The Bite Magazine - Spring 2016 - Issue 15

Art should not be for those with closed minds.” When it comes to his opinion on what makes a cutting edge and successful artist, Dameon told us: “cutting edge implies something of the moment as compared to what else is happening at any time, this is not something I look to do. My art is created to live and last, the stories I focus on are timeless: contem- plating the continuity between past and present. The approach and style can be contemporary but the story, for me, is the most important part and should not have a shelf life or regarded as a trend. A successful artist is an abstracted ques- tion: is it someone who sells? Someone who has a big reputation? All of these are subjective. I want my work to be success- ful in that it is seen by as many people as possible.” As an artist, Dameon sees himself “at the forefront of social com- mentary and outsider realism.” When he’s not painting, he relaxes by social- ising at home in Rochester or “in the older venues in Soho (those that are left) and reading”, although this is normally reserved for research and knowledge. Two of his paintings: ‘Miss Abbington’ and ‘Crows’ which he has never sold (as he had decided to keep them) and one that he has sold called ‘Dolls’ count as those of his favourites. “Each [one] captured the story perfectly and essence which I had in my mind through technique, com- position and content,” he explained. There isn’t a particular environ- ment that moves or interests Dameon as the artist believes, “Everywhere has a history and therefore a story to tell. Some- times there is intrigue in the seemingly banal.” When asked if there are any pieces by another artist that he wished he had created, he replied, “virtually any collage piece by Kurt Schwitters or virtually any drawing by Egon Schiele.” To date, Dameon has pre- sented his work in 12 countries and sold to over 20. He names Italy as his favourite country where he has exhibited many times and sold well but there is one market he would like to show and sell his work and that is Japan. While he names the Camden Arts Group, Bauhaus and Dada as the collectives that he admires, when it comes to giving his opinion on the art industry, it is a deep and thought evoking reply. “Art industry? Well described because it is an indus- try/corporation [and] art and artists as a tradable commodity. It has always been controlled by money/power, start- ing with the church/state a millennia ago, then by patrons in the 1800s and busi- nessmen since the 1920s. So although the best creativity in my mind comes from turmoil, hardship, depression or upheaval, culturally or economically, when it becomes mainstream, it becomes commodity. It’s no coincidence that the world’s most successful artist (based on bank balance) living or dead is Damien Hurst and he was mar- keted by, the king of advertising, Saatchi.” Dameon’s next project is about longshoremen which will be exhibited at the forthcoming The Other Art Fair ( www.theotherartfair.com) from 7th to 10th April in South- ampton Row, London. He will also be celebrating ten years as an artist with an exhibi- tion titled ‘Dameon Priestly: A Ten Year Retrospective’ at the Gilbert & Clark Gallery ( www.gilbertandclark.com) in Maidstone, Kent from 31st March to 29th April 2016. To add to this, he has regular private commissions and com- mercial artwork for clients to keep him busy. Dameon’s many amazing paintings and drawings include ‘The Shopgirl’ which looked at the signif- icant number of girls leading double lives as prostitutes whilst working as shopgirls duringVictorian times; ‘Pallida Mors’ also known as ‘deathly pallor’ which described the pale skin condition of children in workhouses and service; ‘Interstate 45’ which highlighted the plight of the 31 females aged from 12 to 57 that went missing along the 284 mile stretch of road called Interstate 45 in a desolate area of south Texas between 1971 and 2012 with many of them found murdered; ‘Guns’ relating to “the gun ownership in the US (or anywhere else for that matter)” and “the right to defend oneself, one’s family, one’s homestead, one’s con- stitutional rights and one’s civil liberties”; and the commissioned painting of shop- girl and prostitute Polly Hawkins and landlord Monsieur Germain Marmaysee found on the wall of Piquet restaurant in Newman Street. For aspiring artists, Dameon would advise: “stay true to yourself and how you tick. Paint those things that come from within, push yourself to improve and distil stories and techniques. Simplify to the point of pure clarity and never worry about the negative reaction. Con- centrate on creation, not sales. If there is an audience out there, find it [because] in the modern age there is no excuse. The future holds, hopefully, greater exposure and recognition.” www.dameon.co.uk biteartistprofile