IDN Figure / Tree (19), 2018, Gouache on watercolour paper, 57 × 37 cm
IDN or Ian David Newman (b.1953, U.K.) IDN’s creativity derives from a singular discernment and interpretation of the essence of his subject. Inspired by nature and the outdoors, his paintings & works on paper has evolved from honed observations, an abstract distillation of vigour and precision manifesting an insightful body of work. Each series stretches and amplifies the possibilities of both the medium and the subject, developing the creative idea through the excitement of growth to fruition.
IDN trained at The Brighton School of Art, and subsequently taught fine art. He closely mentored those he taught and remains an incisive original thinker: “How does drawing make one see things clearer?” or “How can we engage afresh with that which is most familiar to us”? His gouache paintings reflect on these reductive and abiding preoccupations. All the images explore his unique language about terrains, landscapes and viewpoints in terms of lines, mark making and brushstrokes. His method of application interchangeably using gouache, stencils and spray encourages the viewer to analyse texture, colour and tone but also encompass the work as a whole- enigmatic and physical.