David Hancock

Fine Art, Manchester

David Hancock graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in 1996 and completed his Masters at Liverpool John Moores in 2010. He has exhibited widely both nationally and internationally – including exhibitions in Shanghai, New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Rome, Naples, Vilnius, Belgrade, Istanbul and Rotterdam, as well as in London and across the UK. ‘For this exhibition I have produced two bodies of work. The first series was produced as artist-in-residence at York Theatre Royal during the rehearsals for their production of Peter Pan (July 2011). The second series is based on the Manga Vampire Knights and focuses upon Cosplayers, a youth subculture who dress up as their favourite media characters.

‘For the Peter Pan series, I was particularly interested, as with the Cosplayers, in how the actors took on the identities of the characters they portray. The work covers the period from the initial readings to the final dress rehearsal as I depict the mannerisms that the actors create to develop an immersive characterisation. Again the portraits present a double identity, and although the actor may not be in costume, within their own subconscious, they have become that character. The choice of Peter Pan is also pertinent to the idea of safe keeping, as the adaptation focuses particularly on the role of motherhood, and Wendy’s emergence into this role as protector to Peter and the Lost Boys. The characters of Neverland are obsessed with finding a mother and this is alluded to throughout the play.

‘In both series I have attempted to give an insight into the personality of the Actor or Cosplayer, and how they choose to represent their character and their relationship to this alter ego. In essence I am representing two personalities simultaneously. These works are essentially double portraits.’