A Wise Man Once Stayed Silent, acrylic and pastel on canvas

Daniel Fleming creates expressive, nearly abstract works that use a naïve style yet are conceptually dense. In his artist’s statement, Daniel discusses his desire to create accessible, relevant art that will speak to as many people as possible. His artwork suggests an interesting approach to these goals. The almost childlike execution of his images adds a familiarity to the works that is refreshing and certainly draws me in.

Your Last Leg, acrylic, pastel and pencil on canvas

On closer inspection, however, these works seem to be very finely planned, and all of them have some sort of internal logic. There is juxtaposition, it seems, between heavy subject matter and imagery that is for the most part, light-hearted. I find myself especially drawn to the “abstract” gallery on Daniel’s online portfolio, where the works, somehow, seem particularly meticulous. Through frenetic swarms of line, shape and colour, a pattern emerges, bringing with it a sense that there is true meaning in the images.

I Dreamt of Dogs Leaving in The Night, acrylic and pastel on glass in frame