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CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL www.danielfisherworks.com WEBSITE Recent NewsRecent NewsRecent NewsRecent NewsRecent NewsRecent NewsRecent NewsRecent NewsRecent News I met Daniel while living in Shantou China. Over a few drinks in a shabby alley way restaurant, we began to talk about art. Later, after spending time in his studio, he asked me if I'd write a piece on him for internet publication. Out of sincere interest I agreed, and over the next few weeks Daniel started to fill me in on his creative exploration around the world. It would take a library's worth of writing to account for all his tales, jovial meanderings and positive vitality. I'll try my best to highlight his prolific endeavours. Although currently living in West Cork Ireland, Daniel has worked artistically in over 125 cities around the world. He has visually captured the continents of Asia, Europe, and North America. Daniel has had 23 public and private visual shows on all three of these continents. I asked Daniel, “What makes you an artist?” “Experiencing different realities somewhere new, and living there is the true experiment“, said Daniel as he spun away on his gas powered rusted Chinese bicycle. It was amazing to me to see his studio and thought process during the time he was living in China. I was inspired to have the chance to view his work in Asia and North America. It was particularly interesting to witness his daily routines. Paintings, photography, sculpture, audio and travels are the main fuels used to spark the final outcome of his pieces. There is a definite concern for colour, delicate repetition and controlled methodology in the process. I saw a noticeable difference between what Daniel experiences visually and what filters through his reality when imprinted in the finished work. This difference is where the secrecy lies in Daniel’s art. The style of the work has a subtle pop influence that encompasses an original touch to hard line and colour. Besides his lengthy career in music as a recording artist and live performer, he has also been soaring as a visual artist for over twenty years. I asked Daniel how he made his start visually, and he replied, "I stretched my first canvas when I was 14, and just knew art was inside and outside. I wish I hadn't burned it!" There seems to be a mysteriously accidental flow to his process that is combined with a mechanical precision of craftsmanship. The daily pursuit of honing his craft has certainly produced a significant body of work and something of great interest. I'd have to say out of the 19 different series of works I viewed, the best work in my mind would be his 'Phoenix Evelation' series completed in Charlotte, North Carolina (2003). I haven't had the pleasure of viewing this in person, but did see photos of the show. This series is oil on canvas, 45 panels, polyptic in configuration, and consists of 11 pieces. The size of these works varies from 18"x48" to 40"x70". The subject matter revolves mainly around single objects that are everyday use items, such as a toothbrush, a mobile phone, car keys, an espresso maker and footwear. The placement of the oversized subject matter often deals with repetition and quirky arrangements of objects not normally seen together. Daniel described the series as “a hic-up into the unnoticed reality of things that are too comfortable, you know, like a crack in the cement you look at every day for a year before really looking at it.” To me this is genius. We all forget how much time is actually spent with certain material possessions or familiar things seen without noticing the visual value of them. This is precisely what Daniel is exposing. He often does this as a type of trademark in his works. This was also prevalent in his series entitled ‘Play Scale’ completed in China 2005.However the viewer sees this work, one thing is true; the use of colour is masterful and well thought out. After viewing the Phoenix Evelation photos I was surprised that I couldn't find the images on the web. I asked Daniel why they aren’t online at this time. He replied, "There's no weird secret or anything, they're just in storage down south in America and I'll put the seven pieces up for sale when they get shipped to Rochester next year". He didn't feel the pictures from the show did the series justice as they were just snap shots from a fan. Folks, this particular series is really what you want to look out for if you're going to purchase. The overall collection of paintings, photo prints, drawings etc., are worth taking a look at, but this series will go fast once they are up for sale. I’ve seen a large portion of his work, digital and in person which consist of hundreds of pieces from three different studios around the world. Selections from the entire body of work are worth buying if you want something with his signature on it, but the ‘Phoenix Evelation’ series in my opinion is amazing and an excellent investment for the more serious buyer.The next series of work I was able to see first hand was his collection in his Rochester New York Studio. He calls this studio “The Farmer‘s market”. Appropriately named as the studio is located on a tree farm of over 200 acres where he spent many of the earlier years of his career working. I came there from Beijing to interview him in the fall of last year on October 14th. At that point I realised in detail how prolific Daniel’s work really is. He took me through the history and process of his work during each time period. The majority of his collection resides in Rochester as it seems to be his main location of practice and where he considers home to be. I looked closely at the tools and materials Daniel was using at the time. There were saws, drills, clamps, brushes, chemicals, glues, paints, pigments, various chalks, leads, picture prints in collage on the walls, canvas, and different types of wood in his fairly organized studio. When I asked him why so many tools, I thought you were a painter? He answered, “I build each piece from scratch and by hand, otherwise it really wouldn’t be mine.” I found the process very methodical and almost too meticulously serious. Daniel explained in great detail each part of the building of his art step by step. After asking Daniel if he wouldn’t mind painting some that day. He agreed to start a piece while I was there. He started setting up, became very sober and collected with little words when preparing the work. I suppose part of his serious attitude was due to the concentration required when running power tools, and mixing different compounds. But, there was a very strange switch in his behaviour from his normal light attitude I came to know in China. He decided to switch up to a different already prepped piece due to drying times of glue and gesso. Many of his pieces are actually framed without screws by using only pressure and glue compounds to form the frames. He then decided to put up a new, rather large piece and began to paint. The strange thing with Daniel’s process is how loose and free he is when he actually paints. His physical movements are similar to a graceful kind of dance between himself and the surface when he works putting his whole body with each brush stroke. It’s an amazing flow of controlled energy that he masterfully lassoes. He continued this dance, even up on ladders at the top of the piece. I did not expect to see him this free and vivacious when first watching him set up. Despite the strange changes in his mood it was wonderful to watch him paint.Later after working for a few hours, Daniel showed me some of the earlier back log of drawings and paintings he had done from 1989 - 98. Some of his works were basic, child-like, and I could certainly see where progression in skill took place at different times. There were various early works that were quite mature considering how early the work was in the timeline of his career. I could particularly see his growth from 1992 - 96 when he was studying under various professors in Rochester New York, such as Julie Williams, Chuck Haas, Vince Massaro, and Kathleen Calderwood. The biggest noticeable jump in maturity was from 2002-05. During this time period Daniel completed the ‘Phoenix Evelation’ series. He painted for 6 months on the island of Ocracoke, North Carolina, completing the ’Sea, See’ series and travelled to Asia where he worked for two years. There was a real movement in personal inspiration for him and the transition to Asia. According to Daniel, “You could never have the same vibe anywhere else in the world. What you experience in Asian culture is purely unique compared to the rest of the world.” During this period I could see that the pictures became more believable, and in my mind’s eye triggered an elevated thought-provoking consciousness. At the moment, Daniel is living in West Cork Ireland. He had no comment on Ireland at this time. Altogether there is enormous potential for Daniel Fisher and his work as an artist. His dedication, passion, and growth are certainly refreshing. This artist is certainly someone worth investigating. As a historian and journalist I can say Daniel’s work has inspired me to understand the actual painting process in greater depth, and has opened my eyes to a greater understanding of the process of modern art. I see his persistent light as a reliable source of great influence in the ever growing art world, and hope that he continues to keep up his work in the future.Dr. Margaret Prath Beijing News