The work of New Zealander artist Dane Mitchell continues the art-historical tradition of “dematerialization.” Identified by art critic and writer Lucy Lippard in her 1972 book The Dematerialization of the Art Object, the notion underlines much of the Conceptual art of the 1960s and 70s, in which the “idea” of a work of art is valued above the material form. While these earlier artists were reacting against the commodification of art, Mitchell employs intangible mediums methodically, attempting to explore the sensory experiences of art and engage in various fields of research. Among the unconventional materials that have populated his artworks are gaseous substances—perfumes or humidity—as well as mystical elements like cast spells or spirits. The artist is also interested in the medium of glass, as he is drawn to the artistic possibilities that may be born out of its dual characteristics as both a liquid and a solid.

Perhaps Mitchell’s engagement of perfume and smell is most explanative of his artistic motivations: “I’m really interested in the sculptural possibilities of perfume—that is, thinking about it as a dispersed, or dissolved, object,” he told Flash Art in 2011. “It’s the only sculptural form that literally enters the brain. Smell grasps at some extremities of the indefinable—which may emanate from an object, space, or situation.” 

Mitchell has exhibited his work globally since 1999, including at venues such as the São Paulo Biennial, Artspace in Auckland, the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo in Santiago, Artists Space in New York, and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Sydney, among others. He lives and works in Auckland.