Daniel Crawshaw

Cloudwatching

15th January - 26th February 2023

Daniel Crawshaw is a painter who usually works with mountain landscapes. Through walking, he gathers observational material and photographs. In his studio, Daniel synthesizes memory and photo realism into paintings of varying scales.

 ‘Cloudwatching' is a series of paintings developed through the Coronavirus pandemic. For many artists, this time precipitated a shift in outlook, and in May 2020 Daniel began documenting London skies. 

 “I’m a city dweller who yearns for remote places. Lockdown presented an unexpected opportunity. A fresh subject hiding in plain sight”.

 From the window of a makeshift studio, Daniel discovered a new panorama above his home and created small monochrome studies which developed into larger pieces as restrictions eased. Initially, the sky offered a place of contemplation yet prompted questions about belonging and our common experience under novel constraints. 

 “ I found huge inaccessible spaces, changing at an imperceptible speed. Towering vistas of both clarity and ambiguity. For me, this world above seemed to reflect our condition below as anxiety permeated and rules continually shifted.” 

 Daniel Crawshaw grew up in the Welsh borders and now lives and works in South London. He has exhibited widely and undertaken residencies in The Snowdonia National Park and Elan Valley. Beyond the UK Daniel has explored the Pyrenees, Canada, and notably Australia where he has works in the Gippsland Art Gallery Collection.

 @daniel.crawshaw1