Danny Augustine's drawings take us on a trip through his unconscious, each picture an intuitive expression of his past and present, of memories and experiences, of external and internal impulses, of 24 hour news.
Using pen and ink Augustine begins with an empty mind and a sheet of paper. And what starts with a random splash soon grows into an exploration of his concerns, feelings and the forces that influence his life, his process determined by a lexicon of particular colours, forms and lines. His evolving drawings grow out of a random movement and into a more articulate expression of his being, an unknown landscape that he traverses, bringing us with him, each image born out of memories and experiences and 24 hour rolling news; the Syrian civil war, the earthquake in Nepal, the posturing of North Korea.
This automatic drawing harks back to Surrealism and artists such as Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí, Jean Arp and André Breton, who developed the form as a means of expressing the subconscious. And in these doodles, these watercolours, we get an insight into the mind of a young artist determined to synthesise the deluge of information that has become a hallmark of our age. Here’s what he has to say about his work:
Each one of my pieces shall represent an emotional stepping stone within my life and find its own spot in the art world. For me, I never have a set idea when I begin my drawing. I allow my mind to drift off and as the drawing grows, I begin to filter in current events as well as my own personal experiences. This combination creates a very personal viewpoint of the world around me."
Mutant Space by Moray Mair
““The rich paintings of Chicago based artist Danny Augustine are abstractions yet specific explorations into his personal lexicon of colors, shapes and lines. ””
““Danny’s work is a means to express his thoughts, feelings, and emotions. He works intuitively focusing on these feeling to create textural environments.”
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““Danny Augustine are abstractions yet explorations of his mothers schizophrenia that shift to portray his inner landscape of memories and experiences, converging with the 24-hour stream of world news updates. ””
ArtonFashion
Art on Fashion® is a leading niche online fashion retailer incorporating original and creative designs based on the work of contemporary artists.
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U.S. Ambassador to Qatar - Dana Shell Smith
I'm truly grateful for this opportunity. Also, I do feel this is the greatest exhibition of my drawings. I created a ink drawing called "North Korea" that became a digital drawing called "Time". Soon after "Time" was created, ArtonFashion transformed it into a wearable work of art. It is truly a statement piece! What I find most amazing about this work of art, The Ambassador wore it in support of an American artist trying to make a difference.
Artist Interview with Danny Augustine
We interviewed Danny Augustine; the artist behind The Time Dress. We found out about his inspirations, his processes and his thoughts on the concept of wearing art.
Your use of texture is something that stands out for us as viewers of your work. Would you say this is an important part of making your art?
When I began studying art, I would spent a good amount of time studying the paintings of Anselm Kiefer. I was in awe of the textual environment he would create. It was his use of materials, symbolic imagery, and the monumental size of his works that truly inspired me to create paintings in a similar fashion. Prophesy (5’ x 6.5’) is one of the first paintings I created. It was here that I began to create textual environments and use imagery to pull in the viewer. As I continued developing as an artist at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, I reconnected with the ink drawings I made in a travel journal while studying abroad. It was Karl Wirsum who encouraged me to explore my ink drawings and the individual style I was creating. I wanted my drawings to be equally as textual as my paintings and I feel I have accomplished that. Texture allows me to create movement within my work therefore it is a very important part of my process.
Prophesy (5’ x 6.5’)
What was your inspiration for making Time?
I was watching a documentary about Leonardo Da Vinci and the mirror images he was creating within his paintings. I found this idea fascinating and wanted to explore this myself. At the time, I had just bought a drawing tablet with the idea of exploring the digital art world. I wanted my digital work to have the same textual feel as my ink drawings and paintings. I began to mirror image my ink drawing series and I noticed some really interesting forms were developing. “Time” is one of the first digital drawings I developed from an ink drawing (“North Korea”). Once I mirrored imaged “North Korea” I saw an hour glass with a clock-like pattern around it. I also noticed Roman Numerals within the center of the piece and I instantly knew what to title this work. After I mirror image an ink drawing, I go in digitally and draw over it. All of my digital drawings originate from an image of an ink drawing.
