Daniela White | The Work
Statement
Born in Rome, Italy. Lives and works in London.
Daniela White is curious about the nature of the photographic image. What it reveals and what it hides. What it can reveal is limited; it is the evidence of a particular moment in time, choreographed by the photographer. To complete the meaning, it relies heavily upon the narrative that the viewer chooses to construct around it. What it shows cannot be questioned, changed, interrogated; and it will not yield any more than what is there, etched onto the paper, tantalisingly real and unreal at the same time. Ephemeral, intangible yet still a powerful trigger. We (the viewer) peer into the image trying to find meanings and connections. It evokes the past and quickens the memory.
White theoretically supports her work with reference to Barthes ‘Camera Lucida' where the photograph itself becomes a new and real experience in the present. Her work mirrors a clear reflection of family photographs that are intensely personal and emotional. She intriguingly presents the idea that memories which photographs bring are often not real memories at all. In many cases the subjects are not present at the time they were taken; but intrinsically become part of a narrative to which one has heard, constructed, subscribed to and embellished over the years. Working with images from her own family albums, she is able to reflect upon both her own family’s past- this being relationships within the family and how these relate to the times in which they lived. Narratives are re-constructed around the characters in the images, redrawing new connections through the juxtaposition of elements in the composition.
White uses original photographs as her starting point, later combining with other material such as text and ephemera whilst finally being re-photograph to create a new context. White engages with photographs in ways that allow her to creatively question the nature of the medium whilst exploring its temporal quality. She experiments further with physical qualities to emphasise the intangibility and mystery of the narratives created. In addition to using photography she works with paint and printmaking to extend the possibilities of the photographic image.
CV
EDUCATION
2009 MA Fine Art Painting, Wimbledon College of Art (UAL)
1994 PGCE ,Goldsmiths College
1983 BA (Hons) Fine Art Painting, Kingston University
EXHIBITIONS
2010 Imperfect Recall - The Architects’ Gallery, Teddington, London
2010 Big Bang Bounce, Shoreditch Church, London
2010 100 SQFT, Chomley Boys Club, Dalston, London
2009 Wimbledon MA Show, Wimbledon, London
2009 Q-Art Presents, APT Gallery, London
2009 The Nunnery, London
2009 Deutsche Postbank, London
2007 New Days Gallery, New Malden
2007 Fabric to Dye 4, Stroud House Gallery, Stroud, Gloucestershire
2005 Brighton Art Fair
2001 Solo show Stables Gallery, Dollis Hill, London
2000 Solo show Riverside Galleries, Richmond, London