Daniel Mc Keon Chroma.
Daniel Mc Keon's recent practice has encompassed a range of different series that have converged developmentally and contributed to the evolution of Chroma. When examining works from the Gravity and Painting Light series, the gradual transition and assimilation of overlapping concerns are absorbed and integrated into this new body of work. The progression between the different pieces in composition, tone and textural effects can be mapped through this diverse body of work, each cycle of paintings feeding into the subsequent series. The sensibility of the paintings is manifested in the blurred, graduated layers of paint, compounded by the synthesis of the paints' sheen and luminosity, which constantly evolve depending on the environmental conditions determined by the light source. The paintings have an added element when seen over a long period of time in good daylight, as the continuous change in atmospheric conditions fluctuate to reveal the transformative qualities of the work, bringing new insights to the viewer.
Mc Keon describes painting as a slow time preoccupation, which contrasts with the instantaneous nature of society. In his Painting Light series there is a measured sense of blurring, which could be seen as a deliberate mechanism to respond to the discord between the limits of painting and the urgent pace of a media-saturated, technologically driven culture. Notions of speed, objects in motion and the ubiquitous media- saturated world and its associated cognitive overload brought about by the incessant bombarding of images and data, heavily inform the Painting Light series, belying the serenity that suffuses the collective works.
The Painting Light series are presented as reflective works that reference both
mental and physical responses dictated by the changing conditions of natural light. Mc Keon has always had a strong attraction to reflective surfaces and the way in which they absorb their surroundings and become part of it - these sensibilities are echoed in the semi-gloss sheen or mirror effect present in his canvases. The formal compositional simplicity of the Painting Light series places a strong emphasis on the nebulous and mimetic delicacies of colour and its ethereal qualities. The diaphanous plane is abruptly counteracted by the bold coloured edges of the paintings which are used as a framing device, echoing Barnett Newman's Zip. This strategy emphasizes the contrast between flat and painted surface, and highlights the spatial structure of the painting itself. McKeon seeks to create a subtle halo effect when the edge of the canvas is painted in a contrasting colour, creating an illusion of a floating painting when hung against traditional white wall surfaces.
Scale is an important element that McKeon has made reference to in his practice. He enjoys working on a large scale based on his physical engagement whilst creating the work, and how the proportions of a painting can almost transform an abstract piece into a figurative one. This also introduces another element that is integral to Mc Keon's work on very large scale pieces, which is the idea of painting as performance. It features comprehensively in his Gravity series – the collection of work which preceded the Painting Light series. Many of the canvases from this body of work measure 10 x 8 Feet, and are so large that they almost completely filled the floor space of the studio as they were being produced. The Gravity series employs a bolder palette and graphic sensibilities in the grid-like markings on the paintings' surfaces - in contrast to the subtlety of the Painting Light series. The Gravity series comprises of non- representational, abstract pieces which explore the physicality and qualities of the paint, and the canvas surface itself. The act of making defines Mc Keon's paintings, and with this series, a more complex performative component is inherent due to their sheer size.
Mc Keon asserts that all painting has a performative aspect but in particular, the Gravity series, and how the scale contributed a major role in the physical processes involved in producing the work. The Gravity series of paintings were developed in a very structured way, by pouring the paint and allowing gravity to run its course until the paint flowed down the canvas. This was a physically demanding and time consuming effort, as the canvas was flat on the studio floor and required that Mc Keon grappled with pouring many layers of paint and regularly turning the canvas in order to create the finished piece. The Gravity series was made using oil paint, and throughout the process of production, Mc Keon frequently had to wait for over a week months before returning to the canvas to add the next colour, allowing enough time for each layer of paint to solidify. He saw the timeframe involved as building up a history with the surface, and the continuous rotation of the canvas correlated to sequences of the earth's movement. The lattice-like patterns that emerge from the Gravity series are also influential on their installation. When hung in a structured layout in close proximity with one another, a network of the Gravity series paintings adds a sculptural dimension to the work, where scale becomes a focal point, and the matrix of patterns on the canvas are echoed in the placement of the pieces.
Architecture and photography significantly influence Mc Keon's practice, through constant documentation and recording of his surroundings, often feeding into his studio practice. Mc Keon regulates the structural affinities between painting and architecture by employing devices such as installation and assemblages. He places emphasis on the form and symmetry of architectural elements by installing large-scale works in synchrony, in a grid- like structure, which reference the backdrop of steel and glass buildings that society has become accustomed to in the outside environment. The reflective nature of Mc Keon's works address the tension between the time constraints of painting in tandem with the immediacy of the world around us. In this particular instance, he draws on the sensibility of the paintings to echo how buildings can often mirror back their own surroundings. Another process Mc Keon has engaged with is the assemblage of works, by overlapping and stacking canvases of varying scales, amalgamated to become one piece. These works become reminiscent of colourful, urban landscapes, which could be likened to the metropolitan skyline.
All painters are concerned with the primal source of light and how this path of visual enquiry informs their work. In addition to this fundamental component, Mc Keon considers the impact of display, carefully juxtaposing the placement and presentation of his assembled works. This is an intrinsic part of the process driven work produced by Mc Keon, and contributes to the overall identity of the pieces. The final factor integral to his oeuvre, is the importance of exhibiting the artwork and the necessity of the viewer in the equation, as it is at this junction where the pieces come to life as the art is being experienced.
Text by Rowan Sexton, June 2013
Rowan Sexton is an independent curator based in Dublin. She was previously Associate Curator at Rubicon Gallery, Dublin, and prior to that worked in an educational and curatorial capacity for the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery of Ireland and Dublin City Gallery the Hugh Lane.
