Since 2018 David Powell has been making work about the British alternative music scene.
Many of the bands Powell is interested in were given a platform on John Peel’s radio show, if they got too famous he’d usually stop playing them, after all it was about giving exposure to unknown and new forms of music at the margins of the mainstream. Powell's emotional connection with these bands began in they teens at a time when Powell's only goals were to go to art school and see as many bands as possible.
Powell's lifelong fascination with alternative bands and their legacies has more or less defined his practice. The paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures and zines they make refer to fandom, collective identification and the material object.
At its core Powell's work explores collective memory while embracing social dynamics that strives to bring different audiences together.
David Powell is interested in working with people from different culturally creative spheres with an emphasis on inclusivity and new forms of collaboration. He is seeking new exchanges and reflections on music, literature and art.