Daniel J.G. | Inner Landscapes

Online Exhibition

Inner Landscapes is a solo exhibition of paintings by Deaf artist Daniel J.G. Showcasing an exciting new body of work made during the pandemic alongside older works, this exhibition offers a view into the inner worlds of Daniel’s artistic process and development over the past ten years.

All paintings are currently available to view in the gallery until 30 July 2021. The gallery is open to visitors Wednesday – Friday, 1:00 – 6:00pm and additionally on Saturday 17th July, 1:00 – 4:00pm.

ARTWORKS

Other Worlds, 2021
122cm x 122cm
Acrylic on canvas

Forest Green, 2021
100cm x 120cm
Acrylic on canvas

Night Blue (Dry Ground), 2021
100cm x 120cm
Acrylic on canvas

Untitled, 2021
100cm x 100cm
Acrylic & oil pastel on canvas

Untitled, 2021
101.5cm x 60cm
Acrylic on canvas

Night Blue (Warmer), 2021
100cm x 120cm
Acrylic on canvas

Honeycomb, 2019
70cm x 70cm
Acrylic & cardboard on canvas

Cornwall Blue, 2019
60cm x 60cm
Acrylic on canvas

Cornwall Sea, 2019
70cm x 90cm
Acrylic on canvas

Untitled, 2021
100cm x 100cm
Acrylic on canvas

Untitled, 2021
100cm x 120cm
Acrylic on canvas

Installation view

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION (BSL)

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION (Text)

Daniel J.G. is a Brighton-based artist, originally from Cornwall, making work inspired by the beauty of nature and the positive impact being in nature can have on mental health. In the past, Daniel has studied pottery, photography and painting but over the last five years he has focused solely on developing the painting side of his practice. Growing up along the coast and living in Brighton for 24 years, Daniel has spent countless hours outside studying the colours, shapes, textures, lighting and forms of the landscape. When painting, Daniel draws on all these visual references and the emotions they evoke to produce abstract compositions rich in meaning.

Daniel says: “Being outside in the natural world is a huge part of maintaining good mental health for me. Having grown up in a hearing world, prohibited from learning sign language until I was 16, I found solace in the outdoors and developed a deep connection with nature which has been a welcome escape from the isolation I have experienced. By sharing my work with others, I hope to inspire a greater appreciation of the natural world and remind us of our shared humanity and interconnectedness.”

Although the paintings on display do not make reference to specific locations, they are all inspired by the Cornish and Sussex coastlines, Devon, and the South Downs and surrounding areas. When Daniel started preparing for the exhibition, originally scheduled for 2019, he painted two seascapes: Cornwall Sea and Cornwall Blue. These draw on childhood memories of walking along Cornish beaches and observing how the ocean changed according to the weather, time of day and seasons. Before that point, Daniel had not painted for almost ten years since having an exhibition at Chalk Gallery, Lewes in 2009 and taking part in Artists Open Houses in 2011, due to the prohibitive cost of studio space, competition and mental health fluctuations. Since the Covid-19 outbreak began Daniel, like many, has struggled with his mental health and found it difficult to paint.

Despite these challenges, at the beginning of 2021 Daniel started to produce new work, much looser and more abstract than the earlier compositions, employing a more playful colour palette. Looking inwards to the rich archive of memories and visual references amassed over decades spent pursuing a deep connection with the natural world, Daniel created the compelling imagined landscapes in this exhibition.

Night Blue (Warmer) looks out over a warm sea teeming with kelp that dances amongst the currents, framed by an expectant sky heavy with imminent rain. Forest Green transports the viewer to a calming chlorophyll-laden scene, reminiscent of the occasions Daniel has escaped the city for the calming influence of trees and walked below their canopies. The two untitled paintings refer to Sussex farmland, the gentle sway of grasses and flowers observed in the foreground. Night Blue (Dry Ground) alludes to both the presence and absence of water, tidal movements and soil rejuvenation. Other Worlds, the largest and arguably most abstract piece in the exhibition, transports us deeper into Daniel’s imagination, to worlds yet to be known. Perhaps what we’re seeing is an Earth from millions of years ago, devoid of water, or a Martian landscape.

This exhibition has been made possible thanks to the generous support of Action for Deafness and is part of ONCA’s 2021 programme Making Care. It also forms part of ONCA’s ongoing commitment to celebrating The Living Coast, the Sussex UNESCO World Biosphere Region where people and nature come together in a world-class environment of Downs, Towns and Coast. Find out more at thelivingcoast.org.uk

This text was written collaboratively by ONCA and Daniel through conversation and with support from Rachel Porter and BSL interpreter Natasha Rankin, who have been invaluable parts of the exhibition creation process.

ONCA would also like to thank Rachael Parker for producing the BSL video versions of this text and online listings.