Dan Eldon

Dan Eldon (Pinterest ())

Dan Eldon was an artist, activist and adventurer. He belonged to the latest war photographers in Africa. He was just 22 years old when he was killed, together with three professional contemporaries, amongst other things the 30-year- old German journalist Hansi Krauss in East Africa. To Dan's death his mother Kathy published a choice of his photos, collages and diary entries in the impressive book "The Journey is the Destination". Moreover, Eldon's works were issued in the Saba Gallery in New York and in Hamilton Gallery in London. This paper sets out the exciting life of Dan Eldon with creating Journals for his mission: to dance in a way of life.

Dan Eldon in Africa with a cheetah (https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&so ())

At first it should be mentioned Daniel Robert Eldon went in his life from one adventure to the next. He was born in London in 1970 to his American mother Kathy and his British father Mike Eldon. At the age of seven he moved with his family to Kenya in east Africa in 1977 with his three year old sister. Five years later Dan Eldon explored the then political situation in his country, which were labor disputes and strikes which caused violence. In this time he started to help his mother, also a journalist, and began taking photos for local newspapers. During his life, before he was stoned to death on 12 July, 1993, after an ensuing riot, he visited 46 countries, studied seven languages and visited four collages, in addition the University of California, Los Angeles. He was an independent person, who raised his money for all of his trips, with a great sense of humor. What may not be forgotten, he worked as well a while as a journalist for a well known magazine, as a film director and author. A lot of people would say he packed more into his short life than most people can cram into 80 years.

Journal page of Dan Eldon (https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&so ())

Besides his exciting life, Dan Eldon documented his life in his artistic journals. At the age of 15 he started to write them because in his sophomore year he had to do these as an assignment for English. In his journals you can find photographs, artwork, newspaper headlines and business cards, which he found on the street. "Once one has been to these challenging terrible places they're always strangely drawn back, because there's nothing that can compare to seeing the raw reality of the basic human need for survival. It disgusts and inspires."(Dan Eldon). Every journal has his own character and specialty. Nevertheless he was used to making his journals easy, so his life was, unfinished. During his life he did not share them, only with his closest family members and friends.

Journal page of Dan Eldon (https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&so ())

What even is more important, however Dan Eldon had a mission: to dance in a way of life. He saw the life different. He lived his life to the fullest as possible, and that is what makes him so interesting."I think one of the most important things Dan would have said to kids all over the world ... (is) you may only dance for a short time," Kathy Eldon told CNN. "His dance has been very short indeed. But he would've said, 'You choose your dance, you choose your music for your dance. You dance proudly. You dance with incredible spirit and vigor and creativity and life and joy, and especially you go out and dance with love.'"

Dan Eldon had on one hand a dangerous life, but on the other hand it was full, it was exciting and special. He wanted to reach something good and show his view, inter alia with his journals. Even though Dan only lived 22 years, his story and journals will continue to inspire the world for many future generations and his passion and love of life will not die.