I've always been a big fan of Dan Witz.
Here is a fantastic interview with the man himself.
His work is technically astounding and from his early street
paintings of hummingbirds has held a delicate blend of subtlety
[the kind experienced from the work of old masters] - plus some
good ole fashioned social commentary thrown in for good measure.
--as equally at home alongside dutch masters in stuffy institutions
as they are in back-alleys textured and scrawled with graffiti.
Below is a recent Halloween inspired paste-up to promote
his new exhibition in LA at Carmichael Gallery.
Dan Witz, Untitled. 2009
It is something you could just as easily walk past...
but that is all part of it's beauty.
As Witz himself proclaimed in an interview with Craig Dershowitz
from Bombin' Magazine,
"I never realized how deeply people were sleepwalking until this year
when I put up the fake ventilator grates on the new condo buildings.
These pieces were glaringly obvious but it was amazing how long they
lasted-how little they were noticed (and removed). More than once I
watched the condo people somnambulate right by, oblivious, usually
absorbed in their cell phones."
Dan Witz. Laura. 2008 23x17 oil and mixed media on canvas
It's not a stretch to consider similarities
between his work and advertising.
I am not entirely sure who came first but these ad campaigns
appear to have held a great deal of resonance for me.
I've only seen them online but I haven't forgotten them at all
and while I can't recall the organizations involved, I do feel
more aware of the cause. I am pretty sure that is the objective.
Homeless campaign, Date Unknown
It wouldn't be the first time the advertising industry
appropriated ideas/ imagery from a street based artist
and it could be completely coincidental but it is a little
uncanny how similar the images/concepts are.
As an artist with a Masters in Creative Advertising, i see
value in the kinds of creative processes used by
advertisers but regardless of who came first...
when you do notice them, the images certainly
stop you in your tracks!
There has been recent criticism regarding the methods
employed by Dan. Apparently he blows up large photographs
and paints directly over them. In an interview with Louise Bak
in 2008, Dan clarified/justified this process further,
"These days, my jumping-off point is about trying to make
my stuff even more realistic - past the point of what's been
possible in the past.
I mean isn't this what we're supposed to be doing - pushing on
to new forms? To this end, I experiment with various digital
and photographic aids; I employ new technologies and blend
them with old master techniques. In fact a lot of my street
works are more Photoshop than paint.
To me this isn't heresy or a contradiction (although it's definitely
contrarian). Different times demand different approaches."
These are indeed very different times and I am definitely inspired
to see where Dan's work takes us next. With such a strong grounding
in tradition and such an eye on the future and progression of his work,
it is easy to see why he was such an inspiration for me growing up.
For now, here is a piece from his new DARK DOINGS show.
For more of Dan Witz please take some time out and visit his website.
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