David Hancock’s personal involvement in the Gothic forms the basis of his paintings and is a constant consideration when observing the nature of this subculture. Working from the ”inside” has allowed David to paint intimate portraits of young people immersed in this Gothic world, giving a truer depiction of who they really are. The idea of how reality is portrayed also underlines this artist’s work. ”By documenting a situation from reality where I am the only observer, I create an intimate environment mirrored through the act of painting. Though the photograph is reproduced to give an impression of being real, it is still a painting; an object which uses its presence to create a statement. With a considered use of scale, these large canvases attempt to disassociate themselves from the original images whilst still retaining a relationship with the subject within the work”.