A first reading of Jonathan Dalton’s show ‘The Silhouette of Opulence, the Shadow of a Labyrinth’ implores a deep appreciation for his exemplary technical skill - which is a wonder to view in person. The mind trips at his exacting eye, curious compositions, and easy comfort with his materials. A second reading reveals an insight into the artist’s curiosity about life, politics, literature, and perhaps a latent naval gaze.

A self-described slow worker, this show is a gentle evolution of past shows (bowls of submerged objects)—and the way we associate with objects, and through those objects the world around us. It is not important to Dalton that audiences understand his meaning, but it is his hope that on some level the technical ability is sufficient enough to garner their attention —and then maybe question what else is intended.

This show seeks to address different aspects of wealth, status, and beauty and is about interpreting people through the objects, myths and ideas that we hold dear and find interesting on both a broad and personal scale. The body of work, in classic Dalton style is also infused with wit and humour. As an Irishman, Dalton uses humour in a very ‘Irish’ way to deal with important or difficult subjects. The inclusion of fish is notably “because the fish don’t care.” In doing so, Dalton artfully removes objects from their natural habitat, further alienating the object from their context to elicit the absurdity of a notion.

There has always been aspects of other artists work in Dalton’s oeuvre, because he finds it such a strong shared visual language. It is clear that Dalton enjoys taking this language, abstracting it and recontextualising it in his work to provoke a slightly tongue-in-cheek commentary. There are references to artists Matisse, Hokusai, Liechtenstein, Hockney, and Warhol; and authors Austen, Salinger, and Hemingway. Particular homage is made to artist David Hockney, who Dalton describes as his “spirit animal.” Hockney moved to California from small rural town in the UK, because he was left a small inheritance from his aunt. This is a similar tale to Dalton’s own narrative, bequeathed a small inheritance from a beloved aunt which enabled his move from Ireland to Spain, and the ignition of his art career.

Dalton also integrates veins of politics— Western Populism, violence in Northern Ireland, the Catholic Church and the Monarchy, as well as the physics of Schrödinger, and the philosophy of Solomon’s Seal. Notably Ireland circa 1977 —two Polaroid cameras with chess pieces, which denotes the year Dalton was born. At that time it was the violence in Northern Ireland that dominated Irish culture, and the impact that the Catholic church was having on the social contract. This perspicacious work, depicting two cameras—where one shines a flash on the problem, while the other—marked by the bishop and pawn (boy) does not. The camera device is the way we see, via the role of the artist.

Dalton has stated that the actual application of paint is the uncomplicated part, and that indeed some paintings “just fall off the end of the brush”. It is the pre-thinking that is more complex, and the part he delights in. In The Silhouette of Opulence, the Shadow of a Labyrinth, as always, Dalton is not light on style, nor substance.

Amber Creswell Bell
February, 2024