A new series of painted photographs by Daniel & Clara of the eroded stone angels from the façade of Exeter Cathedral.

Covered in layers of green paint that drips and pools over the surface, the angels emerge and dissolve, suspended in a state between absence and presence. For the artist, these fragile weatherworn figures became a powerful metaphor for the erosion of traditional structures and shared myths. In a world where such guiding narratives have faded, Angels expresses a deep sense of disorientation – a longing for meaning, guidance and connection.

“We were struck by the visibility of time and weather on the angels and how this great monument to faith, craftsmanship and human creativity will one day disappear. In time everything eventually vanishes – maybe this is why we make art – to grapple with the inevitable vanishing of ourselves and everything we know. A testament to life in the face of death, that is what art is for.”

Painted over an intensive 16 day immersion in the studio, this series marks the latest evolution in Daniel & Clara’s ongoing exploration of painting onto photographs. Layers of paint are poured, splashed and washed onto the surface, at times resembling natural processes, at others forming into more defined marks which evoke mysterious arcane symbols.

“As the world becomes increasingly flooded with AI-generated images, we feel the only meaningful response is to create imperfect art, art that only humans can make, infused with all our vulnerabilities, doubts, contradictions, limitations, fears and longings.”

“For us painting onto the photographic image is a way of disrupting its claim to reality and objectivity – paint introduces ambiguity, emotion and subjectivity to the mechanical record.”

“Our work is dealing with mortality, because this is the fundamental knot of being human. We're only here for this brief sparkling moment so we all have to confront these questions: what are we going to do with our time on this planet? How are we going to contribute to this story of the human species in our own tiny way?”