“The activity of painting itself never ceases to amaze me with what can be achieved by people with the application of essentially primitive earthly stuff on basic materials mingled with the artist’s drive, imagination and instincts to conjure up untold magic, wonder and awe.” – Anthony Daley
The award-winning abstract-expressionist painter Anthony Daley is a man whose entire career has been defined by the pursuit of beauty, producing works of phosphorescent transcendence that tip a nod the painterly genius of the Old Masters while, simultaneously, communicating something vital and contemporary. Since graduation from the Chelsea College of Arts in the early 80s, the artist has become increasingly celebrated for his captivating ability to seamlessly blend vibrant colours in an explosive and overwhelming fugue, presenting otherworldly meditations that provide a unique portal to the infinite, and engaging the viewer in a compelling dialogue between tradition and the dynamic aspects of modernity.
“At some stage in life, I learned that in the process of painting, the painting will then begin to paint you. It will take over, and, for me, that’s the magical moment when it starts speaking back. In that moment, I think: ‘Who am I speaking to? Am I speaking to Rembrandt? Am I speaking to Einstein? Am I speaking to God?’ And, you know, really I am speaking to the infinite.”
His upcoming solo show ‘Irreality’ with Varvara Roza Galleries is no exception. Following on from his hugely successful show “Son of Rubens” at Dulwich Picture Gallery, the title refers to that state of being perhaps best described as daydreaming or reverie – an abstract inner landscape given to the construction of ideas that have little to do with corporeal reality.
It’s a space the artist has loved to inhabit since his early childhood in Jamaica, being fascinated by mathematics and cosmology from a very early age, and seeing beauty in everything around him – from a Newtonian equation, to the phenomenology of a falling leaf. As such, he draws his inspiration from a diverse array of sources, ranging from classical literature, quantum physics, poetry and the serene beauty of natural phenomena, and feeds all of these influences into works that evoke the sublime, where mesmeric fields of colour are punctuated with iridescent flashes of light.
Duration of the exhibition – November 12 – December 5, 2024.
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