David Breuer-Weil

David Breuer-Weil (born 1965) is an artist in London. His work has been exhibited worldwide. He works mainly on large canvases. Recently he has also worked on large bronze sculptures.

Biography

David Breuer-Weil studied at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design from 1985, where he was taught by Shelley Faussett, one of Henry Moore's assistants. He later studied English Literature at Clare College, Cambridge. Following his graduation, he was awarded a bursary at Sotheby's, where he underwent the standard training in various departments.

The Projects

Suburb 2 (Secret), 2008, oil on canvas, 200 x 344cm part of Project 4

"Jerusalem as the Center of the World" in Jerusalem

Breuer-Weil has labeled his collections of work as 'Project 1', 'Project 2', etc. 'Project 1' was completed during 1997–2001 and exhibited in the crypt of the Roundhouse in Camden Town, London. 'Project 2' (2003) was exhibited at the Bargehouse on the South Bank of the River Thames. 'Project 3' (2007) was exhibited in a disused multi-storey car park in Covent Garden. 'Project 4' (2007–2011), included themes of homeland, territory and belonging, and its motifs included fire, water, boxes, scrolls, books, feet, bricks, bubbles and Buddha-like seated figures.^[1]

Breuer-Weil will also show work in traditional "white cube" gallery spaces if the opportunity arises.

Visitor

David Breuer-Weil standing beside his sculpture Visitor, exhibited at Sotheby's Beyond Limits at Chatsworth House, 2010

In 2010 Breuer-Weil exhibited Visitor at Sotheby's 'Beyond Limits' selling exhibition at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire.^[2] Visitor is a self-portrait sculpture of the top half of Breuer-Weil's head. The artist’s fingerprints are greatly enlarged on the surface of the sculpture.

Breuer-Weil exhibited Visitor 2 at the 2011 'Beyond Limits' show, also at Chatsworth House.^[3] In Visitor 2, Breuer-Weil presents a giant human form that has landed on the earth from above, an alien or fallen angel.

Breuer-Weil claimed, “With Visitor 2 I wanted to create a piece with the timeless simplicity of the Avebury Stones or Stonehenge, but infused with humanity and dynamism, and with a sense of the mystical and primeval... At the same time I have this idea of the absurdity of the human condition, a Monty Python-like surreal sense of humor that is part of the way I view reality."^[4]

In an interview with James Hyman, Breuer-Weil commented, "I find that sculpting in clay is in some ways more like painting than painting itself… I am definitely aware of the rich history and symbolism of making figures out of the earth, out of clay, because according to most ancient sources, notably the Bible, the first man was literally made out of earth and in fact the very word Adam means earth: there is the almost alchemical idea that when you use paint or clay you are creating a life force.”.^[5]

Breuer-Weil is working on public installations for venues in London in 2012 and 2013.

Monograph

Cover of David Breuer-Weil: Radical Visionary, Skira, 2011

David Breuer-Weil: Radical Visionary was published by Skira, Milan, in August 2011.^[6] It covers the history of Breuer-Weil's career. It is currently (2013) the only monograph on Breuer-Weil's work. It includes images of over 200 works, essays by art historians Monica Bohm-Duchen, James Hyman, Ben Hanly, Richard Aronowitz, Susie Stanton Staikos, Simon Blomfield and John Russell Taylor.

Exhibitions

Solo Shows

• 2009 'Anorexic Babes' – Hayek Contemporary Art Centre, Jaffa, Israel
• 2008 'The Vogue Landscapes' – Alon Zakaim Fine Art, London, UK
• 2007 'Project 3' – Ben Uri Museum, Covent Garden, London, UK
• 2007 'Codex' – Biblion, London, UK
• 2006 'Breuer-Weil: Drawings’ – Lyon & Turnbull, London, UK
• 2004 ‘Parallel Worlds’ – Boundary Gallery, London, UK
• 2003 ‘Project 2’ – The Bargehouse, OXO Tower Wharf, London, UK
• 2003 ‘Extremes’ – Boundary Gallery, London, UK
• 2001 ‘Project 1’ – The Roundhouse, Camden Town, London, UK
• 2000 ‘Adult Toys’ – Soho House, London, UK
• 1999 ‘Fields of Dream: Drawings and Paintings’ – Boundary Gallery, London, UK
• 1999 ‘Painted Reliefs’ – Engel Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
• 1998 ‘Abstract Landscapes’ – Coningsby Gallery, London, UK
• 1997 Boundary Gallery, London, UK
• 1994 Boundary Gallery, London, UK
• 1993 Engel Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
• 1991 ‘Large Figurations’ – Sotheby’s, London, UK
• 1986 Clare College, Cambridge, UK
• 1985 Central Library, Cambridge, UK

