In their second exhibition with the artist, Ink_d are showcasing Dan Baldwin’s first collection solely devoted to works on paper. Created due to a recession-friendly demand for affordable pieces that fall between limited edition prints and canvases, the process has afforded the artist an unexpected freedom to create some unexpected results.

Themes like war, politics, nature, innocence, religion and decay are all represented, and their realisation in this new medium is free of the shackles of expectation working with traditional canvas can bring. It’s not that the paper itself is anything approaching disposable – it’s handmade, heavyweight Italian stock to allow for the weight of Baldwin’s layering technique, but the freedom of expression it’s encouraged is a revelation. We were transfixed by his broad brush strokes and sinister themes, and we’re not alone – he’s revered by celebrities and the art-savvy alike. Exhibitions alongside Banksy, Peter Blake and Damian Hirst have all helped Baldwin to his current mantle of artist du jour.

ART
DAN BALDWIN
Ink_d Until Sun 21st

WORDS BY NICK COQUET