David Mach is famed for making use of pre-existing materials and recognisable images to create ambitious and demanding sculpture installations and collages. Rising to prominence in the early 1980s, Mach was elected into the prestigious ranks of the Royal Academy whose illustrious members include Anish Kapoor, Norman Foster, David Hockney and Peter Blake. His work has been exhibited in museums, galleries and public spaces throughout the world.
In keeping with his high-octane energetic creative process, the artist has constantly created new departures for his work by employing a whole host of materials including; tyres, telephone directories, photographs, bricks, postcards, coat hangers, teddy bears, children’s toys, matchsticks, bottles and shoes. These are the raw components, the basic unit from which his artwork is created. More than just a modern artistic material, they lie at the core of his work and philosophy.
Recent work by the artist has seen him creating postcard collages and photographic collages. Traditionally Mach’s collages employ a variety of photographic units taken from a whole host of sources which are then superimposed over an incongruous backdrop. His new works feature the Hong Kong skyline and the results are typically Mach: playful, witty and subversive. In his postcard collages the postcard is the basic unit. By using famous icons in these postcard collages Mach demands a response from the viewer and religious, sexual and political concerns often come into play.
As well as exhibiting extensively Mach has also made a number of commissioned public sculptures in the UK. He has works in public collections at the Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool, the National Portrait Gallery, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Scottish National Portrait Gallery and the British Council collection among many others.
