HIGH10 Collection & David Drebin

September 26, 2019 marks the launch of the Hamburg-based art collection HIGH10 as well as its first public presentation – a comprehensive solo exhibition by internationally acclaimed multidisciplinary artist David Drebin (*1970 in Toronto, Canada).
At the premises of the historic Barlach-Halle K, the collection presents an overview of Drebin’s work, showcasing a selection of his photographic, sculptural, and neon works.
The Canadian artist is best known for his cinematic, narrative style featuring “femme fatales” in imaginative, dramatic settings, as well as dreamlike landscapes and cityscapes that capture our yearning for faraway places, or mysterious, unexpected encounters. Drebin uses distinctive lighting techniques to capture alluring, magical moments, creating images that are both classic and contemporary. He sometimes works with “repoussoir,” a technique borrowed from art history in which the photographer includes a partial view of houses, buildings, curtains, or door panels to intensify the sense of depth. Light, space, and subject are always masterfully composed in Drebin’s images, whether they are spontaneous or meticulously planned.

His neon light installations take up the spirit of his photographs but in words, illuminating the secret thoughts (I Am You and You Are Me, 2014) or comments (Shut Up and Kiss Me, 2015) by Drebin’s female protagonists, as a minimalist yet provocative extension of his oeuvre. A number of playful sculptures (Falling in Love, 2015) take Drebin’s visions from the two- dimensional photograph into the three-dimensional world.
Falling in Love, 2015, Photo Sculpture (left) l You ́re right Dear, 2017, Light Installation (right), both: © David Drebin + courtesy HIGH10 Collection
David Drebin’s art career took off with an exhibition in 2005 at the Los Angeles-based gallery Fahey Klein. Not only did Elton John purchase his work and become a frequent collector, Drebin was also introduced to CAMERA WORK Berlin, later joining its roster. Drebin has since worked with A-list celebrities and global powerhouse brands such as Davidoff, Mercedes, American Express, Adidas, MTV, Nike, Sony, and many more. His images have appeared in top publications such as Vanity Fair, New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, GQ, Condé Nast Traveler, National Geographic, and ELLE.

In recent years, David’s filmic signature style has evolved to include other art forms, such as lightboxes, neon installations, etchings on crystal starfire glass, and most recently, the revolutionary “photo sculptures” where he transforms his iconic muses and femme fatales into breathtaking high-definition 3D art masterpieces. Represented by prestigious galleries and collected worldwide, his work has been shown at Art Basel Miami and in multiple shows and exhibitions in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Berlin, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Austria, Brussels, Las Vegas, Chicago, Montreal, and Toronto. Drebin has an exclusive contract with teNeues in Germany, which has published stunning monographs of his work, including The Morning After (2010), Beautiful Disasters (2012), Chasing Paradise (2015), and Dreamscapes (2016).