David Howe — Shaoul + Howe

David Howe

David Howe’s work probes the elemental contradiction between our needs for freedom and stability, exploring humankind’s neverending oscillation between open and closed systems.. Informed by his training as a photographer and his background in film, Howe’s practice is research-based, multifaceted and conceptual. His medium is defined by the project, and includes lens-based work, painting, sculpture, installation and video.

Educated at Harvard and the International Center for Photography, Howe has also curated numerous exhibitions and directed films on contemporary artists for Art21. Recently, Howe published his first artist's book, Trace Elements.

David Howe’s C.V. >

Book of Dread, 2020. The Book of Dread is a continuation of the ‘Security Blanket’ project begun in 2015. Each blanket image is presented across the fold of a 67 x 45 inch stainless steel ‘book.’ The viewer flips the pages, encountering simultaneously the comforting softness of the blankets and their disturbing depictions. Courtesy of the artist.

Tent Field: Contested Territory, 2019. 42 Social Club, Lyme, CT. Tent Field: Contested Territory, 2019, is an installation designed specifically for the 42 Social Club location in Lyme, Connecticut. On this site embedded with the histories of the Pequot tribal people and the arrival of the English colonists, the tents populate the woods and act as mute interrogators of the invisible histories of the land. The ground becomes content. Courtesy of the artist.

SPRING/BREAK Art Show, 2019. 866 UN Plaza, NYC. The Security Blankets collaboration with Anita Cruz-Eberhard was included in SPRING/BREAK Art Show during Armory week for it’s eighth year. Entitled "Security Blankets US" as part of the show’s 2019 theme Fact and Fiction, ten 60×80 inch and seven 30×40 inch blankets were exhibited as a labyrinth in a 10×10 mylar-walled space.

Peers, 2018. Trestle Projects, NYC. This exhibition included work by six artists who examine the accessibility of surveillance in our current culture and reflect on our ambivalent relationship with cameras. The works opened up a philosophical dialogue about security, privacy, and recreational entertainment. The Security Blankets reflect on the increased societal dependency on images to represent truth or facts. Courtesy of the artist.

The Show Me State, 2015. Auxiliary Projects, NYC. The Security Blankets collaboration with Anita Cruz-Eberhard was part of a group show at Auxiliary Projects, entitled The Show Me State. Courtesy of the artist.

Noorderlicht Photo Festival, 2015. Groningen, Netherlands. The Security Blanket project was prominently displayed at Noorderlicht Photo Festival in Groningen, Netherlands. As part of the festival’s main theme exhibition, Data Rush, 16 blankets were hung near the center of the hall for visitors to see and touch. Courtesy of the artist.

NSA Headquarters on Fire 2019, found photograph, altered. Courtesy of the artist.

Scratching the Surface: Proto-narratives of Contemporary Life, photograph. Courtesy of the artist.