David Getty

He received his Undergraduate Degree in Fine Art from St. Olaf College and a Masters in Architecture from Rhode Island School of Design in 2010. David is trained in wood construction from the Aalto University (Finland). He has worked as project architect for the award-winning Salmela Architect (Finnish-American) in Duluth, Minnesota (USA) before relocating to Jakarta, Indonesia in 2014 to start an Architectural firm with his wife Stephanie (also a RISD ARCH Grad). Relocating to Melbourne in 2021.

"Sincere Constructive Spirit"

Eliel Saarinen (Finnish Architect, 1873-1950) said craft arises from repetition of a known skill-set but ultimately hinges on the maker embodying a “sincere constructive spirit”. Those three words to me are at the forefront of setting out to make any artwork. It is that quality or state of mind of being honest with oneself, ideas and materials that imbues made objects with meaning. We recognize common building materials. For example; the board, the brick, or sheet of plywood carries with it a historical significance and a preset of standards and dimensions. There is a cultural familiarity to these raw materials and a general understanding as to their purpose and capabilities. Reworking these basic singular building materials suggests another scale, finer, more detailed versions of the old adage; how to get the most out of something. What can you make with one board or one sheet of plywood; can waste material have just as much meaning as the final assembled work? I explore these artistic treatments and tool actions to introduce a further preciousness that all raw materials have embodied within them, however common or ubiquitous.

Contact:

david@surroundingobjects.com