''absent awareness'' Print

Simon Darling makes paintings, drawings and mixed media artworks. With a conceptual approach, Darling creates work in which a fascination with the clarity of content and an uncompromising attitude towards conceptual and minimal art can be found. The work is aloof and systematic and a cool and neutral imagery is used. His practice provides a useful set of allegorical tools for maneuvering with a pseudo-minimalist approach in the world of painting: these meticulously planned works resound and resonate with images culled from the deep and dark realm of imagination. By manipulating the viewer to create confusion, he tries to approach a wide scale of subjects in a multi-layered way, likes to involve the viewer in a way that is sometimes physical and believes in the idea of function following form in a work. His works are on the one hand touchingly beautiful, on the other hand painfully attractive and thoughtful. Again and again, the artist leaves us orphaned with a mix of conflicting feelings and thoughts. With a subtle minimalistic approach, he often creates several practically identical works, upon which thoughts that have apparently just been developed are manifested: notes are made and then crossed out again, ‘mistakes’ are repeated. His works directly respond to the surrounding environment and uses everyday experiences from the artist as a starting point. Often these are framed instances that would go unnoticed in their original context. Simon Darling, currently lives, work and repping’ Sydney, Australia.