The Rise and Fall of Icarus

Daniel O'Dempsey

My practice is centred around the notion of storytelling, social inclusion, mindfulness and myth making. I work with a range of materials and found objects sourced from streets, skips and my surrounding landscape. I also work with more conventional materials. I have adapted areas of my practice so that it is concurrent with my pursuit towards sustainability. My work encompasses painting, performance, poetry, photography, sculpture, collage, installation, music and film. I am curious about how we inhabit space and what this means and investigate this by creating multi sensory installations that encourage people to converse, interact and engage with one another. My installations are usually temporary, where I curate and occupy public spaces for short periods of time. The documentation of my installations are therefore fundamental to the process and often instils the final body of my work in the form of digital material. Ephemerality and the idea of mortality are continuous themes in my practice tracing back to my teenage years and my battle with non-hodgkin's lymphoma. The physical nature of my work reflects passages of these experiences reinforcing my curiosity and appreciation for what we consider insignificant and ordinary, themes that have been heightened due to my awareness of the fragility and lack of control we have over our own existence. Existentialism is a discussion that is evident throughout my practice. As a neurodiverse person with ADHD and Tourettes I inadvertently discuss this in my work, through passing words and illustrated prompts in paintings. I am intrigued by our link to technology in the present day and how it is so embedded in our culture. I investigate concepts of modern day spirituality and religion and often reference pop culture and social commentaries that depict and discuss other aspects of our modern day society. more…

All Daniel O'Dempsey poems | Daniel O'Dempsey Books