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| Humphries House |
| David Humphries literally lives and breathes his work... check this design studio out. |
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His home has been built on the top floor of a Rosebery warehouse, overlooking his design studio on the floor below. And the garden is inside too, so there's no escape from his busy terrazzo business.
David Humphries grew up in Wollongong then moved to Sydney to study at the National Art School. Since graduating, he has worked on projects large and small, describing himself as a public artist. He has been involved in community festivals, headed the community arts administration for the NSW Government, and created murals in Australia and overseas.
David left Australia in 1974 to study at the City University in London where he obtained his Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Administration and became involved in theatre and fashion. He spent the next 10 years visiting and photographing festivals throughout Europe, South Africa and the United States which has inspired his art.
Traditionally, terrazzo is an ancient flooring made from a mixture of materials, including cement, marble chips and often coloured glass and mirror. After the cement is set, the terrazzo is ground and polished to reveal a colourful artwork. However, David doesn't limit himself to floors. He has also applied terrazzo murals to walls, an example of which is in Sydney's Glasshouse.
David's terrazzo artworks depict a range of images, including birds, shells, flowers and stars. The most common image he creates is a view of earth from space. This huge globe is decorated with blue terrazzo chips and swirling white clouds. There are examples of this in Darling Harbour, Robina Town Square, St Mary's Cathedral and on a table top in his own home.
The huge terrazzo murals David creates all begin in his studio in Rosebery. From the outside, it looks like an old industrial building, with steel security grids and a roller door. Guests walk through the front door and are immediately greeted by a tropical oasis, a fountain and fish pond filled with gigantic carp, plus a small forest of ferns and palms. The garden fills one corner of his work studio.
The studio has a concrete floor cluttered with colourful terrazzo tables and David's current projects. It is a large space so that David can map out his huge murals and see them in their entirety before construction. Adjoining the studio is a small storage room, which is packed with sheets of marble and terrazzo chips.
Upstairs, the warehouse is divided into two living areas. These are at opposite ends of the building and joined by a chipboard walkway. At one end is the office, which is a large area cluttered with drawings and paperwork. Opposite the office is the main living area. This comprises of a spacious kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and another internal garden.
The kitchen is the most impressive room in the house, with the focus being an expansive terrazzo floor. It is made from white marble panels and decorated with stars.
There is a large island bench in the centre of the kitchen that can be moved to anywhere in the room. This enables David to easily change the layout of the kitchen at a moment's notice. A long, steel kitchen cabinet, positioned against one wall, houses the television and stereo.
The terrazzo floor is continued from the kitchen into the bedroom, which has been kept quite simple in comparison to the other rooms. Adjoining this is a small internal courtyard filled with plants. There is a large branch in the middle of this room on which David's pet bird perches.
David loves art. In addition to the integration of his terrazzo work through the house, he has collected statues and paintings from a range of sources. He hasn't limited himself to one style or theme, choosing to decorate with an eclectic mix of African, Aboriginal, modern and abstract art. Most of his painting are large, effectively filling the warehouse walls. |
More Info
For more information contact David at the Public Art Squad.
Ph: 02 9663 5611
E-mail: pas9663@bigpond.com
www.users.bigpond.com/pas9663
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