‘I’m very spiritual. […] I don’t follow any doctrine, but it is a formal practice for me that I feel I can lean on. […] My grandfather grew me up in the church, and there were religious icons everywhere. I think it still comes up in my work as a safety spot. A lot of my questions about spirituality and religion are projected into the paintings.’
D. Mckinney in conversation with C. Jansen, ‘Why Danielle Mckinney Abandoned Photography In Favour of Painting’, in Elephant Magazine, 4 June 2021
‘Painting with a desire to build restorative and leisurely spaces for Black femininity, Mckinney intervenes on the historically fraught relationship between Black women and domestic space. The all-too-familiar image of Black women as domestic laborers is subverted and replaced with worlds in which they’re comfortable not only in their own environments, but also in their own bodies, with many of Mckinney’s figures appearing in the nude.’
Z. Hopkins, ‘In Danielle Mckinney's Lyrical Paintings, Black Women Reclaim Domestic Space,’ in Artsy, 31 October 2022
‘Mckinney’s painting practice has always been deeply informed by her photographer’s eye. When ideating a new painting, she parses through photos in magazines and on social media, searching for a model to paint and an interior to place her in. Typically, at least two photographs will inform Mckinney’s composition: one from which the model is drawn, and another, or several others, for the setting.’
Z. Hopkins, ‘In Danielle Mckinney's Lyrical Paintings, Black Women Reclaim Domestic Space,‘ in Artsy, 31 October 2022
‘Dark green is a prominent color, and many of the women seem to be looking into an abyss. Her time in Spain moved her to start experimenting with leaving negative space around her figures, instead of painting them into rooms. But she remains “obsessed” with creating domestic worlds for her figures. “I’m kind of putting myself into those spaces,” Mckinney says. “I just hope I leave them open enough for people to feel comfortable coming in.”’
D. Mckinney and A. Okeowo, ‘The Interior Lives of Danielle Mckinney’, in Vogue, 20 September 2022
‘There is a strong sense of self that emanates from each solo figure, made all the more powerful by the intimate spaces that they not only inhabit, but command […]. Her focus unveils assumptions around what is afforded Black women at rest, as much as it maintains a level of protective distance from the viewer. Ultimately, Danielle bringing these scenes to life is an act of reclamation.’
T. Golden, quoted in: A. Okeowo, ‘The Interior Lives of Danielle Mckinney’, in Vogue, 20 September 2022
‘When I was little, I used to build these houses out of shoeboxes. I would take my grandma’s interior design magazines and cut things out, and put the house together first. The last part, which I really enjoyed doing, was to cut out some people from the page, a little family, and put them in this house. So it’s kind of the same thing I’m doing with the paintings. I’ll use the photo as a reference, and I’ll put the figure in this environment, and freeze her in this moment.’
D. Mckinney in conversation with K. Farr, ‘Danielle Mckinney: Comfort and Quietude’, in Juxtapoz Magazine, 20 May 2021
‘Mckinney’s figures are quiet rebels, deep and introspective, but also concerned with the way they look. Face Mask with Prayer shows a woman topless on her bed wearing a face mask and sweatpants, a painting of Christ hangs on the wall in the background.’
C. Jansen, ‘Why Danielle Mckinney Abandoned Photography In Favour of Painting’, in Elephant Magazine, 4 June 2021
‘One of Mckinney’s standout works is Negroni, an ambiently coloured, unforgettable painting, a simple image of a seated woman with a drink, and a wistful, even slightly woozy gaze. Although it’s based on a 1930s photograph, Mckinney once again painted her own experiences into it: she had just found out she was pregnant […] and could no longer partake of her favourite drink.’
C. Jansen, ‘Why Danielle Mckinney Abandoned Photography In Favour of Painting’, in Elephant Magazine, 4 June 2021
‘I went to the Atlanta College of Art for photography. Afterward, I took some time off and lived in Europe for a while. I studied in France, again for photography. While I was in Pont-Aven, I also took a formal painting class. I ended up staying there two years, and that’s when I really painted. Then I left France and figured painting was just not my thing. Then I came to New York and went to Parsons for grad school in photography. My work centered on social issues. Photography was always about me watching other people – their gestures, social engagements, boundaries, et cetera. Whereas painting was this world I could get lost in, where I could really put my feelings, my thoughts, my emotions. No one was there to judge. It was a place for me to formally become “unformalized.”’
D. Mckinney in conversation with A. Gingeras, ‘Taming the Bird: Danielle Mckinney’, in Mousse Magazine, 7 May 2021
All works: © Danielle Mckinney. Courtesy of the artist, Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York and Aspen.
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