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Milk on Eggs features in Footprints of a Working Artist.
Dan Mills’ mural, formerly painted on the side of the Mangawhai Meat Shop, was meant to invoke a sense of the “old school” community butcher.
Mangawhai locals and visitors who recall the eye-catching mural that was once painted on the side of the Mangawhai Meat Shop now have the chance to see more of the artist’s work.
Mangawhai Museum is hosting Footprints of a Working Artist, an exhibition by artist Dan Mills, through until the end of July.
Dan now lives in Whanganui, but says much of the work in the exhibition either began, was worked on or was painted in reaction to his time in the Mangawhai area.
“My paintings are reactions to my surroundings. They’re emotional and intuitive rather than intellectual or preconceived,” he says.
Many will recall his mural painted on the side of the Mangawhai Meat Shop, which was meant to invoke a sense of the “old school” community butcher.
Dan says he works on many pieces at the same time. Usually each piece starts as a chaotic and accidental series of splashes and marks then becomes steadily more refined.
“It’s important for the initial paint to arrive unconsciously. Like a Rorscharch test, the images are a reflection of my own subconscious. My rational brain can then take over to do the fine brush work,” he says.
Dan says his life experiences are much like everyone else’s, which means the symbols he employs are part of the “language of a greater shared consciousness”.
“It is my feeling that by committing to this practice I can make work that is unique to myself, while striking a chord with the wider community.”
Dan has exhibited in Wellington, Auckland and Dunedin and also in the United Kingdom and Australia.
However, his work is more often seen on buildings and utilities than on canvas. In Whanganui, he has painted a dairy and several Chorus roadside telephone exchange cabinets.
