Your paintings feature everyday scenes, and while not portraits, feature people facing the viewer. What are you trying to convey with your work?
That style started happening about ten years ago. A lot of my work is autobiographical or religious, which is still autobiographical since I was raised Roman Catholic. I found some family Polaroids from the 1960s. I was too young to remember everything in the pictures, so I liked taking these little glimpses into the past and exploring them. Some of that was physical – many of those little Polaroids were turned into paintings, some of them five and six feet. It was about exploring something personal, and creating something much larger.
How did you get started with art?
I’ve wanted to be an artist since the 5th grade. I had an excellent high school art teacher who was very encouraging, at a time of life when most people aren’t encouraging art as a career choice. He pushed me and told me that I could make a career out of it. That got me looking at colleges and so on, and from that point it was a done deal. I do graphic design by day and fine art in the evening.
Who are your influences?
I’m a figurative artist, so early on I was influenced by the masters: Caravaggio, the Renaissance painters, early realists; all very traditional stuff. In college, I was introduced to more contemporary figurative artists. I love Francis Bacon, Picasso, of course, Lichtenstein, and Warhol.
What inspires you to rush home and paint?
I go in spurts. I’ll complete a series of paintings around a theme. When I’m in the middle of that process, I rush home after work, throw some food in my mouth, and dash to the garage to start working. In between series, it’s more a matter of finding a topic that really inspires me. I don’t go home and just sit in front of a blank canvas, thinking, “Oh, what do I want to paint today?” I’ll mentally map out out at least three paintings around a specific theme that I’d like to work on over the next few months. I have a day job, family, other commitments, so I have to take time management seriously. I have a plan for what I’ll be painting and am protective of that time.
So you need to be disciplined about it?
Exactly. I’d love someday have the luxury of walking into my studio and sitting around for three hours waiting for inspiration to hit. But until that day comes, I have to stay pretty regimented.
I recently completed a series portraying guys at a lake. My friends and I have been going once a year to the same lake in upstate New York since we were 18. When this tradition started almost 25 years ago, we were just a bunch of 18 year old knuckleheads, hanging out and drinking beer without a care in the world. Today, it’s practically evolved into group therapy - we’re all going through stuff in life so getting together like the old days really helps. About five years ago I started taking pictures. Painting that series was intensely personal for me. I traced the journey from our 20s to 30s, and now into our 40s. As always, I strive to create art that people want to look at. I don’t want my pieces to only be interesting to me, but also for those who don’t relate to it in a personal way. My intention isn’t to paint only what people will want to buy, but all my pictures in the lake series sold. Obviously people are seeing something in those pieces. I think it’s easy to relate to these images because everyone has a story and hopefully a great group of friends like mine!
I was intrigued by your sculpture which uses a lot of forged steel. How did that come about?
I did a lot of metalwork in and after college. I became friendly with a guy who ran a foundry, so he’d just let me come in and work whenever I wanted. You can buy steel for almost nothing! I started making things out of pieces of steel that I found, but my process became much more deliberate. Today I sketch out an idea, find the correct piece of steel and cut it to size before getting started.
Steel is a fun medium to work with... you’re basically heating up a piece of metal and going to town on it with a hammer. Obviously, it’s hard to make a face or anything detailed so not only are there physical obstacles, but working with steel also challenges my thinking as an artist. It’s so
much less precise than painting. I’m not going to recreate Michelangelo’s David with this medium, so it’s all about getting the metal to convey what I want to express. Pounding, bending, and hammering is hard work – so if anyone needs an outlet for their energy, I can definitely recommend steel sculpture!
Readers can check out more of my work online at
www.DanVenditti.artroof.com.
PULSE MAGAZINE ---------- 17
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