Mariana
The Journal Gallery, Brooklyn
September 29–October 23, 2011
This review of Daniel Turner, Mariana at The Journal gallery in Brooklyn was initially published in the Huffington Post 11/29/2011
Mariana is the name of the deepest trench of earth's oceans, and it is also the title of Daniel Turner's current exhibition at The Journal Gallery in Brooklyn. Although the artist doesn't necessarily claim an affiliation between the work and the trench, it is mentioned furtively. Patiently, the artist has stroked the gallery walls with steel wool, leaving subtle grey marks on them. Though there is barely anything to see, the grey clouds on the walls fully retain the magic of the artist's hands. Forms vanish here and one can almost feel a resistance: specifically the resistance to completing an artwork. The small space feels inhabited. The person who occupies it is not standing: she is huddling up, leaving close to the floor, leaving stains on the wall, especially the corners. There one can invoke Mariana, for this powerful though extremely subtle work seems to reveal the human's deepest abyss.
Anne Couillaud