Dane Spangler

Artist Statement

I wish to create images that remind us that the natural world is an awesome luminous story – a dynamic reflection of ourselves. Light moving over cloud rock, water, and tree is eternally cycling creating a kaleidoscope of patterns. To me, these dancing fractals are a metaphor for our life processes – which eventually lead us to recognize and respect the beauty and power of the dance itself. The landscape is our ancient teacher, transcending border, religion and race. I see the landscape as a pure symbol of a meeting place between the temporal and infinite – dynamic perfection.

Much of the inspiration for my work has come from travel. As I was growing up, our family would spend summer vacations camping in diverse locations across the United States and Canada: the landscape was a postcard. In 1994, I traveled to England. Here I began developing my ideas on the nature of beauty, as well as expanding many of my philosophical and spiritual beliefs. In London and Paris, I drew my inspiration from the works of William Turner, Thomas Gainsborough and Gustav Moreau. As I walked amongst the standing stones on the moors, I began viewing the landscape in an entirely new way. The landscape was transformed into a temple.

Dane Spangler’s Website

Dane Spangler at The Link Gallery