“After many happy days hanging out in the high school darkroom, I continued my interest in photography at Perth Technical College in the early 1980’s. This is where I discovered the work of photographers such as Lee Friedlander, Man Ray, Lee Miller, and Alexander Rodchenko. Their photographs, and many others, changed my perception of photography and the world.

I like to photograph scenes in which unusual connections between elements emerge through the two-dimensional realm of the photograph.

I often allude to the codes and conventions of other visual media in my work – not only from media such as film, painting, and visual documentation but also from dreams and memories. By blurring the lines between various visual codes, I hope that the viewer connects with the images at a personal level, emotionally and subconsciously.

The idea that the photograph can traverse the line between the real and imagined, the outer world and the inner world, is the great appeal of the medium for me.”

David Symons, 2022

David’s work has been exhibited throughout Australia. His work is held in The Art Gallery of Western Australia Collection, The National Library of Australia, and the State Library of Queensland.
He has been a finalist for prestigious prizes including The Olive Cotton Award and the IRIS Award for portraiture.

David’s photobook ‘The Man from Apophenia’, was a finalist in the Australian and New Zealand Photobook Awards in 2019.