Artists often use the analogy of building when referring to their work. They "make" pieces and show them in installations.
However, most of them have come through the rarefied art school system, doing a foundation course (another building metaphor surely?)
Dave Pollard is different, almost the polar opposite. He comes from the "bosh bosh bosh" building culture, earning a living on building sites and in the construction industry. Yet his project management skills, ability to see the bigger picture and refusal to be caught up in the pretension of the art world have conspired to make him one of the visionaries of the Birmingham art scene.
When he first moved to Grosvenor Avenue in Handsworth his initial project was turning his home into a living gallery, bringing in the scaffolding and knocking through walls. It was a bold statement and captured the imagination of the arts community.
His next project was a similar venture on a larger scale around the corner in Westminster Road where the council let him run riot in a condemned Victorian terrace.
This time he created something that was a cross between a sixties happening and a fine art fair.
Dave's projects have always been inclusive, vibrant and touchable. You may need to wear a hard hat sometimes, but there's no escaping his energy.
One of the biggest shames surrounding the aborted Public building in West Bromwich is that Dave never got to put on work there. But West Brom's loss is Birmingham's gain as the current Festival Of Extreme Building proves.
Always one with an eye for a snappy title, Dave's micro-homes are both a glimpse into a possible future and a sly comment on today's housing shortages.
Provocative, headstrong and stubborn he may be at times, but Dave Pollard is always inspirational.
