Sometimes an artist doesn’t need much beyond a small set of materials to create something rich and evocative. With his watercolour head silhouette series on Instagram, Scotland-born and London-based artist David Bailey Ross has done exactly that. David has amassed a sizeable following with his galeriephantom alias, publishing his Heads work in a formulaic way that keeps his grid at a concise 36 posts at all times. When a new work is uploaded, another disappears. “I’ve been working as a creative for over 20 years and, although rewarding, the work is not necessarily my own,” David tells us on the genesis of the project. “I felt the need to have a more personal outlet for what I do, something I could present purely as my own.” Through trial-and-error with colour, texture and watercolour, David found himself drawn back to the silhouette of the heads.
The project is still a relatively new endeavour for the artist, “so I don’t feel there are any real restrictions”, he says. “I’m interested in the surface and silhouette as much as the more abstract internal representations of moods or emotions, so I keep things fairly loose and allow myself freedom to experiment and explore character types, or effects of light and colour.” Throughout the Heads series, there’s a subtle through-line of queer and BDSM elements laden into the art. From fetish masks to punk rock glamour to expressive and abstract colour choices, the Heads are not your standard silhouettes. “With BDSM, the masks or hoods can serve for anonymity but also signify a role or specific kink, and that symbolism is interesting for me,” David explains. “Much of the gear is designed to treat the head as an object which makes it a fascinating subject.” Considering that David’s inspirations are “fashion, beauty, subculture and groups of people who challenge norms and express themselves in interesting ways”, it’s no wonder Heads touches on the aesthetic landscape of society’s fringes.
