Dragonflies - Danielle Andrews
Finding serenity through lockdown: Katie invites you to explore the work of photographer Danielle Andrews in her latest series ‘Dragonflies’
Danielle Andrews
Danielle is a South African/ Swiss artist working in close contact with the natural world. Her practice touches on themes of spirituality and on-going questioning about the relationship we have between ‘ourselves, the earth we reside and the Divine.’ Through her work, she takes on the complex task of visually articulating these abstract concepts. We chat to her about her recent project ‘Dragonflies’, which was created during the lockdown period.
What interests you as an artist?
For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to the intangible. The stars, the sky, the mysteries of the world and universe alike. As the years go by, my love and interest in the natural world have grown and this overflows into my artistic practice – from researching artists that have a unique relationship with nature such as Andy Goldsworthy to using what we already have around us as subject and inspiration for what I then go on to create. The natural world provides endless inspiration for all of us.
Danielle Andrews
Danielle Andrews
What impact do you feel your relationship with nature has on your work?
I feel the most at peace and present when I’m in nature so I think this automatically overflows into my work. I’m a romantic at heart too so there is often quite a bit of poetic symbolism in my work that is often linked to nature. I think it provides different ways of exploring the human experience. Ultimately, where I am and how I feel in a space has a big impact on how the work is then created.
Danielle Andrews
Danielle Andrews
What sparked the making of your latest body of work?
Dragonflies was primarily made during lockdown. The world was on standstill and walks in our local forest were the perfect thing to soothe a restless mind. Every time I ventured out, often taking similar paths, I became more aware of the different layers and sounds that were present. Crunching of the leaves beneath your feet, soft raindrops in a pool of water – drawing your attention on one specific thing at a time in nature brings the mind to the present moment and gives you a sense of peace.
I aimed to illustrate the similarities between the life cycle of the dragonfly to one’s own life and spiritual journey one may experience. From birth, a dragonfly goes through several stages before being able to venture out into the world and fly. During this process, the insect must shed its exoskeleton multiple times before and after leaving the water in which it is born. There are many faith-related connotations to this, but it also dives into what we were all experiencing during this time.
Danielle Andrews
can you speak a bit about your process in the making of this body of work?
I have always worked intuitively. I feel that this way of working provides more space for serendipitous moments to occur. Creating is very much an experience of life within - the journey being equal to the artistic process itself. As John O’Donohue writes in his book, The Four Elements, “experience is not about the consumption of life, rather it is about the interflow of creation into the self and of the self into creation” (O’Donohue 2010).