Daniel Coburn

I began my artistic journey as a simple observer and witness to the awesome power and beauty of nature. I began by photographing areas that were protected from human influence. I also studied areas that were once occupied and then abandoned, amazed at how quickly nature began to reclaim the structures and relics that were left behind. Through these experiences I've developed what seems like a spiritual connection to the landscape. While studying human impact on the environment, I began to discover instances where manmade structures existed in visual harmony with the earth. Many of these images are contained in my "silver portfolio." Nature reigns in it's eternal beauty, even through the wake of human influence and destruction. As stewards of this earth, we must learn to tread lightly and respect the lands which sustain life as we currently understand it.

After spending years struggling to find a medium which suited my personality and artistic vision, I immersed myself in the creative and versatile world of photography. The images I create are seldom literal representations of the scene, rather my own artistic interpretation of that event. I strive for some degree of spontaneity in my work, but each composition is deliberate in its form and message.

Daniel W. Coburn lives and works in Lawrence, Kansas. Selections from his body of work have been featured in exhibitions at the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, the Chelsea Museum of Art in New York and the International Festival of Photography in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Coburn's prints are held in many public and private collections including the University of New Mexico Art Museum, The Mulvane Museum of Art, The Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art, The Mariana Kistler-Beach Museum of Art and the Moraine Park Museum. His writings and photographs appear regularly in regional and national publications including Fraction Magazine and Photo-Eye Magazine. Coburn received his BFA with an emphasis in photography from Washburn University where he was the recipient of numerous honors including the Charles and Margaret Pollak Award. He received his MFA with distinction from the University of New Mexico in 2013. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Photo Media at the University of Kansas.