring over 6 metres wide, formed part of the work that earned Davenport’s nomination for the Turner Prize that year, making him the youngest artist ever shortlisted. The impact of ‘Untitled (Large White)’ is articulated in the 1991 Turner Prize catalogue: ‘tempered by strict systemisation, the luxuriant surfeit of paint, which is sometimes almost sculptural in effect, nevertheless achieves a sensuousness that belies Davenport’s deliberately anti-aesthetic, almost dumbly direct surface.’

As early as the 1980s, Davenport was developing his unconventional, process-led approach to painting. On view are two Erased Lines pieces, a 1988 series that used household paint and white spirit to create translucent, dripping marks. For ‘Electric Fan Study on Black’ (1989) Davenport used a fan to spray gloss paint into thin, thread-like strands. The resulting white streaks buzzing across a black background embrace chaos and frantic energy. In Davenport’s Watering Can Drawings (1992), diagonal trails criss-cross to form a fluid mesh across the paper. Watering the garden during a hot summer in London, Davenport observed the sprinkles created by the hosepipe. He began copying those movements, swinging watering cans filled with diluted household paint onto the paper to mimic what he described as ‘balletic’ twists and turns.

Building on his interest in physical, gesture-based approaches, Davenport produced arch and circle paintings, many dating to the late 1990s and early 2000s, such as ‘Black, Red, Black (Arch)’ (1998). By pouring paint from the centre of a panel, he worked with gravity, lifting or rotating panels to manipulate the flow. The resulting forms are smooth and geometric, haloed by a thin line of impactful colour.

‘Reflections’ also traces the development of Davenport’s most iconic artistic method. Using syringes, he pours paint in precise colour sequences, delighting in the limitless potential of the compositions and the paradox between control and chance. ‘Qube’ (2007) and ‘Blossom’ (2023) showcase the artist’s mature style and mastery of colour relationships. It is these lines of colour that are synonymous with Davenport’s public installations, including ‘Poured Lines’ in Southwark Bridge, London (2006), ‘Giardini Colourfall’ at the Venice Biennale (2017) and ‘Poured Staircase’ at the Chiostro del Bramante, Rome (2022).

They are complemented by Davenport’s recent splatter paintings, which the artist sees as a counterpoint to the poured lines. The first example displayed is ‘Colours on Gridded Paper’ (2007) where the paint marks are placed within pencilled squares. Davenport soon sensed that his compositions required greater freedom, and in ‘Thick Splatter’ (2008) the arrangement of marks becomes more intuitive and irregular. The series has since evolved to a monumental scale, and ‘Night Dust’ (2024), in the main gallery space, contains what the artist describes as ‘ricochets and splinters of colour’ introducing a sense of playfulness and vitality.

The exhibition is accompanied by a new publication that offers a broader insight into the ideas underpinning Davenport’s practice. It brings together essays and reviews by leading critics and art historians, alongside a conversation between Ian and his brother, writer Philip Davenport, offering a more informal and intimate perspective on his process. The texts are interwoven with images of artworks, studio photographs and archival material, offering an intimate portrait of his practice. The catalogue is available to purchase on our website.