“It all starts with colour”, Baldwin once described his works. Like in a dream, transitioning colour appear layer by layer, building the underlying mood and atmosphere; motifs surface, brought in by the subconscious mind, copied and pasted from the immense library of imagery in the brain, absorbed from everyday life, some events as simple as walking the dog as the city wakes up; and then to be completed by characters - some familiar and others suspiciously unknown - playing and replaying a bizarre storyline. As real as it seemed only a minute ago, it was all a dream.

As Baldwin found his way back into the studio in the summer of 2019 his mind was bustling with inspiration for a new chapter to begin. Keeping a retrospective eye on what was, earlier pieces were lying on tables and chairs, first making an impact simply by their physical presence and then thoroughly studied: sculptural works in bronze, such as a skeleton of a bird inside a birdcage or a mouse sitting on a hand grenade; ceramic vases decorated with recognisable motifs now synonymous of Baldwin to many collectors; and hanging on the studio walls, wood-panel paintings in progress in different sizes. A triptych - presented as an altarpiece of three panels with arched tops - were clearly reminiscent of the masterpieces of the sixteenth century, though modernised through composition by Baldwin. One black and white painting stood out. Contrary to colourful panels next to it - and the picturesque, lush countryside of West Sussex being welcomed into the studio through the large windows - the monochrome artwork titled Imaginary Paradise had a simplistic splendour to it.

Imaginary Paradise can seem like an unexpected shift away from the brightly multi-coloured works he is best known for, but in this piece the viewer can still recognise some of the artist’s typical motifs. Baldwin uses subtly drawn details to touch on elements of realism found in previous works. However, despite the figurative aspects to this work, the overall image is intended to be an imagined one. As the title suggests, Baldwin’s Imaginary Paradise is not based on real life, but instead, an idea. The result is an enigmatic and haunting work where the beautifully drawn plants and images appear both real and surreal as they float across the page, pulling us out of the dark abyss behind.

This surprising sense of movement and depth is one that is distinctive from what has been seen in earlier works. While previously Baldwin’s bright colours injected an energetic movement and almost intentional chaos into his paintings, in Imaginary Paradise Baldwin uses the monochromatic palette to create a calming sense of a slow-moving dream. The flowers and plants seem to hover in mid-air, moving in and out of focus across the paper. Movement is not lost, but is instead presented in a new way, formed through the contrast between the positive and negative spaces.

The translation of the studio painting which influenced the black-and-white print edition of the same title, was a process where Baldwin utilised his more spontaneous approach and gestural mark making that applies to all his work. It was during collaborative process with the print makers that a broader interpretation materialised, and colour would reappear shortly. Block colours were introduced randomly and created new colour combinations. As a result, seven unique artist’s proofs came to life.

Baldwin’s urban and imagined paradise portrayed in the artist proofs is identical in composition to the original edition in black and white, although changing the colour palette creates intriguing new pieces. The Imaginary Paradise (Artist Proof, Red-Yellow) relates to a warm summer morning, opposed to the crisp air and snowy winter’s landscape in Imaginary Paradise (Artist Proof, Blue-Off White). As the day descends into darkness, Imaginary Paradise (Artist Proof, Red-Black) gives thought to the last few moments of an evening as the rays of light are about to slip the horizon. Possessing a harmony, each combination is a display of the significance of colour and contrast.

First shown in the series titled After Warhol, coming from his studio in 2019, Imaginary Paradise - including the seven colourful unique artist proofs - is an example how Baldwin’s works have developed over the last few years. Compositions have become well-defined, colours bolder and shaped, marking a shift from the chaotic urban scenery appearing in the earlier works.

Hand finished with gold leaf, a razorblade-as-hairpin and manually printed in an edition of only 15, The Future Frontline Renegades of Dead London launched the collaboration between Dan Baldwin and Eyestorm in 2009. Applying the same printmaker’s craftsmanship, the monochrome Imaginary Paradise from 2019 was released as a four-colour screenprint with hand-torn edge and in an edition of 35. The seven artist proofs are signed by the artist and marked ‘A.P.’ in pencil on front.

You can find the unique artist proofs of Imaginary Paradise by Dan Baldwin, and the black-and-white print edition, on his artist page here.