CURATOR'S COLUMN: Sharon Newton Introduces Danny Rolph, East Central
There is always an underlying theme or original thought that an artist will follow when demonstrating that innovation in a various and eclectic journey throughout their career.
When I first met Danny Rolph a few years ago, I was excited by his passion and enthusiasm for painting as well as his unusual attitude towards the relationship between an artist and the rest of the world.
As the curator of this show, I think Danny has demonstrated his own thoughts and unique voice through this series of works, which takes inspiration from Danny’s working class roots and from the noises, colours and fractures of London’s East End.
This body of work is inspired by the areas of East London in which he grew up – high-rise living looking out over the city, the sunrises and sunsets, bright lights and the world revolving beneath him. Because of this, I decided to approach the CNB Gallery in Shoreditch which is the perfect space for an installation of Danny’s works.
For this exhibition, East Central, Danny was excited by the space and the geography of the gallery because it resonated with his life. He has created four large ‘Triplewall’ paintings in response to the space, entitled EC1, EC2, EC3 and EC4. Each work depicts a distinct part of his personal history and encompasses his response to the life he saw in each area, providing a photographic clue in each as to which postcode is referred to, as well as a music album cover that he loves. These elements are interwoven between the surfaces and the brushstrokes.
EC1 - where he grew up and there is a picture of St James’s Church in Clerkenwell where Danny was christened.
EC2 - where he went to school and Wesley Chapel in Bunhill is depicted.
EC3 - where he wandered the streets on empty Sunday mornings and discovered their architecture. There is a picture of the street sign for Pudding Lane.
EC4 - Fleet Street where his father worked for various newspapers. This is shown in the top right hand corner.
The main installation is made up of these four works and we have tried to assemble a collection that best represents Danny’s journey. Using his inimitable style and intuitive relationship with colour, these pieces allude to his background whilst at the same time creating an important interaction between the viewer and the work. He is able to unlock visual nuances in a natural and expressive way – creativity flows from that point of intimate knowledge.
His art demonstrates a depth of expression in its vibrant use of colour and the multiple layers reflect the need to make sense of personal history amidst urban chaos.
East London has gone through such a massive transformation and the interesting question for Danny’s work is how it reflects on today’s East End, the East End of the past (Danny’s youth) and what effect the future of the area will have on his art. He loves the area and his work is the response to its geography and the disruption within it.
Danny Rolph East Central
CNB GALLERY
28th September – 6th November 2016 Private View: Tuesday 27th September 2016, 18:30–20:30pm
Sharon Newton read History of Art at Warwick University. She then studied in Italy, pursuing her interest for Early Renaissance Art. On returning to the UK, she set up a service industry company, which she sold four years ago. Since then she has worked exclusively in the art world, including at the Hales Gallery, London, where she was a consultant. Newton has worked with CNB on two previous occasions, curating exhibitions by the photographer Jeremy Hunter, and the contemporary painter and installation artist Wayne Lucas.
