GALLERY

DAN BALDWIN

British artist Dan Baldwin bridges the gap between abstract and figurative painting to create a landscape that simultaneously reflects reality, the power of the imagination and the private, inner workings of his mind. His style has a unique aesthetic which is difficult to categorize. Working by instinct, it can change dramatically depending on the subject matter he is exploring and the emotions he is channeling.

The organic spontaneity of Baldwin’s canvases is tempered by his careful composition of two and three dimensional elements. Twenty years of experience is evident in his masterful ability to shape, contain and simplify complexity. His integration of mixed media found objects (knives, crucifixes, bullets, bank notes and razor blades) over screen prints, acrylic and spray paint adds depth, clarity and balance. Despite the difference in medium, his creative process when working with ceramics is similar in its unabashed candor.

Amidst the edgy brushstrokes and sinister themes, symbolism proliferates in Baldwin’s work. From children’s storybook illustrations and images of war to skate graphics and Vanitas, each viewer develops a highly personal response to what they see. The relationship that has been observed between Baldwin and the still life painters of seventeenth century Holland stems from his use of such symbols of life, death and mortality as the flower, the skull, the bird and rotting fruit. Baldwin recontextualizes these symbols, however, making them relevant for modern audiences.

Dan Baldwin was born in Manchester in 1972. He studied communication media at Eastbourne College of Art and Design with commendation and received his BA with honors in communication media and illustration from Kent Institute of Art and Design, Maidstone. He lived in Brighton for twelve years and currently resides in the West Sussex countryside.