Artist finds beauty in broken pieces

Written By Peter Allan

David Ives in front of Crows Commute, his commission for the Adidas Originals store in Vancouver. Photo submitted.

 

By Patricia Lane & David Ives

These in-their-own-words pieces are told to Patricia Lane and co-edited with input from the interviewee for the purpose of brevity.

David Ives sees beauty in the broken. He hopes his art will help us see the beauty and promise of reclaimed materials. This Vancouver-based mixed media artist and designer is passionate about redefining “waste” as things simply waiting to be repurposed.

Tell us about your work.

Perhaps the nail holes in a piece of cedar mean it is no longer usable for its first manufactured objective as a fence. For me, those same nail holes symbolize the stories that took place behind it. Maybe a leather sofa has been used so much it has wrinkles and the owner wants a new one. I see those wrinkles as evidence of the discussions and growth and sadness and joy that might have taken place by those who sat on it. For me, the things that make something unfit for its original purpose are the very things that give it unique value and elevate it to beauty.

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Peter Allan
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