John Dahlsen, based in Byron Bay Australia, recently returned home from New York, more than inspired, after having presented a solo exhibition of his work at Gallery 49 in West 49th St. John is currently preparing for an exhibition at the John Gordon Gallery in Coffs Harbour, on the East Coast of Australia. This exhibition is a collection of his most recent assemblages of driftwood works, as well as some limited edition large scale prints of driftwood on canvas.
‘These prints on canvas are a relatively new frontier for me, I have been working on perfecting this technique over the past two years with photographers and printers,’ said Dahlsen. ‘I have to say that the prints for this exhibition have really hit the mark, in terms of what I have been trying to achieve with digital prints on canvas, I am really excited at how these prints have given my found object assemblages a whole new direction and dimension.’
While in New York Dahlsen explained that was it was very fortunate for him that the Director of the Florence Biennale, John T Spike, who reviewed his work so favourably at last December’s Biennale, was in New York at the time. Mr Spike will be reviewing the exhibition of 41 works, which took up the two floors of Gallery 49, in the summer edition of "Art and Antiques."
Dahlsen said ‘Gallery 49 is in a great location, situated in the famous West 49th Street, with the Rockefeller centre and Times Square a mere a stroll up the street. During the moments that I had some free time from gallery commitments, I took time out to visit other contemporary art exhibitions. At the Pace Wilderstein Gallery, I once again experienced Mark Rothko’s ability to reach down inside of me and grab a hold, his work somehow seems to shake me to my foundations in a totally inexplicable way. Other artists’ work I had the privilege of seeing, was an astounding selection of Chuck Close prints at the MET and an exhibition of Joseph Beuys works at Gagosian gallery, amongst others’.
The Australian Coffs Harbour exhibition will be opened by well known media personality and author, George Negus, at 6pm on the 19th March.
John will then be preparing to head to Milano for another international exhibition of his found object assemblages, which opens on May the 4th. at D’Ars Studios in Milano.
Dahlsen explained that he hadn’t expected to be doing so much international travel with his artwork over this 12 month period, but is very grateful to have had so many opportunities open up for him at an international level.
‘Dahlsen's assemblages are as much about their materials as anything else and each transformed object is a carrier of memory, containing a vestige of its "first life". This layered richness and narrative aspects of old objects offer not only a record of time, but a visual and tactile link to it.’ Director, Gallery 49, New York City.
John Dahlsen is a Premiere Portfolio Artist at absolutearts.com. View more of his work at: www.absolutearts.com/portfolios/j/johndahlsen/
IMAGE
John Dahlsen
Driftwood I (detail) 2003
Digital print on canvas
1000 x 2000mm
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