Written by: Magda Gorski
Photos by: Devon Boulton-Mills
Danny Kirk is a thoughtful, intelligent and observant creator whose work explores a variety of themes and topics which are, by nature, open to interpretation. Many deal with identity, subjectivity, “isms”, re-connecting with the precious and the intangibles in life, and re-evaluating predisposed perceptions and meanings in a constructed world. He also makes a mean cup of chai, and might even feed you biscuits.
His strange and fabulous art moves into liberated conversation with its viewers by showing and telling a story, and his observations are reflected in and off his work, which challenges the audience but also acknowledges the information each viewer provides. It reminded me of cutting an earthworm in half - each new process of creation becomes a part of its emerging environment, as well. Sitting down in his studio, a space stocked with art and ideas, where he showed me mounds of his work, we talked candidly about his craft, about condoms, the universe, monsters, teeth, truths and the state of humanity, among other things.
Identity and subjectivity are major parts of Kirk’s work, and he tries to visualize and create new characters and faces that can express these ideas. “We don’t really know what’s true and what isn’t and it doesn’t really matter,” he reflects. His paintings are a fascinating dialogue between consciousness and the physical world, mentally inspiring and materially tactile.
Lately Kirk has been experimenting with different methods in his creations, which include painting with coffee, gold leaf and India ink, or adding burlap and silicone and other industrial materials to the canvas or by wrapping his paintbrushes with condoms (!). The finished products represent changing layered meanings and representations via the actual process of creating them.” Kirk says that sometimes he’ll walk into a gallery or opening where his art is on display and he’ll prod and poke the canvas as people look on in horror. “I’ve purposely made them durable; they can withstand it,” he says, pointing out that part of creating is challenging notions of what art is ultimately for.
Painting with condoms on the ends of his brushes creates “safe paintings” and questions what is created and what is held back. In describing his intentions for this series of work, Kirk says, “I’ve been playing with the notion of the act of creating versus the finished product. The act of making love ends off with warm fuzzy feelings and a used condom - then there’s the act of creating a work of art and what you end up with; and the finished product, is it about the result or the process?
“I like the idea of creating a painting and not actually having the brush touch the canvas. Having that sort of barrier there starts to make the process show through,” says Kirk, adding that his latest work with used mixed coffee grounds as paint also works with the idea of medium as message. “It removes some of the preciousness. It forces you to loosen it up and just let the paint show through.”
Kirk is embarking on an adventure across Canada this summer, ready for stimulation in the form of creating, people, self-discovery and experience. Not sure if this is a big secret, but Kirk’s plan is to work in motion within each new environment and if you take a good look around any random small town from here on east you might just see a gold leafed brick road trailing Danny Kirk’s journey across Canada.
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