Brain-Magazine Interview
BM:
Was it a painful process to become an artist?
D:
From an early age I knew that being an artist was the one and only thing I ever wanted to do for a living. Sure it is painful to fully acknowledge your dreams and put yourself out there for the world trying to do what you truly love to do. However, I try to count my blessings and see it as fun.
BM:
Have you been to Art School, and if so, was it useful in your development as an artist?
D:
I went to Art School for one year then left to study on my own. The skills I learned from school were useful though at that time I didn’t realize it. I left school for the most part because I got turned off by all the artsy people. I just wasn’t that cool art kid. Ha-ha. But, I think art school can really help an artist develop much faster. Today I would really recommend art school to other young artist.
BM:
What are your inspirations?
D:
Life, things of old, something that gives me a sense of history, fairy tales, horror, comic books, classic horror movies
BM:
What artists do you admire, old or new?
There are so many great ones. A few would be Magritte, Bosch, Sargent, Raeburn, Goya, Vermeer.
BM”
What music do you listen to?
D:
I listen to a wide range of music. It just depends where I am at the time. I’ve got anything from “Death” to “Tchaikovsky” playing.
BM:
Pop surrealism: is that how your artwork can be defined?
D:
I like to keep it simple and just call myself a painter. I don’t know how or have much interest in defining myself to a category. I am painting like this today and tomorrow I might be doing something completely different. I don’t want to limit myself.
BM:
Your art has elements of childhood cute imagery and very macabre feelings. In what ways/directions have your work evolved in the past 10 years?
D:
I think the subject matter has for the most part kept the same in many ways. However, my style has changed a hell of a lot as I’ve worked on my craft. In the past I would work with a very old school comic book style. I would work in really hard lines and more of a one dimension color. Also, before painting I would do a lot of pen and ink work and heavy lines. It took me a long time to brake out of that line work and I can still at times see some traces of it today in the work.
BM:
You live in NYC. How much this city has an impact on your work?
D:
New York City has to be the craziest city in the world. It’s good vibes and bad vibes I get here. Everything moves so fast in this city and I can sincerely see enough stuff here in a week to inspire me for a lifetime of work. There is always something happing and I’ve never lacked for inspiration here while living here.
BM:
How is the art scene in New York at the moment?
D:
It’s a cool scene.
BM
Do you live well from your artwork?
D:
I get by. I am very grateful.
BM:
What are your projects and your dreams?
D:
I will be spending the next year working on paintings for a few group shows as well as my next solo show. But what I am most excited for right now is the collaboration that Aprella and I will be doing. We will be collaborating on a series of short films that I hope will find a home with my next body of work.