Photographic artist, Daniel Shiel, extracts details from photographic images taken by him, isolates them from their original context, and combines them to present new, often surreal, perspectives. Daniel is also a published writer of short stories.
His photographic artwork is particularly concerned with all forms of landscape, urban and rural, and his collages explore the textures, colours and patterns found in structures and objects, both natural and man-made.
Examples, above and below, of Daniel’s collage-style photographic artworks.
Daniel trained as an archaeologist with a career specialising in geophysical prospection for archaeological sites. This has influenced his approach to art:
Archaeology/photography is taking me to many places, providing many sources of inspiration. The result is a lifetime spent observing landscapes, past and present. This background forms the context for my photographic work which considers the rich textures, patterns and colours evident in many everyday objects both natural and artificial; details often unseen or overlooked at first glance. The themes at the centre of my work are associations with the past, decay, destruction and loss.
‘The Arch of the Trees’. Image: see artist’s website, below.
His work has been exhibited widely across the UK, including at the Cork Street Gallery in London, the Borders Gallery in Lancaster, the Mill Bridge Gallery in Skipton, Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal, and locally as part of the Saltaire Arts Trail and at The Bingley Gallery. Overseas, his work has featured in galleries in Mexico and Mallorca. Daniel was a prize-winner in the 2013 ‘Best Shots’ photography competition, and in the same year his collage, ‘Malakoff’ (see image below), was long-listed for the prestigious Aesthetica Art Prize.
In 2023, Daniel also published his book, ‘Thorntichronicon’, described as an “illustrated history and guide to a parallel world”, told in short stories. A map helps the reader explore his home village, Thornton, near Bradford, through the eyes of an historian from another world. He said:
Artist’s website: http://www.danielshiel.com/