CV & Biography

David Aston is a British artist (b. Edinburgh) working at the intersection of art, science and anthropology. Educated in art, history and antiquities, and working as both an artist and change consultant, David is fascinated by time and change. This fascination is reflected in his broad research-based practice, which looks at humanity through a diachronic lens (through time) and asks questions about our collective humanity and culture in our age of accelerated change.

David’s multi-disciplinary research draws upon a broad spectrum of subjects - from digitisation, humanity, surveillance and post-internet models of engagement, technological determinism and Artificial Intelligence, the Anthropocene and future of species, and the universe, space and time. Always asking what these changes mean for us as humans. His multimedia works observe our transition to an age where we need to attest our humanity to machines, fight for our rights to data, question our collective cultural legacy through acts of digital archeology, and experiment with technological, AI, and scientific possibilities, predictions and gamification.

Examples include the multi-year Attest you are human series, which explores the profound and randomness at point in human evolution where we need to attest our humanity to machines, and Jus Data, which creates a permanent monument to our right to data at time when this most contested, and Oracle and the 5050 by 2050 series, which engages in future predictions on the probable date of general (or human-level) artificial and super intelligence.

David's earlier sculptural photographic works explore themes of identity, anonymity, commoditisation and copyright through the curation of anonymous 19th century photographs and social histories. These early works also explore the potential for both copyright and copywrong in the re-evaluation of historical and personal objects.

David is an elected member of the Royal Society of Sculptors (MRSS). His work has been shown nationally and internationally in exhibitions including the Whitechapel Gallery, Royal Academy, The Royal Scottish Academy, The Royal West of England Academy, Royal Society of Sculptors, The London Group, the BBA Gallery, Berlin and The Other Art Fair London & New York.

In 2022-3 David was short listed for the John Ruskin Prize, the East London Art Prize, the BBA Gallery Art Prize, Berlin, and awarded a residency at Marchmont House with the Royal Society of Sculptors. David was long-listed for The Aesthetica Art Prize in 2024, 2022 and 2020, and the John Ruskin Prize in 2019.

AWARDS & RESIDENCIES
2024 | John Ruskin Prize (short listed)
2024 | Aesthetica Art Prize (long listed)
2023 | Marchmont House Residency with the Royal Society of Sculptors | Marchmont House | Scotland
2023 | East London Art Prize (short listed) https://bowarts.org/event/east-london-art-prize-shortlist-exhibition/
2023 | Aesthetica Art Prize (long listed) https://aestheticamagazine.com/profile/david-aston-2/
2022 | BBA Gallery Art Prize (short listed)
2020 | Aesthetica Art Prize (long listed) https://aestheticamagazine.com/profile/david-aston/
2019 | The John Ruskin Prize (long listed)
2019 | A-N Mentoring Award

COLLECTIONS
Marchmont House https://www.marchmonthouse.com

TALKS & EDUCATION
2023 | Whitechapel Gallery | East London Art Prize x Whitechapel Gallery | In conversation with Anders Sandberg on the intersection of art & AI | Whitechapel Gallery | London: https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/events/east-london-art-prize-x-whitechapel-gallery/
2024 | UCL East | Knowledge exchange lab: Earthly Values - Art, Research and Co-Existence with UCL East: https://bowarts.org/event/elap-knowledge-exchange-lab-earthly-values-ucl-east/

PUBLICATIONS
2023 | East London Art Prize x Whitechaple Gallery | London | https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/events/east-london-art-prize-x-whitechapel-gallery/
2023 | London Group Open | https://www.thelondongroup.com/the-open-2023-catalogue/
2023 | East London Art Prize | https://bowarts.org/event/east-london-art-prize-shortlist-exhibition/
2022 | BBA Gallery | https://bba-gallery.com/berlin/prizes/bba-artist-prize-2022
2022 | The Aesthetica Art Prize Anthology | Future Now 2022: https://shop.aestheticamagazine.com/collections/future-now-collection/products/future-now-2022
2021 | The Scottish Royal Academy Annual Exhibition: https://www.rsaannualexhibition.org/content/viewing-room/61/artworks-6927-david-aston-a-test-you-are-human/
2021 | Society of Scottish Artists (SSA) | Instant https://ssa.viewingrooms.com/viewing-room/10-instant/
2021 | Society of Scottish Artists (SSA) | Sculpture Now https://ssa.viewingrooms.com/viewing-room/9-sculpture-now/
2020 | Royal ScottishAcademy Annual Exhibition: https://www.rsaannualexhibition.org/artists/
2020 | Royal West of England Academy Annual Exhibition: https://www.rwa.org.uk/products/buy-art-annual-open-563
2020 | The Aesthetica Art Prize Anthology: Future Now 2020 | https://aestheticamagazine.com/profile/david-aston/
2019 | The London Group Open | http://www.thelondongroup.com/the-london-group-open-2019-exhibitors-announced/
2018 | The Royal Academy: https://se.royalacademy.org.uk/2018/artworks/david-aston/781
2018 | Saatchi Art: https://canvas.saatchiart.com/the-other-art-fair/brooklyn-david-astons-attest-you-are-human-at-the-other-art-fair-brooklyn
2015 | The Royal Academy | Illustrated ISBN 9781907533952: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Summer-Exhibition-Illustrated-2015-Selection/dp/1907533958
2017 | Fad Magazine | The Other Art Fair London Top 5: https://fadmagazine.com/2017/03/31/top-5/
2012-2015 | Various self-published books. Some of which are available to view on blurb | https://www.blurb.co.uk/user/rmutt