Artist and illustrator, Gregory Daines works form his studio, Circa1990 Ltd in Ashford, Kent. His practice explores the relationship between the everyday visual language that surrounds us, like architecture and advertising and works with illustration, print making, sculpture and 3D/2D digital. He delights in the familiar yet overlooked, then meticulously constructing detailed explorations of wonder in the moment.
His work draws on the visual vocabulary of the late twentieth-century design, inspired by the cultural heritage we have in advertising and packaging, reinterpreting these references through a contemporary lens. He is interested in the tension between the polished and the handmade, the nostalgic and the ever so fabulous absurd.
Alongside his individual practice, he is a founding member and Chair of Form&Thought, an experimental artist collective based in Ashford, Kent, whose core focus is raising the profile of art in Ashford by creating opportunities, events, workshops and collaborative projects.
His practise is rooted in curiosity and experimentation, often moving between mediums and processes rather than adhering to a singular visual language. Whether working with carefully constructed digital design, drawing, found materials or objects, he is interested in how his work can be transformed and recontextualised and given new meaning.
Gregory studied Literature with Media Studies for his undergraduate and Smart Design for his Masters. Before art, his career was balanced between two contrasting worlds, where he tried to bring nuance and meaning as a Technical Author. Prior to this, he worked as an Artworker and in Marketing.
Links
Website: circa1990.co.uk/
Instagram: @circa1990design
X: @circa1990ltd
Youtube: @c1990
TikTok: @circa1990Design
Email: info@circa1990.co.uk