Time
“Time” can have many different meanings, depending on the viewer. For me, it’s a continuation of my drawing about North Korea. When I create a drawing, I never have a set image or idea in mind. Once a drawing is finished, I begin to analyze it and then title it. Sometimes it is a political work and other times it is from a personal experience.
In your opinion, which work are you most proud of?
I’m proud of all my works. I’m always learning and growing as an artist. If I had to pick, it would always be whatever I’m working on at the time.
What do you think of collaborating with a fashion brand?
When I was first contacted by Art on Fashion, I was very excited. This collaboration came at a perfect time for me and the fact you chose to use one of my digital drawings was fantastic. Not only do I find the imagery of my digital drawings interesting, but I find that I am creating artwork that doesn’t exist in the real world. My digital drawings are virtual works of art and I’ve been having a long debate on how I wanted to approach showing them.
The more I began to think about this, the more I began to question the importance of the material and the image. I started experimenting with printing my digital drawings on everyday commercial objects such as, shower curtains, mugs, wallets, bags, t-shirts and so on. For me, the question became, does the image I create lose value due to the material on which it is printed? When I received your request to use my drawing “Time” as a textile, I thought that it seemed to be the perfect development for this drawing.
Museum Exhibitions
West Virginia Governor's Juried Exhibition 2001: West Virginia State Museum, Charleston, WV, 2001
Solo Exhibitions
Show Gallery: Gallery Crawl, Pittsburgh, PA, 2004
Daywood Gallery: Stepping Out of the Boundary, Philippi, WV, 2002
Duo Exhibitions
Parallel/Paralax, Harold Washington College President's Gallery, Chicago, IL 2013
Exhibitions
Korea – International Modern Art Exhibition , Korea Electricity Power Corporation Art Center Gallery– Gallery Harang, South Korea, November 2018
Korea – USA International Contemporary Art Exhibition, Chosun Ilbo Gallery – Gallery Harang, South Korea, March 2018
Memory, Expansion Gallery, Chicago, IL, 2013
Intelligentsia (Cultural District), Chicago, IL, 2012
Chicago International Hostel, Chicago, IL, 2011
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago: BFA Show, Chicago, IL, 2010
Gold Coast Art Fair: Grant Park, Chicago, IL 2010
NEXT: The Invitational Exhibition of Emerging Art. Chicago: Live Painting, Chicago, IL 2010
Studio 7013: Group Show, Chicago, IL, 2009
Base Space (The School of the Art Institute of Chicago): Group Show, Chicago, IL , 2009
Sirani Gallery: Emerging Artist, Pittsburgh, PA, 2008
Galerie Gora: Nightlife Magazine, Montreal, QC, Canada, 2006
Columbia Arts Center: Making an Entrance, Columbia, MD, 2006
Fort Worth Community Art Center: Group Show, Fort Worth, TX , 2005
Perkins County Arts Center: Mail Art Show, Perkins County Arts Council, Grant, NE, 2005
3rd Street Gallery: Carnegie Painted II, Carnegie, PA 2002
Daywood Gallery: Juried Art Show, Philippi, WV, 1999-2002
Articles/ Online Features
GQ British, 2014
Juried Showcase Winner, ArtSlant, 2013, 2014, 2016
Doodled Abstrations by Danny Augustine: Curve Magazine, 2013
Year In Review: Top 100 Artist, Artist Wanted, 2012
Under the Radar, ArtSlant, 2012-2018
Featured Artist of the Month , MyArtSpace, 2011
'Danny Augustine.' New Art International: a Compendium of Recent Works by World
Contemporary Artists. New York: Book Art, 2005. 151. Print.
'Art Seen.' City Paper [Pittsburgh] 2004. Print.
'Danny Augustine.' New Art International: a Compendium of Recent Works by World
Contemporary Artists. New York: Book Art, 2003. 190. Print.
Donated Art Auctions
Junior League of San Diego, San Diego, CA, 2019
National Brain Appeal, A Letter In Mind: A View On Nature, Oxo Gallery, London, England, 2016
Persad Art Action, Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh, PA, 2008
ALS Hope Foundation: Art Auction, Philadelphia, PA, 2005
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