Daniel
Landry –
On Letting
Art Take
Him Away
Interview with San
Quentin Death Row
Artist, Daniel Landry
by Nicola White
“Cranes Coming Home” by Daniel Landry
D
aniel Landry has been on
California’s death row since
2001 but has been living
behind bars for 31 years. It was
during that time he stumbled
upon a gift, an artistic talent that
he may never have known he
possessed had he been a free man.
Since that time, Daniel has drawn
and painted countless pieces and
some have even survived! Art has
become an outlet for his moods
and also one of the few ways, as
an imprisoned man, he feels he
can leave his mark on the world,
or possibly a legacy. Most prisoners
interact with people outside of
the stone walls through writing
letters. But, for Daniel, letter
writing doesn’t come easily, so he
doesn’t have a lot of options for
reaching out. Hence, he uses art
to communicate with the outside
world. Art is hope: art is an outlet,
art is interaction, art is learning,
changing, evolving. To Daniel, art
is all of these things.
From January 15th - March 15th,
Daniel’s works will be on exhibit
in “UNCHAINED ARTISTS” at the
Mill Valley Bank of Marin. The
show features works by artists
incarcerated throughout the
U.S., and San Quentin death row.
Concurrently one of Daniel’s art
pieces will be displayed in a
central London art gallery as
part of the FaceValue2 art
exhibition curated by UK artist,
Gary Mansfield who, as an ex-
convict has spent time behind bars
himself.
When I spoke to Daniel last
August, I asked what it means to
him, and how art provides a way
out of depression.
When did you start to discover
your artistic abilities?
17
Marin Arts & Culture