Daniel Jenkins

Daniel works in both the fine art arena as an installation sculptor, and the decorative arts as a maker of objects for gardens and intimate spaces. Drawing a line between art which is integrated and reflective of an outdoor space, and art which is set amongst an environment which has to adapt to the work, can be a difficult decision both for the artist as well as the client. Daniel’s windvanes encourage an emotion in the viewer which is often not a component of fine art - ie humour. His windvanes are evocative of whimsy and caricature, but do not represent in a literal sense the dichotomous placement of animate objects in an inanimate space.  They are however, visually light yet powerful, command space and attention in their kinesis and engage the viewer through all seasons and weather conditions.

Having trained originally in the 1960s as a silversmith, his work gradually evolved into the decorative repousse‘ technique of hollow-forming a surface to create narrative and texture.  In the 1970s and again in the 1990s Daniel studied in Italy, eventually receiving a Palladio Foundation ISSI Fellowship to master the technique, having done his research in St Mark’s Cathedral in Venice.  His working knowledge of repousse’ took him some twenty years ago into the area of hollow forming his imagination into the objects you see here.  Daniel currently works from his studio residence in Metung, East Gippsland.