A Life of Poetry and Portraiture
David Robilliard was a British poet and contemporary artist born in Guernsey. After moving to London in 1975, he sought a career as a musician and a poet. While he had no formal training as a painter, he began making drawings and writing poetry during his early years in Guernsey. His creative output in London was deeply intertwined with the social scene of Soho, Shoreditch, and various London clubs. He was a close associate of Gilbert & George, who encouraged him to pair his written words with visual images.
His poetic works include the volumes Inevitable and Swallowing Helmets. In 1987, he distributed shorter poems on postcards to a mailing list. His artistic output between 1987 and 1988 consisted of almost all paintings, which were portraits of acquaintances, fellow artists, and anonymous people he observed.
Exhibitions and Legacy
Robilliard's work has been featured in several notable exhibitions, including:
His paintings are held in the permanent collections of the Tate Modern in London, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, and the Arts Council Collection. His work was also the subject of a retrospective exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London in 2014.
Questions & Answers
Which artworks by David Robilliard are the most viewed?
Statistics about David Robilliard's works are available on the artist's Stats page.
Is there a chronological account of David Robilliard?
David Robilliard's career unfolds period by period on the artist's Chronicle page: a horizontal timeline of the artworks, grouped into career-period chapters.
In which historical period did David Robilliard work?
David Robilliard worked in the Contemporary period. The period situates the artist's activity in history.
In which movements did David Robilliard work?
David Robilliard's works can be browsed by movement on the artist's All Movements page.
