Suitably inspired, Dan embarked upon a considerable period of development in his studio, sketching and experimenting with designs before he felt clear on the direction he would need to take in order to build the requisite layers into these artworks. Having established his process, he began each piece by carving the overall shape he wanted out of a high density foam, which would serve as a base for the subsequent assemblage of resin layers. Working with individual sheets of resin, heated and moulded - or cut by his digital milling machine - Dan manipulated all the elements perfectly to spec, before experimenting with the placement of each one to form the pieces in this collection. He worked by eye, guided only by the aesthetic he had first envisaged when viewing the graffiti that caught his imagination. Once the assembly phase was complete, and Dan had achieved the structural composition he intended, the process of adding colour began. After applying a layer of primer, he soon discovered that giving his sculptures a coat of light khaki base gave any ensuing colours an added prominence. Transitioning between using complementary colours and the application of colours intended to clash, Dan began to navigate instinctively through his new foray into colour. Every single element within the completed pieces received upwards of four coats of paint, to achieve the depth of pigmentation that Dan wanted. An equal amount of thought and care went into the boards on which each sculpture is mounted. Staying true to his preferred glossy black finish, Dan upped the ante by lightly echoing the graffiti motifs using aerosols to spray designs onto the boards by hand before sealing with a new resin – one chosen for the smoky quality it has once dried, giving a tinted glass feel to the final presentation. Viewed in its entirety, this collection conjures up a feel of the famous Día de los Muertos festival that originated inMexico, but is now celebrated annually across Latin America. The skulls and bright colours in Dan’s work resonate with the iconography that is central to this festival, where skulls can be seen in decorations, costumes and confectionary, and everywhere is adorned with beautifully bright floral displays and garlands, in an explosion of colour and life-affirming joy. Opting to showcase his new style of layered graffiti sculptures through the shape of a skull, gun and heart symbolically mirrors the festival’s purpose of celebrating both life and death simultaneously. Additionally, the theme of empty spaces is particularly relevant in this context, as the occasion is one for celebrating the departed rather thanmourning their absence; moreover, it is seen as the day when families are reunited with loved ones who have passed, thus filling the void they left behind after their death. Empty spaces nomore. In The Empty Spaces signals a new age for Dan Lane and a change of artistic pace. As he continues to evolve, experiment and challenge himself, we look forward to seeing what - as yet unimagined - creative expressions are to follow.
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