Daric Gill - Interdisciplinary Artist
Interdisciplinary artist Daric Gill specializes in robotic sculptures & oil painting. He holds an MFA from the University of Cincinnati & a BFA from Columbus College of Art & Design. Gill has received multiple awards, including the 2019 Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award & fellowships in Dresden, Germany, Cuba, & Columbus. He is an ICOM & IAA member. His work has been exhibited internationally, including in South Korea, Germany, Cuba, NYC, & LA. Gill is a full-time studio artist, former adjunct instructor, & runs a free online professional development resource.
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“It’s yours if you want it… But I’m dragging it to the dumpster on Friday if you don’t do something with it.”
Yep. That sentence. Usually, it’s regarding something big, amazing, and… most likely a tad unwieldy. Maybe it’s referring to that upright piano that you would LOVE to have, but just don’t have the room for. Or maybe it’s that dresser that you’ve needed, but your Honda Civic isn’t up to the challenge. In my latest case I was donated an antique jewelers cabinet that was in serious need of some love. Of course, it had to be claimed in the next few days or face decimation. I had a choice and I think I made the right one. This project was an absolutely fun piece-by-piece teardown and rebuild.
This new configuration is sleeker and more versatile. It’s now available to be used as a bar, dining room table, and of course–even a workbench. Read onward to learn more about this piece and its reclaiming process.
Workbench Table: made from antique reclaimed jeweler’s cabinet. 76 1/2″ x 34 3/4″ x 30 3/4″. 2.18.15.
“Absolute’s Complement: Asymmetry”: oil on panel. 10 1/8″ x 7 3/4″. 7.1.12.
Last week I shot a few more paintings as part of my portfolio update. This piece is called Absolute’s Complement: Asymmetry. The piece has many layers of translucent paint that creates the feel of undulating rust. This glazing process allows for a surface that is entirely flat with only the appearance of texture. Similarly, the hand-built frame has a wash over the surface to give it a more weathered look.
After a delightfully busy week of studio work and paneling an art festival, I’m continuing the process of re-documenting my collection.
“Absolute: Radiance” (detail), Oil on reclaimed quilted walnut. 11 3/8″ x 8 1/2″. 6.14.13
It’s not the biggest or the smallest piece in this series. It doesn’t hold the most humor or even seem as conspicuous as some other pieces in this series. But this piece holds a lot of information for portraying so little. It’s the sometimes less is more analogy. There’s also a lot of hidden secrets in this piece. Painted on quilted black walnut, even its fairly small dimensions are a sneaky deception. Absolute: Radiance weighs as much as a piece 3 times its size due to its thick cross section. The security code usually stamped on the back is hidden on the side wall of the wood. Even the materials it is made of has a literal and figurative duality.
This painting depicts a bent nail resting on a vein of halo’d metallic gold paint. This effervescent vein follows the grain pattern of the wood and changes sheen based on where the viewer stands. As you have read, there’s some interesting aspects of this piece’s process that makes for some cool behind the scenes information.
The real nail used as subject matter is still IN the piece… after it was liquified and used to dye the frame.
“Absolute Power”, oil on reclaimed red oak. 6 1/2″ x 9 5/8″. 6.4.11.
In spirit of my latest few blogs, I’m going through past work and updating my images to show more of the details within my collection. Today’s post centers around one of the earlier Absolute paintings. The lighting of the painting is such that the wood grain drastically changes under the power of light that hits it. Higher powered light makes for a more dynamic transition between grains (as you can see from the images below). Made in 2011, Absolute: Power has a copper serial number that only appears in the first handful of this series. The frame is made from the same vintage barn wood as the painting and is indeed in the exact condition it was initially found in. The painting surface has been sanded to show the warmth of the wood without going so deep as to eliminate the deep rich colors that are a result of many years of aged character.
Yep. That sentence. Usually, it’s regarding something big, amazing, and… most likely a tad unwieldy. Maybe it’s referring to that upright piano that you would LOVE to have, but just don’t have the room for. Or maybe it’s that dresser that you’ve needed, but your Honda Civic isn’t up to the challenge. In my latest case I was donated an antique jewelers cabinet that was in serious need of some love. Of course, it had to be claimed in the next few days or face decimation. I had a choice and I think I made the right one. This project was an absolutely fun piece-by-piece teardown and rebuild.
Daric Gill 
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