Daniel Clifford is based in Meanjin/Brisbane, whose work explores themes of playful imperfection, materiality and the tragicomic.
Through his process, he embraces the chaos and impermanence found in both nature and human existence. Clifford’s work is a reflection of his fascination with exploring the unknown and the uncertain, as well as finding beauty and meaning within these elements. He seeks to create a connection between the work and the viewer, inviting them to consider our ever-changing evolving lives and the relationship between ourselves and the world we occupy.
“I love the duality of tragicomedy and how it can generate explosive polar opposite reactions of devastation and euphoria. After all, laughter and crying are both forms of internal explosions really”.
WAG presents three bodies of work by Clifford:
Exploded Bronze
All Learning is Valuable
Historic Buildings of Australia
Formed by an expulsion of molten magma from the earth’s mantle and the shifting upheaval of tectonic plates, the lands upon which we live are a manifestation of force, chaos and imperfection with unparalleled beauty captured within.
The Exploded Bronze series subverts the traditional method of casting bronze and embraces chaotic ‘mistakes’. Incorrectly cast and poured, the molten bronze explodes upon contact with water content and the force of this contact creates thin textured sheets. Relief printed, these works serve as a recording and a contemplation of this event.
