Danny and Dino: A Tale of Two Symbolists

Lloyd. D. Graham

This unconventional document is dedicated to my two favourite artists, Danny

Malboeuf in North Carolina1 and Dino Valls in Madrid.2 I name them in that order
simply because that is the order in which I discovered them. Both painters are similar
in age and are self-taught, but prefer different tools: Valls uses traditional media, such
as oils and tempera, whereas Malboeuf relies upon modern acrylics.

The language of the unconscious is universal, and thus – despite the two painters’
separation in terms of geography, culture and style – we should not be surprised to
find overlaps in their iconography. Neither seems to have been aware of the other’s
work; there is certainly no suggestion of one influencing the other. What connects
them, to my mind, is that both artists often create works animated by dangerous
mixtures of religion and sexuality, of repulsion and attraction, of thanatos and eros.
And while I would like to show that the overlap in visual vocabulary is significant,
there remains one final obstacle: it would be folly to speak the things of silence.

For this reason, rather than conduct a rational analysis, I have decided to construct a
“magic square” (Table 1) in which a work from one artist is paired with a work from
the other that incorporates a similar or related motif. Sometimes it is quite obviously a

Table 1. A Table of Correspondences

Malboeuf Valls Clue
The Virgin of the Rocks Aracne Myriapoda
The Dying Poet Argentea Not half-hearted
It Was of Eden I Was Dreaming Psicostasia Fingerplay
Les Ingenues Lux Cum cera sera
The Collector [dead link] Collectio Le-pin-doptera
Listen, the Robin Sings Umbra Puella bryophyta
Micah with the Head of Goliath Psicostasia Enthauptet
The Beautiful Rosine Lux Cum cera sera
The Somnambulist Halitus Vapor ab ore
The Air is Full of Cologne Nubilis Vultus
Electric Train Psicostasia A conjoint appointment
Thru the Looking Glass Vortex Uncario
House of Cards Nigredo Swap your title and crow about the change
Rape Machine Ipsus F Deus ex
The Falling Star Lo Spellato Two left
Epileptica One Dies Irae Sigillum Primum
Via Dolorosa Ex Ergo Clavi
The Island of the Fay Martyr And Rogyne?
The Devil and Marianne Canon Virgo et virga
Seraph Behind the Sun [dead link] Malacia Stranded
Maid of Candies Dies Irae On deck for a great deal
The Crucifiction Martyr Hardly saintwear, Rev. Spooner.
The Red Sail Ludus Clawsign
The Angel of Comfort Ad Inferos Le Pendu et son ange
The Gospel of de Sade Incubus Für Gehörlose
The Catherine Wheel (detail) Stigmata All hold hands
The Poison Makes Her Pretty Tegmen One bite and you’re hooked
L’Antipape Psicostasia Jung girls get to the crux
central element, at other times seemingly just a superficial detail. To aid those
interested in playing the game, I have provided a clue (sometimes simple, sometimes
cryptic) for each pair. The table is indicative rather than exhaustive: a number of the
visual devices appear in more than one painting, so other pairings could just as well
have been chosen, and no attempt has been made to include all possible motifs.

If you do take up the challenge, I am sure that your soul will enjoy the adventure. Just
remember that it’s not a competition, and that the real virtue may not be in the finding
so much as in the looking. Happy hunting!

Disclaimer: This document reflects my personal opinions and was conceived and prepared without any
input from, or consultation with, either artist. Any errors of fact or of tact are therefore entirely my own.

Cite as: Lloyd. D. Graham (2013) “Danny and Dino: A Tale of Two Symbolists,” online at
https://www.academia.edu/5370220/Danny_and_Dino_A_Tale_of_Two_Symbolists. Links updated
for v.02_18.06.21.

Keywords: Dino Valls, Danny Malboeuf, Kolaboy, symbolism, surrealism, symbolist, surrealist,
Jungian imagery, archetypes, iconography of the unconscious

1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Malboeuf; http://kolaboy.deviantart.com/
2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dino_Valls; http://www.dinovalls.com/en/