Dan Baldwin
Manchester-born silkscreen artist Dan Baldwin studied at Eastbourne College of Art and Design, followed by Kent Institute of Art and Design.
He has held solo exhibitions in Paris, New York, Los Angeles and London, featured in art fairs at Miami and Basel, while shown alongside Banksy and Peter Blake.
Drawing on the interior of his own mind for inspiration, Dan’s art can be anything from a rumination on love, memory or philosophical issues, to an airing of opinion on politics or current affairs.
Although his style is unique and has an immediately recognisable vision, Baldwin’s oeuvre also carries an aesthetic that is difficult to categorise, whether it’s book covers or album art.
Swallows and symbolism: Baldwin's subject matter
“My work is always about life, harmony and balance but often explores the fine line between that and death. I love to contradict and put opposing factors together...”
Dan’s work is multi-layered: both literally, with glazes, diamond dust, collage and 3D media among the materials Dan adds to the top of his silkscreen surface, as well as in terms of the meaning behind the work.
“I want to present elements that force a dialogue between all the elements and make the viewer think about their connections. It all links,” he said.
Recurring themes and sinister paradoxes
Vintage crucifixes, robins, knives and cartoon figures often recur throughout Baldwin’s work. These markers of death, life and love are a reflection of Dan Baldwin's preoccupation with the 'big questions' of human existence.
Each one has a meaning - for example, swallows imply innocence - although each can change slightly between print to print, depending on the work’s overall ethos.
Dan uses them to create an uncomfortable and sometimes sinister paradox, but this symbolism is crucial to his own interpretation of his art, as well as the viewer’s personal reaction.
“I'm driven to push. As artists we are never content to stay stagnant,” he admitted. “I often dislike looking back at older work and never think it's good enough.
“I go through phases with other artists, like Bacon, Hockney, Hirst: I like to see these every now and again to keep me on my toes and open my mind. Often a new piece is as a result of one before it.”
Collectors and collaborators
Collectors of his abstract and figurative silk screen prints include Damien Hirst, Chris Packham, Andy Bell, Petra Ecclestone and Sir Ronald Cohen.
Dan has collaborated with global brands including Max Factor, as well as clothing designer Sara Berman and musician Paolo Nutini.
In 2016, the Saatchi gallery hosted a retrospective from his print editions, while visitors to both the Groucho Club and Café Royal will find Baldwin’s silkscreen prints among their permanent collections.
Contact us
You can browse more of Dan Baldwin’s art here