About
Dave Carswell is an Australian photographer currently based in Yangon, Myanmar. Working broadly in the field of documentary image making, his work focuses on the collision course between nature, humans and the built environment. Exploring the tension that exists in urban areas and the way in which human intervention shapes the formed landscape, he draws on visual puns, urban anxieties and society’s underlying resilience as some of the driving emphasis of his recent work.
His imagery demonstrates an empathetic world view whilst challenging the viewer to engage and tease out emotion in the monotony of everyday life. Carswell deals in a melancholic mood with delicate expressions of beauty representing dark humour and subtle cynicism with contemporary society.
In 2017 Carswell published his first book 'Dancing in the Shadows', an examination of the battle for public space in the Philippines through the eye of the basketball hoop. The book was launched with an exhibition as well as being featured online and in print through It's Nice That. Wired, c41 Magazine, The Heavy Collective, Lyfstyl Magazine, This is Franchise & Unrated.
The first edition of the book is now sold out.
Other selected online features; Plain Magazine, Laatikkomo & Milk Bar Magazine.
Selected Exhibitions;
Solo
2018 - Tomorrow Will Be Postponed - Obscura Festival, Penang, Malaysia.
2018 - Dancing in the Shadows - Spares, Collingwood, Melbourne.
2017 - Elvis is Alive - Elvis Festival, Parkes, NSW.
2010 - The Outliers - Three Bags Full, Melbourne.
Group
2018 - Laatikkomo - Six Degrees of Photography, Jyväskylä, Finland.
2018 - Optika - Kingston Arts Centre, Melbourne.
2012 - Unsensored - Collingwood Gallery, Melbourne.
2011 - Just Don't Call it Street - Ballarat Foto Biennale.
2011 - Unsensored - Collingwood Gallery, Melbourne.
2010 - Unsensored - Collingwood Gallery, Melbourne.
Awards
2019 - Olive Cotton Award finalist (Judges Highly Commended) (Portraiture), Tweed Regional Gallery.
2019 - Clip Award finalist (Landscape), Perth Centre for Photography.
2019 - Moran Prize semi finalist.
2018 - Iris Award finalist (Portraiture), Perth Centre for Photography.
2018 - Moran Prize semi finalist.
