Celebrity artist Dan Pearce explores his own cultural identity and infused art influences in his latest and largest solo exhibition, “DNA”, on Thursday, 23 March at Clarendon Fine Art Gallery, Covent Garden, London. He will attend to present his most recent body of work from 6 to 8pm.
From the down-trod to the well-got, the work of mixed media artist, Dan Pearce, penetrates social strata with contemporary force. As resident artist for Tramp, one of London’s most exclusive private member’s clubs, Pearce boasts celebrity collectors from Boy George, 50 Cent and Idris Elba, to Rag N Bone Man, will.i.am and Anthony Joshua. With a growing reputation and status that has led Shortlist to call him “one of the UK’s most collectable, emerging artists,” Pearce has channelled his success into fuelling his social conscience. His many philanthropic artwork donations have raised funds for charities including NHS Charities Together, YoungMinds, Shelter and the Australian Red Cross, amongst others. He says, however, he “tends to stay away from political statements” in his work, and instead prefers to focus on creating “fun and vibrant” pieces.
His unrestrained sense of play beams from every piece and is one of the hallmarks of his work. Pearce’s flair for fabricating fun is even too giddy for the harsh parameters of the frame within which it suspends, and his bold, controlled graffiti strokes often spill colour across square boundary lines. His work is constantly pushing new boundaries. “It’s very important to me to always keep experimenting with new processes. For each exhibition, I try to work on something new, introduce a new material or technique that I have been experimenting with. For these latest artworks, like the Infinity Skull mirror, the process became an engineering project and I had to manage various stages in order to bring my idea to life”.
The initial bite from an idea will kickstart his creative process and usually nibbles on his mind during the dead of night when he will “spend many hours laying there working out the process and I cannot sleep until I’ve figured it out”. From conceptualisation to realisation, the fruits of Pearce’s nocturnal torment yield strikingly beautiful results. His works are rich and complex in texture, a feature which can be attributed to his use of “spray paint, hand painted acrylics, lenticular, neon lights, 3D objects, screen-printing, textured resin, gold leaf and collage, as well as his own photography and street art” as listed on his website.
In this exhibition, skulls and butterflies feature in several of his works. Pearce explains, “I have been using both butterflies and skulls for many years and it’s something that will always be used in my artwork. They don’t have a personal connection or a connection to each other. It’s just something I am drawn to: the butterfly because of its evolution on how the caterpillar has to die to create this beautiful butterfly, it’s like a life after death experience. That connects well with the skull”. His muse, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, has been a cornerstone of his work for many years and she makes yet another reinvented appearance at Clarendon Fine Art. This time round, she reigns with punkish poignancy and is adorned by her national colours. Pearce says he is “not a monarchist or royalist but has a massive respect for the queen and what she gave up to be our monarch. She has been with most of us our whole lives and we have also seen her age over the years. I try to paint her in a way that shows her character whilst giving it a contemporary pop art look and feel. She is my favourite icon to paint and I am continually looking at new ways to introduce her to my art, the latest being a 3-D model cast from resin”.
Despite his growing momentum and reputation, the man behind the art arrived comparatively late to the professional art game. “A professional artist was not on the top of my list as a profession. I was always creative. I loved art college but then gave it all up to travel. I embarked on a whole new career in digital design and web development with the launch of the internet. I was still being creative but in a digital way”. When asked what influenced his decision to become a professional artist, he says “I was a huge fan of Banksy and how he was able to make huge political statements using his art. Banksy changed the way galleries looked at art and made me want to get involved in this urban art movement. I spent hours cutting intricate stencils honing my skill. I then plucked up the courage and sent a few pieces to local galleries, did my first art fair and gradually became confident exhibiting my artwork. I then realised I wanted to do this full time”.
As someone brave enough to pursue their passion, Pearce’s pervading message to others is that it is never too late, a philosophy likely inherited from his mother who did not undertake her degree in fine art until her late fifties and “now she paints most days” says Pearce. “Keep believing in your passion. Work hard at it and promote yourself. I did not become a full-time artist until my late 30s. It is never too late”.
Pearce’s latest show, DNA, exhibits at Clarendon Fine Art Gallery, Covent Garden, London on Thursday, 23 March from 6 to 8pm.
King's College London. Award-winning student newspaper, a platform to share your story, and a publication that holds entities accountable when no one else dares.
