Verne Dawson

In Verne Dawson’s paintings, the ways in which we mark time, invent stories and symbols, and understand the structures and belief systems that govern our lives become entwined in a playful web of narratives that also encompasses the history of painting itself. His work reflects a long-standing interest in tracing the continuities of human nature and culture, and in the persistence of timekeeping methods passed down through oral and visual traditions.

Drawing on popular culture, his paintings often explore mathematical and astronomical signs found in folklore, calendars and astrology. Despite his preoccupation with symbolic reference, Dawson’s visual language does not seek to idealise his subjects; rather, his style is grounded in the vernacular, offering a thoughtful consideration of narrative through composition and detail.

In his work, time collapses: past, present and future coexist in paintings that follow no linear chronology. They often function both as a reimagining of the past and as a vision of the present viewed from an imagined future, where the natural and the man-made exist in greater harmony. Characteristically, his works explore the continuities of nature and civilisation, and affirm his belief in the enduring vitality of beauty and of painting as a profound form of visceral and visual communication.