Mixed Shows

• 2011 'Beyond the Human Clay' – James Hyman Fine Art, London, UK (also featured Frank Auerbach, Peter Doig, Angus Fairhurst, Peter de Francia, R.B. Kitaj, Henry Moore, Chris Ofili, and others.)
• 2011 ‘The Human Figure in 20th Century British Sculpture’ – Boundary Gallery, London, UK (also featured Jacob Epstein, Ghisha Koenig, Henry Moore, and others.)
• 2010 'Beyond Limits: Sotheby’s at Chatsworth’ – Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, UK (also featured Barry Flanagan, Subodh Gupta, Damian Hirst, Yue Minjun, Mark Quinn, and others.)
• 2010 ‘Apocalypse’ – Osborne Samuel Gallery, London, UK (also featured Frank Auerbach, David Bomberg, Marc Chagall, Jacob Epstein, R.B. Kitaj, and Leon Kossoff.)
• 2007 Alon Zakaim Fine Art, London, UK
• 2006 ‘Recent Acquisitions, 2001–2006’ – Ben Uri Gallery, The London Jewish Museum of Art, UK
• 2005 ‘Contemporary Masters’ – Engel Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
• 2005 ‘Closing the Door? Immigrants to Britain 1905–2005’ – The London Jewish Museum of Art, UK (also featured Chris Ofili, Qu Lei Lei, Amal Ghosh, and others)
• 2003 ‘Director’s Choice: Highlights from the Ben Uri Permanent Collection’ – The London Jewish Museum of Art, UK
• 2001 ‘The Ben Uri Story: From Art Society to Museum’ – Phillips Auctioneers in association Ben Uri Gallery, London, UK (also featured Frank Auerbach, David Bomberg, Antony Caro, Lucien Freud, Mark Gertler, Jacob Kramer, Leon Kossoff, and others.)
• 2001 ‘Mary R’ – Bourne Fine Art, Edinburgh, UK
• 2000 ‘The Land’ – Engel Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel (also featured Avigdor Arikha and Mordechai Ardon.)
• 1999 E1 Gallery, London, UK
• 1997 Engel Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
• 1996 Sotheby’s Artists, New York City
• 1995 Galerie Mantoux, Paris, France
• 1995 ‘The Colour Blue’ – Boundary Gallery, London, UK
• 1994 Mizel Museum, Colorado, USA
• 1994 Sotheby’s Artists, London, UK
• 1994 Engel Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
• 1985–88, 90, 94 Ben Uri Art Gallery, London, UK

Bibliography

• James Hyman, Monica Bohm-Duchen, Chris Craig, David Breuer-Weil: Radical Visionary, Skira, Italy, 2011
• James Hyman, Beyond the Human Clay, accompanying catalogue and essay to exhibition at James Hyman Fine Art, May 2011
• Susie Stanton Staikos, A Colossus on Canvas, Art of the Times, October 2007
• Monica Bohm-Duchen, Cave Paintings for the modern Soul,Jewish Renaissance, July 2007
• Julia Weiner, Arts New Venue – A Car Park, The Jewish Chronicle, 8 June 2007
• Michael C. Corballis, Think so?, Times Literary Supplement, 1 June 2007
• This Week...., Daily Express Magazine, 2 June 2007
• Artist finds space in huge NCP Car Park, Camden New Journal, 31 May 2007
• A Portrait of Blair in his Cups, Evening Standard, 21 January 2005
• Artistís Political Protest in Polystyrene, Ham & High, 21 January 2005
• Gerald Isaaman, His Cup Runneth Over, Camden New Journal, 10 March 2005
• Hickey Column, Daily Express, 4 March 2005
• Colin Gleadell, Contemporary Market, The Daily Telegraph, 28 February 2005
• Julia Weiner, Prize and Shine, Jewish Chronicle, 23 July 2004
• Lucy Siegle, My Chair, David Breuer-Weil, artist, The Observer Magazine (OM), 26 January 2003
• Helen Smithson, Braining Up Art, Ham & High, 24 January 2003
• Hephzibah Anderson, David Breuer-Weil, Project 2, Metro Life, The Evening Standard Magazine, 24–30 January 2003
• Private Galleries, Art, David Breuer-Weil, Metro Life, The Evening Standard Magazine, 24–30 January 2003
• John Russell Taylor, Social Conscience is Breaking Out All Over, The Times, 29 January 2003
• Hephzibah Anderson, David Breuer-Weil, Project 2, Metro Life, The Evening Standard Magazine, 31 January-6 February 2003
• A Taste of Europe, The Jerusalem Report, 12 August 2002
• Simon Rocker, Artistic Eurostars get Funding, Jewish Chronicle, 25 January 2002
• Monica Bohm-Duchen, The Jewish Quarterly, Spring 2001
• Julia Weiner, Fresh Paint, Jewish Chronicle, 9 February 2001
• Helen Smithson, Towering Tunnel Visions that Trap your Mind, Ham & High, 2 February 2001
• Colin Gleadell, Art Sales, The Daily Telegraph, 22 January 2001
• John Russell Taylor, Colossal Talent, The Times, 24 January 2001
• ArtReview, David Breuer-Weil, Artist's Eye, February 2000
• Helen Smithson, Neurotic Images at Hand, Ham & High, 10 September 1999
• John Russell Taylor, Breuer-Weil, The Times, 22 September 1999
• Julia Weiner, Oy 2K, The JC, 17 September 1999
• Breuer-Weil, The Week Magazine, 11 September 1999
• Simon Spungin, Breuer-Weil Takes a Sideways Look, International Herald Tribune, 16 July 1999
• Julia Weiner, The Artistís Lot, Jewish Chronicle, 25 April 1997
• Linda Talbot, Art: Breuer-Weil, Revealing the Myths Behind the Man, Ham & High, 8 September 1995
• Judith Glass, Rock Star, Jewish Chronicle, 18 November 1994
• Patricia Miller, Portrait of the artist as a member of staff, Evening Standard, 23 July 1991

References