Daniel Mc Keon's recent practice has encompassed a range of different series that have converged developmentally and contributed to the evolution of Chroma. When examining works from the Gravity and Painting Light series, the gradual transition and assimilation of overlapping concerns are absorbed and integrated into this new body of work. The progression between the different pieces in composition, tone and textural effects can be mapped through this diverse body of work, each cycle of paintings feeding into the subsequent series. The sensibility of the paintings is manifested in the blurred, graduated layers of paint, compounded by the synthesis of the paints' sheen and luminosity, which constantly evolve depending on the environmental conditions determined by the light source. The paintings have an added element when seen over a long period of time in good daylight, as the continuous change in atmospheric conditions fluctuate to reveal the transformative qualities of the work, bringing new insights to the viewer.
Mc Keon describes painting as a slow time preoccupation, which contrasts with the instantaneous nature of society. In his Painting Light series there is a measured sense of blurring, which could be seen as a deliberate mechanism to respond to the discord between the limits of painting and the urgent pace of a media-saturated, technologically driven culture. Notions of speed, objects in motion and the ubiquitous media- saturated world and its associated cognitive overload brought about by the incessant bombarding of images and data, heavily inform the Painting Light series, belying the serenity that suffuses the collective works.
The Painting Light series are presented as reflective works that reference both
mental and physical responses dictated by the changing conditions of natural light. Mc Keon has always had a strong attraction to reflective surfaces and the way in which they absorb their surroundings and become part of it - these sensibilities are echoed in the semi-gloss sheen or mirror effect present in his canvases. The formal compositional simplicity of the Painting Light series places a strong emphasis on the nebulous and mimetic delicacies of colour and its ethereal qualities. The diaphanous plane is abruptly counteracted by the bold coloured edges of the paintings which are used as a framing device, echoing Barnett Newman's Zip. This strategy emphasizes the contrast between flat and painted surface, and highlights the spatial structure of the painting itself. McKeon seeks to create a subtle halo effect when the edge of the canvas is painted in a contrasting colour, creating an illusion of a floating painting when hung against traditional white wall surfaces.
Scale is an important element that McKeon has made reference to in his practice. He enjoys working on a large scale based on his physical engagement whilst creating the work, and how the proportions of a painting can almost transform an abstract piece into a figurative one. This also introduces another element that is integral to Mc Keon's work on very large scale pieces, which is the idea of painting as performance. It features comprehensively in his Gravity series – the collection of work which preceded the Painting Light series. Many of the canvases from this body of work measure 10 x 8 Feet, and are so large that they almost completely filled the floor space of the studio as they were being produced. The Gravity series employs a bolder palette and graphic sensibilities in the grid-like markings on the paintings' surfaces - in contrast to the subtlety of the Painting Light series. The Gravity series comprises of non- representational, abstract pieces which explore the physicality and qualities of the paint, and the canvas surface itself. The act of making defines Mc Keon's paintings, and with this series, a more complex performative component is inherent due to their sheer size.
Mc Keon asserts that all painting has a performative aspect but in particular, the Gravity series, and how the scale contributed a major role in the physical processes involved in producing the work. The Gravity series of paintings were developed in a very structured way, by pouring the paint and allowing gravity to run its course until the paint flowed down the canvas. This was a physically demanding and time consuming effort, as the canvas was flat on the studio floor and required that Mc Keon grappled with pouring many layers of paint and regularly turning the canvas in order to create the finished piece. The Gravity series was made using oil paint, and throughout the process of production, Mc Keon frequently had to wait for over a week months before returning to the canvas to add the next colour, allowing enough time for each layer of paint to solidify. He saw the timeframe involved as building up a history with the surface, and the continuous rotation of the canvas correlated to sequences of the earth's movement. The lattice-like patterns that emerge from the Gravity series are also influential on their installation. When hung in a structured layout in close proximity with one another, a network of the Gravity series paintings adds a sculptural dimension to the work, where scale becomes a focal point, and the matrix of patterns on the canvas are echoed in the placement of the pieces.
Architecture and photography significantly influence Mc Keon's practice, through constant documentation and recording of his surroundings, often feeding into his studio practice. Mc Keon regulates the structural affinities between painting and architecture by employing devices such as installation and assemblages. He places emphasis on the form and symmetry of architectural elements by installing large-scale works in synchrony, in a grid- like structure, which reference the backdrop of steel and glass buildings that society has become accustomed to in the outside environment. The reflective nature of Mc Keon's works address the tension between the time constraints of painting in tandem with the immediacy of the world around us. In this particular instance, he draws on the sensibility of the paintings to echo how buildings can often mirror back their own surroundings. Another process Mc Keon has engaged with is the assemblage of works, by overlapping and stacking canvases of varying scales, amalgamated to become one piece. These works become reminiscent of colourful, urban landscapes, which could be likened to the metropolitan skyline.
All painters are concerned with the primal source of light and how this path of visual enquiry informs their work. In addition to this fundamental component, Mc Keon considers the impact of display, carefully juxtaposing the placement and presentation of his assembled works. This is an intrinsic part of the process driven work produced by Mc Keon, and contributes to the overall identity of the pieces. The final factor integral to his oeuvre, is the importance of exhibiting the artwork and the necessity of the viewer in the equation, as it is at this junction where the pieces come to life as the art is being experienced.
Text by Rowan Sexton, June 2013
Rowan Sexton is an independent curator based in Dublin. She was previously Associate Curator at Rubicon Gallery, Dublin, and prior to that worked in an educational and curatorial capacity for the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery of Ireland and Dublin City Gallery the Hugh Lane.