Kasmin Gallery
Skip to main content
  • Menu
  • Home
  • Artists
  • Exhibitions
  • Fairs
  • News
  • The Kasmin Review
    • In Conversation
    • Weekend Long Reads
    • Storyboard
    • Studio Visits
    • Screenings
    • All
  • Books
  • About
Menu
  • Current
  • Past
  • Online

Ian Davenport

Past exhibition
April 2 – May 2, 2009 293 Tenth Avenue, New York
  • Works
  • About the Artist
  • Explore
  • Paul Kasmin Gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition of new paintings by Ian Davenport from April 2nd through May 2nd, 2009 with a private view on April 2nd. 

    Throughout his career, Davenport has approached making paintings by developing rigorous and typically, highly physical techniques. With the 'Puddle Paintings' he pours lines of water-based paints from a heavy-duty syringe on to aluminum or stainless steel panels and then allows gravity to pull the paint down the surface of the work. Davenport manipulates the angle of the bottom of each panel, prompting the liquid lines of paint to pool and gather, orchestrating the multi-coloured puddling that occurs at the base, but ultimately relinquishing control of this part of the process, encouraging the paint to surrender to its liquid nature. 

  • (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
  • The surfaces of the panels are carefully prepared, the background colour providing the title of each work - such as Puddle Painting: Magenta illustrated above. The quality of the surface and seemingly effortless finish of the works belies the physical effort and touch required to execute this fine balance - technical control of his medium co-existing with invited chance.

    Davenport uses colour as a tool to explore light, rhythm and surface. The formal simplicity of the repeated vertical line allows him the freedom to investigate colour relationships, sometimes daringly juxtaposed, sometimes quietly residing next to each other, line beside line.  These sequences are carefully choreographed but are guided by Davenport's intuitive response to colour and its sensory power.  

    The essence of the paintings, in the artist's own words, "is the richness of the final outcome, which is intertwined with a set ofprocedures." Davenport is employing both chance and control – creating paintings which are simultaneously linear and flared, strict and malleable.

    Born in Kent, 1966, Davenport studied at Goldsmith's college of Art in London, graduation in 1988 with a B.A. in Fine Art. He was included in the seminal Freeze exhibition of 1988 and was nominated for the Turner prize in 1991. He has exhibited nationally and internationally, represented by Waddington Galleries in London. His work is in the collection of the Tate Gallery, London, the Weltkunst Collection, Zurich and the Dallas Museum of Art, Texas. The artist lives and works in London.  

     

  • Works
    • Ian Davenport, Brilliant Blue 2, 2020
      Ian Davenport, Brilliant Blue 2, 2020
      Inquire
      %3Cspan%20class%3D%22title%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EIan%20Davenport%3Cspan%20class%3D%22artist_comma%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title%22%3EBrilliant%20Blue%202%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_comma%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22year%22%3E2020%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E
    • Ian Davenport, Puddle Painting: Green, 2009
      Ian Davenport, Puddle Painting: Green, 2009
      Inquire
      %3Cspan%20class%3D%22title%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EIan%20Davenport%3Cspan%20class%3D%22artist_comma%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title%22%3EPuddle%20Painting%3A%20Green%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_comma%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22year%22%3E2009%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E
    • Ian Davenport, Puddle Painting: Red, 2009
      Ian Davenport, Puddle Painting: Red, 2009
      Inquire
      %3Cspan%20class%3D%22title%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EIan%20Davenport%3Cspan%20class%3D%22artist_comma%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title%22%3EPuddle%20Painting%3A%20Red%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_comma%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22year%22%3E2009%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E
    • Ian Davenport, Puddle Painting: Black, 2009
      Ian Davenport, Puddle Painting: Black, 2009
      Inquire
      %3Cspan%20class%3D%22title%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EIan%20Davenport%3Cspan%20class%3D%22artist_comma%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title%22%3EPuddle%20Painting%3A%20Black%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_comma%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22year%22%3E2009%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E
    • Ian Davenport, Puddle Painting: Anthracite Black, 2009
      Ian Davenport, Puddle Painting: Anthracite Black, 2009
      Inquire
      %3Cspan%20class%3D%22title%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EIan%20Davenport%3Cspan%20class%3D%22artist_comma%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title%22%3EPuddle%20Painting%3A%20Anthracite%20Black%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_comma%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22year%22%3E2009%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E
    • Ian Davenport, Puddle Painting: White, 2008
      Ian Davenport, Puddle Painting: White, 2008
      Inquire
      %3Cspan%20class%3D%22title%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EIan%20Davenport%3Cspan%20class%3D%22artist_comma%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title%22%3EPuddle%20Painting%3A%20White%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_comma%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22year%22%3E2008%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E
    • Ian Davenport, Puddle Painting: Magenta, 2008
      Ian Davenport, Puddle Painting: Magenta, 2008
      Inquire
      %3Cspan%20class%3D%22title%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EIan%20Davenport%3Cspan%20class%3D%22artist_comma%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title%22%3EPuddle%20Painting%3A%20Magenta%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_comma%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22year%22%3E2008%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E
    • Ian Davenport, Puddle Painting: Light Blue Permanent, 2008
      Ian Davenport, Puddle Painting: Light Blue Permanent, 2008
      Inquire
      %3Cspan%20class%3D%22title%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EIan%20Davenport%3Cspan%20class%3D%22artist_comma%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title%22%3EPuddle%20Painting%3A%20Light%20Blue%20Permanent%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_comma%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22year%22%3E2008%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E
    • Ian Davenport, Puddle Painting: White, 2008
      Ian Davenport, Puddle Painting: White, 2008
      Inquire
      %3Cspan%20class%3D%22title%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EIan%20Davenport%3Cspan%20class%3D%22artist_comma%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title%22%3EPuddle%20Painting%3A%20White%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_comma%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22year%22%3E2008%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E
  • About the Artist

