FATHOM
Solo Exhibition by Ian Daniell
Linton & Kay Galleries presents FATHOM, a new solo exhibition by artist Ian Daniell.
fathom
/ˈfað(ə)m/
noun
a unit of length used for measuring the depth of water, equivalent to 1.828 metres or 6 feet
verb
to discover the meaning of something, attempt to comprehend, understand
Working at striking 1:1 scale, Ian Daniell renders ocean subjects with a rare combination of precision and sensitivity. Grounded in direct experience, many works were conceived while diving the first fifteen fathoms of the Indian Ocean along the Western Australian coastline—the same ocean that stretches before the gallery in Cottesloe.
“I make the work to highlight the fragility of our ocean ecosystems, and the urgent need for both protection and ingenuity in their conservation.” says the artist.
FATHOM brings together depictions of endangered marine life—including sharks, rays, and coral species—alongside works that venture into the largely unseen depths of the ocean. While some subjects are drawn from firsthand encounters, others are informed by deep-sea research footage captured thousands of fathoms below the surface, far beyond the reach of human divers. Together, these works span both the physical and conceptual limits of what we can know and experience of the ocean.
This exhibition also marks a new direction in Daniell’s practice with the introduction of a series of coral reef paintings. These works were inspired by a dive at the Muiron Islands on the outer Ningaloo Reef in October 2024, where the artist encountered fields of soft corals, including lobed leather corals.
“The corals formed rippling lines, ridges and curving outer lips—each colony like a small island, blooming with life, and tightly bunched together. Pushing, growing, unravelling, spreading across the reef. It left me with a vision and a colour palette that I’ve been trying to paint ever since.”
The organic variability of coral forms has allowed Daniell to explore a more fluid and expressive approach to painting. Moving beyond strict adherence to fixed proportions, these works embrace shifting shapes, intricate textures, and a vibrant, evolving palette—resulting in compositions that feel both immersive and alive.
However, this body of work is also shaped by loss. When Daniell returned to the same reef just six months later, a severe marine heatwave had transformed the site. Corals that were once thriving appeared bleached, withered, and unrecognisable. This stark contrast underscores the vulnerability of marine ecosystems and lends the exhibition a quiet urgency.
In FATHOM, aesthetic beauty and environmental awareness exist in delicate balance. While the works captivate through their scale, detail, and colour, they are also rooted in a deeper impulse: a sustained effort to observe, understand, and ultimately protect the natural world. Daniell’s paintings invite viewers not only to look, but to reflect, to fathom both the visible and invisible forces shaping our oceans.