David Mabb

Staff details

Position

Reader in Art and Programme Leader MFA Fine Art (Studio Practice)

Department

Art

Email

d.mabb (@gold.ac.uk)

Links

Instagram
@david_mabb

Academia.edu

David Mabb is an artist who works with appropriated imagery to rethink the political implications of different aesthetic forms in modern art and design history. Recent work has focussed on the designs of 19th Century English interior designer, writer and socialist William Morris. Mabb’s interest in Morris stems from the social and political connotations of Morris’ work, the continued relevancy of Morris’ politics and the continuing market for Morris’ designs. Mabb’s interpretations or reconfigurations of Morris’ designs consider the relationship between Morris’ own work and other forms of cultural production.

Academic qualifications

BA Fine Art Goldsmiths College 1980
MA Fine Art Chelsea School of Art 1981

Teaching and supervision

MFA Fine Art

Publications and research outputs

Show/Exhibition

Sweet Briar Leaves (from the painting of the same name by David Mabb, 2001, painted by Rajendra Sharma, 2005) Mabb, David. 2024. Sweet Briar Leaves (from the painting of the same name by David Mabb, 2001, painted by Rajendra Sharma, 2005). In: "Extempore 24", Tension Fine Art, London, United Kingdom, 22 February - 2 March 2024.
'Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful' Mabb, David. 2023. 'Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful'. In: "Sieh einmal die schönen Blumen", Jägerschere gallery for contemporary art, Niederer-Fläming Germany, Germany, 7 May - 11 June 2023.
‘Lietuva’ and ‘The Benetton Shop' from 'Art into Everyday Life’ Mabb, David. 2023. ‘Lietuva’ and ‘The Benetton Shop' from 'Art into Everyday Life’. In: "Outsiders Look at Vilnius", National Gallery of Art, Vilnius, Lithuania, 7 April - 11 June 2023.

Exhibition Catalogue

Announcer (broadsheet) Mabb, David. 2014. Announcer (broadsheet).
Commodity Form Drake, Colin and Mabb, David. 2008. Commodity Form.
Mabb: Art into Everday Life Mabb, David; Jablonskiene, Lolita and Rees, Simon. 2006. Mabb: Art into Everday Life.

Artist's Book

Furthermore … ‘a book of proposals’: Proposal for The Linosa Close Transitional Monument Mabb, David. 2004. Furthermore … ‘a book of proposals’: Proposal for The Linosa Close Transitional Monument.

Conference or Workshop Item

Dialectical Reversal in About Two Worlds Mabb, David. 2024. 'Dialectical Reversal in About Two Worlds'. In: ‘Pattern and Chaos in Art, Science and Everyday Life: Critical Intersections and Creative Practice’ Book Launch. Norwich University of the Arts, United Kingdom 19 March 2024.
The Kelmscott facsimile works and new book cover designs: Dialectical propositions Mabb, David. 2021. 'The Kelmscott facsimile works and new book cover designs: Dialectical propositions'. In: The Kelmscott Press and Its Legacies. St Bride Foundation, London, United Kingdom 6 November 2021.
William Morris’ ‘Tudor Rose’ and the Royal Navy Mabb, David. 2019. 'William Morris’ ‘Tudor Rose’ and the Royal Navy'. In: Morris & Co. Interiors A symposium organised by the National Trust. Art Workers Guild, London, United Kingdom 6 November 2019.

Art Object

A pattern of life Mabb, David. 2019. A pattern of life.
A Provisional Memorial to Nuclear Disarmament Mabb, David. 2016. A Provisional Memorial to Nuclear Disarmament.
Maid with Two Squares Mabb, David. 2016. Maid with Two Squares.

Article

News from SOMEWHERE Mabb, David. 2021. News from SOMEWHERE. The Journal of William Morris Studies, XXIV(1-2), pp. 88-94. ISSN 1756-1353
Annotations on Historical Materialism Conference Posters Mabb, David. 2021. Annotations on Historical Materialism Conference Posters. Folded Life, Talking Textile Politics,
Kehinde Wiley, The Yellow Wallpaper Mabb, David. 2020. Kehinde Wiley, The Yellow Wallpaper. Journal of William Morris Studies, XXIII(4), pp. 35-40. ISSN 1756-1353

Audio

David Mabb: Interview with Brainard Carey Mabb, David and Carey, Brainard. 2015. David Mabb: Interview with Brainard Carey.