    Ian Davenport
    Photograph by Henry Bond

    Ian Davenport

    For over 20 years, Ian Davenport has made paintings by pouring paint onto a tilted surface. Driven by an enduring fascination with the materiality of paint, he goes to work using his signature technique, which delivers elegant vertical lines cascading down the panels into rich puddles of color. Davenport’s control is evident in the carefully composed series of colors that populate his paintings, which are experiments in color relationships guided by his intuition and mastery of the subject. Davenport often uses the colors in the historical work as a reference point to initiate his own color sequences and explorations of movement, surface and light. In so doing, he questions how color gives shape to a picture, helping to structure the background and foreground in representational pictures, and produce rhythm and dynamism in abstract art.

    Learn More

  • Join our Newsletter

    Signup

    * denotes required fields

    We will process the personal data you have supplied in accordance with our privacy policy (available on request). You can unsubscribe or change your preferences at any time by clicking the link in our emails.

  • Explore

    • Alma Allen on Park Avenue
      Exhibitions

      Alma Allen on Park Avenue

      May 2 – September 30, 2025

      In Alma Allen's largest outdoor installation to date, ten unique bronze and onyx sculptures including examples reaching over 10 feet tall and realized especially for the exhibition, are on view at eight sites that span the Park Avenue Malls between East 52nd and East 70th Streets.

      Explore Now
  • Explore
    • Diana Al-Hadid
    • Alma Allen
    • Theodora Allen
    • Sara Anstis
    • Ali Banisadr
    • Tina Barney
    • Judith Bernstein
    • JB Blunk
    • Mattia Bonetti
    • William N. Copley
    • Cynthia Daignault
    • Ian Davenport
    • Max Ernst
    • Liam Everett
    • Leonor Fini
    • Barry Flanagan
    • Walton Ford
    • Jane Freilicher
    • vanessa german
    • Daniel Gordon
    • Alexander Harrison
    • Elliott Hundley
    • Robert Indiana
    • Lee Krasner
    • Les Lalanne
    • Matvey Levenstein
    • Lyn Liu
    • Robert Motherwell
    • Jamie Nares
    • Nengi Omuku
    • Robert Polidori
    • Jackson Pollock
    • Elliott Puckette
    • Alexis Ralaivao
    • George Rickey
    • James Rosenquist
    • Mark Ryden
    • Jan-Ole Schiemann
    • Joel Shapiro
    • Bosco Sodi
    • Dorothea Tanning
    • Naama Tsabar
    • Bernar Venet
Back to Past exhibitions

509 West 27th Street

New York
Monday–Thursday, 10am–5pm
Friday, 10am–4pm
+1 212 563 4474
info@kasmingallery.com

 

297 Tenth Avenue

New York
Monday–Thursday, 10am–5pm
Friday, 10am–4pm
+1 212 563 4474
info@kasmingallery.com

 

Kasmin Sculpture Garden

New York
On view from The High Line at 27th Street
Monday–Sunday, 7am-11pm
+1 212 563 4474
info@kasmingallery.com

Instagram, opens in a new tab.
Send an email
Join the mailing list
Manage cookies
© 2025 Kasmin Gallery
Site by Artlogic

This website uses cookies
This site uses cookies to help make it more useful to you. Please contact us to find out more about our Cookie Policy.

Manage cookies
Accept

Cookie preferences

Check the boxes for the cookie categories you allow our site to use

Cookie options
Required for the website to function and cannot be disabled.
Improve your experience on the website by storing choices you make about how it should function.
Allow us to collect anonymous usage data in order to improve the experience on our website.
Allow us to identify our visitors so that we can offer personalised, targeted marketing.
Save preferences
Close

Join our Newsletter

Signup

* denotes required fields

We will process the personal data you have supplied in accordance with our privacy policy (available on request). You can unsubscribe or change your preferences at any time by clicking the link in our emails.