JB DANIEL (e-Prime version) - go to: non e-Prime version The work of jb Daniel appears to be a matter of thinking and cognitive self-reflection found in making connections of images from objects and situations that are everyday metaphors for existing. Being conscious or aware of the details of life found in the periphery seems to lead Daniels to such observations as “If I had the words to definitively define my work, there would be no need for the work itself.” Making contact or confronting an idea or notion that transcends the common, ordinary, banal existence of “everyday life” through images that are juxtaposed in a way to make one stop and reconsider the meaning posited by the artist of a specific occurrence, makes the viewer aware of something that appears to be happening, not in the work itself, but in the mind of the viewer. Sometimes a small event, like getting into a bath, or riding a train through a train yard, sets into motion a sort of “crystal seed effect” or a chain reaction of synaptic events that lead to a “revelation” or an experience of total awe, other wise known as an “aesthetic moment!” The handmade objects, the “found” objects, and the “manipulated environments” of jb Daniel attempt to take the viewer beyond the “objectifying of ideas” into a realm of consciousness that may enable one to become aware of his experience as a point of departure for an extension and expansion in pondering ones own existence. A body of work that appears to be “mapping” or charting the possibility for exploring the shadows at the periphery of engagement, rather than what appears to be right in front of the viewer, could be considered an attempt at making “a place for new mythology.” Jb Daniel seems to develop visual metaphors that attempt to stimulate, and then inspire one into an action of a satisfying self-analysis that ultimately leads to an enriched awareness of present ness. |