Artist Feature - Gordon Dalton

Artist feature to mark our current exhibition by Gordon Dalton, ‘Abandon All Hope’

Gordon Dalton (b. 1970) is a contemporary painter from Middlesbrough, based in Saltburn by the Sea. He holds a Fine Art degree from The University of Wales and an MFA from Northumbria University. The subject matter of his colourful, abstracted, painting spans industrial and natural landscapes.

What is your process like for starting a new work?

The larger works start off simply with canvas pinned to the wall, rather than stretched. There's lots of underpainting, drawing and redrawing, more layers until something starts to emerge and take shape. I try to not be too precious at this stage and have fun with it. I may have a loose idea of what it will look like but that can change overnight. I try to avoid habits, and I'm always looking to throw a spanner in the works. From the beginning it's a series of small battles trying to make it exist as a thing, a painting.

Gordon Dalton studio - 2017

Do you have a favourite work you've made, or one that is important to you?

I tend to avoid favourites for fear of repeating things, although that's hard. Older paintings are a useful reference point, your own personal library.

Saying that, there's normally one which kicks off a good period of painting. Nightswimming was included in the Contemporary British Painting Prize and led to a lot of other paintings and opportunities. Both Future Islands and Will The Night Last Forever were important to me as the start of doing larger works.

Graveyard Sun, which is on show at G&T, feels like an important marker for me,

You've mentioned that your painting spans industrial and natural landscapes - can you explain this and tell me if there are any specific landscapes you're thinking of?

I grew up on Teesside, with the sea, the moors, long horizons and big skies, and obviously lots of industry. I never really differentiated between them, they were one and the same, a huge, messy, beautiful awe inspiring landscape.

I moved away when I was 21, mainly South Wales, which had the same kind of vistas. Over the past ten years some specific places started appearing but they were an amalgamation of places I'd lived, visited, wanted to go, etc, a snowy Coney Island beach, an abandoned farm in Kansas, various holidays or just a local park.

When I moved back North in 2018 lots of these motifs were just there on my doorstep. I've painted specific buildings such as the now sadly demolished Dorman Long Tower, and as a keen angler, there's lots of lakes, rivers etc. It's trying to mix up various viewpoints and perspectives.

Millie with Graveyard Sun

How has lockdown impacted your art practice?

Focusing on the positives, I've been very lucky. I already had online shows arranged before they became a thing and had a catalogue and new website alongside a solo show in 2020. The biggest positive has to be the artist support pledge, which was a financial lifesaver and a creative outlet. 2021 was walking in treacle but I'm getting back up to speed now.

Where is your studio and what's your setup like?

It's been a bit up in the air over last two years but I'm getting settled at The Auxiliary in Middlesbrough. You've got to work with what you've got (or can afford) and change your working habits. I used to love working at night, but things change and I now work between school runs.

I'm not the tidiest to be honest, but as long as I've got some music and coffee, I'm grand.

Gordon Dalton, ‘Dead Reckoning’ installation view at The Auxiliary, photo courtesy of Jason Hynes

Can you talk about some of the challenges you face in your practice?

They’re all relative to other challenges people have, but time, money, getting paid, etc. Nothing changes.