Book Section

Dialectical Reversal in About Two Worlds Mabb, David. 2023. Dialectical Reversal in About Two Worlds. In: Sarah Horton and Victoria Mitchell, eds. Pattern and Chaos in Art, Science and Everyday Life: Critical Intersections and Creative Practice. Bristol: Intellect, pp. 222-228. ISBN 9781789388718
William Morris and the Culture Industry: Appropriation, Art, Critique Mabb, David. 2020. William Morris and the Culture Industry: Appropriation, Art, Critique. In: Florence S. Boos, ed. The Routledge Companion to William Morris. New York and Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 227-258. ISBN 9780415347433
Art Teaching: Dialectics of Practice and Theory Mabb, David and Malik, Suhail. 2017. Art Teaching: Dialectics of Practice and Theory. In: Peter Sonderen and Marijn de Langen, eds. Theory - Arts - Practices. Arnhem: ArtEZ Press, pp. 69-81. ISBN 978-94-91444-39-5

Art into Everyday Life Mabb, David. 2013. Art into Everyday Life. In: Marta Rabikowska, ed. The Everyday of Memory; Between Communism and Post-Communism. Oxford, Bern, Berlin, Bruxelles, Frankfurt am Main, New York, Wien.: Peter Lang, pp. 137-146. ISBN ISBN 978-3-0343-0847-2
Hijack: Morris Dialectically Mabb, David. 2010. Hijack: Morris Dialectically. In: Phillipa Bennett and Rosie Miles, eds. William Morris in the Twenty-First Century. (20) Oxford, Bern, Berlin, Bruxelles, Frankfurt am Main, New York, Wien: Peter Lang, pp. 153-166. ISBN 978-3-0343-0106-0
Morris/Fruit, Rodchenko/Triple Peaks Mabb, David. 2010. Morris/Fruit, Rodchenko/Triple Peaks. In: Gill Saunders, ed. Walls Are Talking: Wallpaper, Art and Culture. Chicago and London: The Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester and KWS Publishers.
Two series of paintings: Elegies to the Third International and Unrealised Projects Series Mabb, David. 2005. Two series of paintings: Elegies to the Third International and Unrealised Projects Series. In: Dave Beech and Mark Hutchinson, eds. There is Always an Alternative. London: Arts Council.
Interview Mabb, David. 2005. Interview. In: , ed. Pilot: 2. London: Pilot.
Artist Contribution in Transmission: Speaking and Listening Volume 3 Ornament and Utility Mabb, David. 2004. Artist Contribution in Transmission: Speaking and Listening Volume 3 Ornament and Utility. In: Emma Cocker; Lesley Sanderson and Sharon Kivlan, eds. Transmission: Speaking and Listening Volume 3 Ornament and Utility. Site Gallery. ISBN 9781899926510
Interview Mabb, David and et al.. 2004. Interview. In: , ed. Pilot:1 Q&A by Doriane Laithier. London: Pilot.
Art of the Stitch and Sample Mabb, David. 2003. Art of the Stitch and Sample. In: Polly Leonard, ed. Art of the Stitch and Sample. London: Embroiderers Guild.
David Mabb Mabb, David. 2002. David Mabb. In: , ed. Sidewinder. Calcutta: CIMA Gallery. ISBN 8187977019

Design

Haymarket Books, Historical Materialism book series, cover designs. Mabb, David. 2025. Haymarket Books, Historical Materialism book series, cover designs..
Historical Materialism Conference Poster 2024 Mabb, David. 2024. Historical Materialism Conference Poster 2024.
Historical Materialism London Conference Poster 2023 Mabb, David. 2023. Historical Materialism London Conference Poster 2023.

Digital

Historical Materialism (logo and graphics) Mabb, David. 2018. Historical Materialism (logo and graphics).
Image from Rhythm 69 for Journal of Socialist Studies/Études socialistes Mabb, David. 2018. Image from Rhythm 69 for Journal of Socialist Studies/Études socialistes.
Announcer Mabb, David. 2016. Announcer.

Film/Video

IDEA13 TV: Interview with artist DAVID MABB Focal Point Gallery 11 April 2014 Mabb, David. 2014. IDEA13 TV: Interview with artist DAVID MABB Focal Point Gallery 11 April 2014.
Art and Appropriation – when does artistic freedom become copyright infringement? Lubna, Arielle Gem and Mabb, David. 2011. Art and Appropriation – when does artistic freedom become copyright infringement?.

Printed Ephemera

Image for Cover for Cover Image Les Monde du Travail Mabb, David. 2023. Image for Cover for Cover Image Les Monde du Travail.
Construct 63 (Graveside Oration for Rosa Luxemburg: Morris, Golden Lily / Malevich, Suprematist Composition), 2006 Mabb, David. 2019. Construct 63 (Graveside Oration for Rosa Luxemburg: Morris, Golden Lily / Malevich, Suprematist Composition), 2006.
William Morris's Utopianism cover image David Mabb Mabb, David. 2017. William Morris's Utopianism cover image David Mabb.