I’ve got this list of artists in my head whom – if I ever were to land a large sum of money – I would buy lots and lots of art from. It’s a short list and one comprised of people I’ve actually had the pleasure of meeting and watching do their stuff. Dan Witz is on that list. I’ve been following his work since I first interviewed him back in 2007. The attention to detail, the intense concentration that goes into his paintings, his incredible command of light: Dan produces amazingly photorealistic artwork with an urban edge, a sinister sense of humour and an Old Master’s application of considerable skill and technique.
Totally up my alley. The fact of the matter is, though, I’m just this side of broke. There is no second home with empty walls crying out for that perfect piece of art to tie things together.
But one of the lucky things about being a fan of this Brooklyn-based artist’s work is that it really wouldn’t be too much of a shock to come across his art in some alleyway around Williamsburg or up a back street off Brick Lane – just enough of a surprise to stop you in your tracks for a moment to see if that really is a hummingbird hovering above a doorknob … a hooded prisoner cowering in a corner … an infant’s face pressed against a window of an abandoned building.
As much a street smart prankster as an art fair darling, Dan makes a good amount of his art for free outdoor urban interaction. And even though he’s been doing this for decades, he’s yet to have been arrested. Of course, if you did have the cash to invest in some of his more legal work, which includes plenty of affordable prints and books, he’s just as prolific in the studio.
Capably straddling the mean street and the hoity toity fair is Lazarides Rathbone gallery where Dan Witz: Prisoners 2012 – 2013 solo exhibition opens this week. This is Lazarides’ first show of the year and is to feature paintings from both Prisoner and Mosh Pit series. This is a great opportunity to view some fantastic art.
Dan Witz: Prisoners 2012 – 2013 runs from 25 January to 23 February at Lazarides Rathbone, 11 Rathbone Place, W1T 1HR. Find out more at lazinc.com.
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