David Gillanders’s practice is grounded in a response to the instability and complexity of contemporary life. As global events unfold with increasing urgency, ranging from political unrest and economic disparity to environmental degradation, his work reflects a sense of fragmentation that mirrors our collective reality. Rather than offering resolution, the images he creates are intended to hold space for contradiction, nuance, confusion, and the disorientation that defines the present moment.

This recent body of work developed from an interest in the physical infrastructure of electrical systems, such as transformers, turbines, and transmission lines. These objects, rooted in nineteenth-century technology, are visually compelling and suggestive of larger systems of control and dependency. What began as a study of energy networks and the transition to electrification evolved into a broader reflection on dysfunction. In the context of increasing global conflict and cultural instability, these machines became metaphors for systems that appear functional but are breaking down.

Gillanders has consistently explored themes of accumulation, fragmentation, and visual overload. These strategies are central to earlier series such as Ballast and The Garden and continue to inform the current approach. The work's chaotic piles and convoluted forms represent a world marked by complexity, contradiction, and systemic failure.

Although informed by research and cultural observation, the artist’s process is primarily intuitive. Meaning emerges through the act of making, allowing the work to evolve unexpectedly and remain open to interpretation. The resulting compositions are deliberately constructed to provoke questions about power, disorder, and how we visually process the chaos of the world around us.

David Gillanders was born in Toronto, Canada in 1968 and studied at the University of Western Ontario, London, and McGill University, Montreal. He is currently living and working in Ottawa, Canada. Recipient of grants from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the Ontario Arts Council, David Gillanders has exhibited his work widely in Canada and the United States. His work is held in a number of notable collections, among them the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, the MNBAQ Art Bank, the City of Ottawa Fine Art Collection, the Art Gallery of Northumberland, National Bank, Loto-Québec, and BMO Financial Group.