Exhibition
René Daniëls: Painting on Unknown Languages - Camden Arts Centre
This exhibition brings together a significant number of paintings and drawings by the Dutch artist René Daniëls, focusing on his work between 1980 and 1987.
Born in 1950 in Eindhoven, where he still lives, Daniëls is an important figure in the history of Dutch art and his unique style continues to influence a younger generation of painters. The idea for this exhibition has arisen from the interest shown in his work by so many other painters following the inclusion of three of his paintings in Archipeinture: Painters Build Architecture, a group exhibition at Camden Arts Centre in 2006.
Daniëls has described his paintings as, ‘a combination of visual poetry on one hand and painting on the other’ (René Daniëls, 1983). They make reference to art, music, literature, performance and architecture as well as forming a critique of the art establishment and Daniëls position within it. Sketchy and open, expressive and fluid, they defy simple interpretation or definition as meaning is often concealed within their surfaces.
In many of the paintings Daniëls uses basic everyday motifs such as hats, chimneys and skateboards. One such shape, which resembles a bow tie, reoccurs in many of his paintings. Using this simple symbol, through scale or painted surface, he encourages the opening up of imagined spaces and places within the work.
René Daniëls: Painting on Unknown Languages is organised by Camden Arts Centre with curatorial advice from Paul Andriesse and is supported by The Mondriaan Foundation.
