David Brandy
Artist member since 2018
ProToronto, ON
David Brandy is an award-winning lens-based artist. His artistic mantra is, "Beauty can be strange. The strange can be beautiful." The essence of his art is in finding and making what at first glance may seem to be the ordinary, and then encouraging it to bring out its strangeness, and then bending that again to find its true beauty. His eye seems to focus on persuading beautiful things to reveal their “strange”. And his sense of joy delights in the fact that it may take a moment or two for his images to reveal themselves to you.
Brandy's main body of work, "Newer Topographics", presents man-altered landscapes that emphasize the strong sense of isolation humankind feels due to the juxtaposition of natural landscapes with solitary manmade constructs.
In March 2022, Brandy’s art was presented with two 15th Annual International Color Awards Nominee titles - one of the leading international awards honouring excellence in colour photography. His art was short-listed for the prestigious 2021 Aesthetica Art Prize, resulting in two of his images on display at the York Art Gallery, UK. He received an Emerging Artists by Emerging Curator Award at the 2019 Toronto Outdoor Art Fair. His art sold over-asking in the Curatorial Collection at SNAP 2019 - Toronto’s premier fine art photography auction. He was a short-listed finalist in both the Quest Art 2018 National Art Prize, and the 2017 Salt Spring National Art Prize.
Brandy’s art hangs in collectors residences and in commercial space across North America.
Q+A
Best season of the year in Toronto
Fall - best light of the entire year
Favourite musical artist / band right now
Bob Moses / Arkells / Bobby Bazini / London Grammar
When I'm not making art, I'm (a) ...
Creative Director for corporate/marketing events
Who do you consider a genius?
Emily Carr / Man Ray / Dorthea Lange / The Bechers
When did you start making art, and why?
Being an agency Creative Director for many years, I realized I needed another creative outlet to fulfil my inner "artist". Photography was it. I bought a Nikon DSLR and haven't looked back!
Favourite book
Illusions by Richard Bach
Select Past Exhibitions
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2019
2019
2018
2018
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Accolades
2021
2019
2019
2018
2017
Press
2023
2021
2021
2020
Education
2016
1979
Social
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