Danielle Dean
Artist Statement
My work is born out of a series of meditations. It is a dialogue with places of natural phenomena and a study of environmental rhythms. My goal for the viewer is to be immersed in these meditations, finding connections to their own ecology and spirituality. Photography lies at the core of my artistic practice, but my pieces are ultimately multidisciplinary, combining traditional photographic techniques with painting, drawing, sculpture, and installation.
These works were created during the first two years of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It is intriguing to step back and gather up what I have been drawn to work on through such an uncertain and unnerving time. Through periods of heightened anxiety and outright panic attacks, I’ve found myself returning to the cold sea near my home to take photographs underwater, quietly submerged in a wetsuit, mask, and snorkel. These pieces combine analog and digital technologies to blur the lines between photography and painting, creating veiled landscapes hinting at a splendor not entirely revealed. At once alien and comforting, they epitomize the hazy lens through which I have experienced the past months, aware of the beauty on the other side of that lens, and waiting. “If grief can be a doorway to love, then let us all weep for the world we are breaking apart so we can love it back to wholeness again.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer
Danielle Dean | Friday Harbor, WA