Daniel McCoy: We Can Only Go Up From Here

McCoy is typically known for his distinctive, high-energy style, blending elements of pop art, cartooning, and sign painting to illustrate the landscape and culture of Northern New Mexico, where he now lives and works. While his upcoming show brims with McCoy’s characteristic vibrancy, it also brings something new: a focus on reflection, presence, and inner work. In this body of work, the artist takes a step back from the high-saturation world of cartooning in favor of a realism that demands attention to the present moment. Having stepped away from his position as exhibitions manager at the Poeh Cultural Center and Museum in Pojoaque, New Mexico to focus on family life, the artist now finds himself slowing down and taking the time to appreciate the rhythms of home, land, and sky.

McCoy’s studio has become a meditative space, offering an opportunity to turn inwards and practice self-work. The shift in his process has also brought about a foray into cloudscapes, which, for McCoy, encapsulate the theme of reflection. While clouds have previously remained in the background of his paintings, now they take center stage.