Daniel Coughlin
he/him
Instagram: @ddcoughlin
www.danieldcoughlin.com
Pharaoh (2022)
Metal Ductwork
“Pharaoh” is part of a series repurposing salvaged metal ductwork into free-standing sculptures. The work uses modern materials to evoke ancient imagery and icons - a commentary on the ephemeral monuments of our time. Thousands of years from now, what will remain?
Artist Statement
My practice depends on the accumulation of found and salvaged objects to uncover and create new meaning in old materials. A collection of discarded items can co-exist in my studio for years, before being repurposed as sculpture. The resulting forms combine the unique stories of each object to create a new narrative. What were these objects, and what are they now? I believe it is vital to acknowledge a material's past life - how it was used and by whom - how it was discarded and where it was found - before it can be fully understood. My work attempts to examine the experience of existing in the built world, by reimagining our relationship with the materials that define it.
Artist Bio
Daniel D. Coughlin, b. 1985, is an emerging visual artist from Boston, Massachusetts. He holds a BA in Economics from Villanova University (‘07) and an M. Arch degree from Pratt Institute (‘12). In 2021 he attended a three-month art residency at the Berlin Art Institute in Berlin, Germany. Since late 2021, he has lived and worked in Somerville, MA, maintaining a space and practice at Joy St. Studios, where he helped create a steering committee to advocate artists' needs. In the last few years he has participated in several group exhibitions at the Somerville Museum and Brickbottom Gallery. Dan is an active voice in the Somerville arts community, volunteering with the Somerville Open Studios nonprofit and participating in their annual event each spring. He also helped bring the Art Stays Here Coalition to Somerville two years ago, in support of their efforts to fight artist displacement throughout greater Boston.