Guiding viewer’s perception beyond the visual…
David Booth MRSS – a distinguished member of the Royal Society of Sculptors – stands as a significant voice in contemporary art. Holding the esteemed MRSS accreditation, a mark of established artists contributing meaningfully to the language of sculpture, Booth’s diverse practice spans a compelling range of mediums. From striking sculptures and immersive installations to intricate ceramics, evocative paintings, and innovative digital artwork, his creations demonstrate a profound engagement with form and material.
With a history of collaborations with numerous arts organizations and curators, Booth’s work has garnered national and international acclaim, featuring in prestigious art fairs, sculpture trails, and galleries, including a notable selection for the Venice Biennale in 2021. Steve Kinrade from Liverpool Noise caught up with him as part of the 2025 Monthly Creative Spotlight series….
“I want the viewer to be unsure of what they are looking at so that they can make the discovery.”
Your work often involves manipulating familiar materials in unexpected ways to create uncertainty and encourage closer inspection. Given your diverse practice encompassing sculpture, ceramics, and digital art, could you share an example of how you’ve transformed a material in a way that challenges its conventional perception?
David Booth: I do enjoy using unconventional materials and finding a process and method to sculpt the material in a transformative way. I want the viewer to be unsure of what they are looking at so that they can make the discovery – the material also has it own associations with it usual use which can add to the viewers reading of the work. For example I sculpted 45,000 balloons suspended in a church for Wirksworth Arts Festival commission which was made up of three colours – the proportions of which were a pie chart of the population census for 1801, 1901, 2001. This is an example of layering work with meaning from research for the viewer to discover. All 45,000 balloons were skewed so that they could no longer be blown up.
You have mentioned your interest in phenomenology and revealing something to the viewer in a perspicuous way. In your own work, how do you aim to guide the viewer’s perception and understanding of the piece beyond its immediate visual presence?
DB: The balloon sculpture is a good example of this. Another sculpture which does this is called “Sometimes You Don’t See”. It is a work made of hand-cut vinyl flooring, lacerated so that the material can be fluidly folded over a steel form. The floor should be stable but I have made it climb and twist as if trying to escape.
The idea of “reinventing” and “evolving” seems central to your thinking. As an artist with a broad practice and experience across different mediums, how do you see the act of artistic creation itself as a form of reinvention or evolution, both for the artist and potentially for the viewer?
DB: Your right “reinventing” and “evolving” is central to my think – I like the idea of subverting the original purpose of a material to say you can do something different – you don’t have to be. In this way I hope to give a viewer new eyes to discover possibilities.
As a Member of the Royal Society of Sculptors, you’ve been recognized for adding to the language of sculpture. How do you see your work contributing to contemporary sculptural discourse, particularly in relation to material innovation or site-specific interventions?
DB: I am proud to be a Member of the Royal Society of Sculptors and continue to work sculpting materials in a transformative way, to express and communicate with the viewer. I am also looking at ways I can use new technology, researching to keep up with new possibilities that I can add to my tools further layer my work with meaning and context.
Your own practice emphasizes responding directly to a space. Considering your experience with site-specific commissions like the one for St Mary’s Church in Wirksworth, what are some of the key factors you consider when initially engaging with a new site, and how does that inform your material and process choices?
DB: I research place but also importantly ensure I discuss practical constraints, risks of location – for example with the Wirksworth commission I could not drill or change the space – so the places the two sculptures were hung was dictated by the natural knot holes in the floor boards and the sculptures could only extend to a certain height so that the church services could continue as normal. Know the constraints you can then design your sculpture so that it is sympathetic to the site.
“I wanted the sculpture to be human scale so the viewer was eye to eye and could relate to the work.”
I would like to ask you about a particular piece of yours, Wings. What was the initial inspiration for the form and shape of this sculpture?
DB: I was thinking about escaping constraints on practicalities around sculpture. I wanted to create a peaceful, serene work which had a quiet flow and movement.
What materials did you use to create this piece, and why did you choose them?
DB: The work is three pieces of bent steel round bar that I had shaped. I brought the steel to site and then wrapped them in cling film creating the shapes you see. I wanted to spark conversation about material and form.
Was this sculpture created for a specific location or context? If so, how did the surroundings influence its design?
DB: The sculpture was exhibited for FLUX in the Royal College of Art opposite TATE Britain. I wanted the work to have a presence and be able to stand alongside bronze sculpture of other exhibiting artists. I wanted their to be an uncertainty of the material as the viewer approached.
Can you describe your process in creating this sculpture? Were there any particular challenges you faced?
DB: The steel bar was wrapped, evaluating and making decisions as I went – with multiple layers – wrapping it over the curves to solidify it’s shape. I wrapped it so that it was difficult to immediately see the steel support. The challenge was deciding on the final form. I actually created several versions which I photographed in different positions.
The sculpture has a dynamic and flowing quality. What ideas or concepts were you exploring in terms of movement or stillness?
DB: Yes, I like that the sculpture has both fluidity and calm. It has a grace and abstract shape that I interpreted as Wings. To be free to create without sculptural constraints of transport, weight, size and funds.
What feelings or interpretations do you hope viewers will experience when encountering this artwork?
DB: Firstly, uncertainty about the material as the outside light hits it. I also wanted the viewer to see that the beauty of a form can have value even if the material does not. It could be seen as a giant maquette or a finished piece.
Are there any specific artists or art historical movements that influenced your approach to this work?
DB: I was influenced by Richard Deacon and Tara Donovan for their transformative use of materials.
What is the significance of the scale of the sculpture in relation to the viewer and its environment?
DB: It is interesting what scale can bring to the viewers encounter to a sculpture. For Wings I wanted the sculpture to be human scale so the viewer was eye to eye and could relate to the work.
You’ve exhibited at prestigious events like the Venice Biennale and FRESH AIR Sculpture Biennial. How does the context of such different exhibition environments influence your approach to presenting your work and engaging with a diverse audience?
DB: With those opportunities the placement is made by the venue curators who have selected the work which is sometimes made especially for the curators theme – as was “The Four Horses” for Venice Biennial. It does bring the work to a diverse audience and takes courage.
Considering your diverse practice and my own interest in ephemeral, site-specific works, have you ever explored the intentional creation of temporary or impermanent sculptures, and what are your thoughts on the unique challenges and rewards of such approaches?
DB: I enjoy making ephemeral work, such as “Silent Cries” that was made out of folded hazard tape and “What holds, floats” made out of folded packaging tape floating on water. (see attached).The challenge is capturing the ephemeral work so that you capture an image that can live on. The reward is the immediacy and concentrated time to produce, you can loose yourself in the work. I like the association with fragility.
“Listen to your instincts and know that the honesty of the material can be important.”
Reflecting on your varied experiences, from gallery exhibitions to site-specific commissions and public programmes, what advice would you offer to an artist who is particularly drawn to responding to specific contexts and experimenting with unconventional materials to challenge viewers perceptions?
DB: I would say listen to your instincts and that the honesty of the material can be important. Look at juxtaposition of material and setting. Soft and hard. Research and experiment. Look for new ways. Fail and evaluate – sometimes something new emerges from failure!
To conclude, what has the rest of 2025 got in store for you?
DB: I will be working from my gallery and studio space “The Wayfarers Arts” in the beautiful victorian glass arcade, on historic Lord St, Southport PR8 1NT. I am always looking to make new connections, commissions and continue exhibiting!
For more info follow David on Instagram @davidboothmrss.
David Booth was In Conversation with Steve Kinrade.
