QUAD/FORMAT is delighted to announce the FORMAT Graduate Award selected from the BA [Hons] Photography course at the University of Derby.

The residency is taking place from 17-24 June. David was selected as FORMAT Graduate Award from the BA [Hons] Photography course at the University of Derby.

Bio
David Brennan-Robinson is an emerging artist based in the Nottingham area. Creating images to invoke emotion and thought, through photography, art installations and the use of mixed media.

Brennan-Robinson began as a self-taught photographer who chose to expand his knowledge base, having recently completed his BA in Photography winning the Format award for his final exhibition.

Brennan-Robinson has always felt he had so many unanswered questions growing up, made to grow in a society where it seemed the only Black History taught and shown was predominantly negative and surrounding slavery. Upon becoming an adult and more so a father Brennan-Robinson felt it his duty to delve into Black History, the good the bad and the ugly.

Brennan-Robinson now uses this gained knowledge in his artwork to show the good, the bad and the ugly relating to the journey from slavery through to the present in the hope of making people think and question ‘is it ok?’, ‘was it ok?’ or even ‘should they just get over it?’

Artist Statement
My art is a journey of self-discovery, to be able to know me as a whole, I needed to explore Black history from the depths of slavery and beyond, the good, bad, and ugly that my history has to offer. I hate the bad and ugly depths that touch me, finding out how we as a race were treated, but even more so how horrifically Black men were treated as slaves. The abhorrent devices used for control and torture of the slaves led many to be seasoned. If not killed.

This installation allows the attestant to take part trying on a small sample of the inhuman devices. Acknowledging the past, being able to move forward.