REAL FUN, WOW!

Written by: Alice Braglia

Daren Thomas Magee is an illustrator that I found on Instagram earlier this year. As soon as I opened his feed I was astonished by the beauty and the uniqueness of his works. As of lately I’m getting really inspired by astrology, its meanings and its aesthetics; Daren’s art was an amazing finding for me. He finds his inspirations both in the natural and supernatural world, and that’s exactly where he focuses his attention while creating: to address the space in between imagination and reality, he’s aiming to the 5th dimension. In his own words: "It is my hope that joining me in my journey of artistic exploration that you will find something within yourself you're willing to put all you have into it. Whether that's drawing, painting, singing, dancing, getting really good at those little finger skateboards that were popular in the late 90's, cooking, etc. We are all creative beings, theres no denying that. It's up to us to find those talents within ourselves by exploring."

With his art he’s trying to make us find out new places we never knew before, and to leave us afloat in a new undefined dimension. He says: "My passion is creating. I get such a rush from bringing things into this world that never existed before. It's such a joy to sit down to a blank sheet of paper and when I lift my head finding a whole unique creation in front of me. This path as an illustrator has been a journey of exploration into themes and styles I couldn't have imagined when I started."

I find his art very heterogeneous and coherent at the same time; it goes from apparent chaos to still, simple shapes. I think his secret lays in his style: the colors, the textures he always uses make it all look like a completely new world that he created. Clearly inspired by serigraphy and old printing techniques, he got a style of his own. This is how he describes it: "I strive to keep a broad range of inspiration surrounding me. I love plants and animals. I love walks around the neighborhood. I am fascinated by modern man with all his advancements and faults. I try and find humor in the mundane. I frequently journey with various entheogenic medicines. Just closing my eyes and being still as much as possible can sometimes be all that is needed."

"Along with my admiration, I find this world to be so incredibly humorous. It’s nearly impossible for me to take life too seriously. I feel a sense of innocence that allows me to create without boundaries."