On a random “You Tube” tangent I stumbled upon someone interesting and different. His name was Danny Dent, unfortunately he passed away in 2004 but during his career he made more than a dent with his unique style of painting. He created this particular technique in the early eighties that he called “Two-Fisted Art Attack.” He painted with amazing speed, no under-painting, and no construction lines just a giant canvas, paints, brushes, and music. When the music started he dipped all six brushes, three in each hand, into various bright colors and exploded onto the black canvas. He quickly covered the surface with electric strokes periodically dropping the brushes to engage his hands. Traveling across the canvas he stayed in motion to keep the flow of energy and balanced it throughout the painting as he said, “The music makes it more like a dance on canvas.” He also added, “all these things paint, clay, or a horn are all lifeless instruments until we put our passion into them.”
Danny made art accessible to people, not just the finished product but the experience and satisfaction of finishing a piece. He allowed the audience to be a part of the process. He liked painting iconic images like Jimi Hendrix or John Lennon because he loved the reaction of the audience and their connection to the pieces. His style lives on through inspired artists like Dan Dunn and David Garibaldi who recognize the energy and experience that only live performance can bring to painting. He loved what he did but more importantly what his art did for other people.
4 comments:
Wow, I must say I was immediately drawn to your piece by the title, specifically the label Dent gave to his artistic approach!
It’s very apt to describe constructing a piece of art as a campaign of sorts. One might even go so far as to describe some projects full on crusades! And indeed the frenzy we unleash through our chosen mediums has been contended by some to be sublimated primal urges which we are redirecting into socially acceptable outlets.
It was intriguing also how Dent described the process of instilling our chosen tools of the trade with this pent-up energy, as well as the symbiotic relationship we share with these instruments.
It is a humbling reality we must take into account as artists, particularly for filmmakers like myself, that our work is only as good as the materials with which it’s been crafted. As me and others who couldn’t afford to go out of pocket to rent HD cameras learned quickly in introductory film classes at USC, even if they were superior stylistically and compositionally, pieces produced with the school’s dreadful equipment looked dramatically inferior to those photographed with the professional cameras a privileged few could afford to utilize.
In this respect art can be decidedly elitist.
Dent’s concern for making art accessible to the people is as valid and relevant today, and I’m proud to say USC--outside of their outright scandalous equipment policies, made possible largely because of their utter disregard for product in preference of process--at least in terms of admissions, maintains some remarkably egalitarian policies.
The most significant is that only a written portfolio is required to get into film school, the idea being that if someone has the potential to be the next Spielberg but his social standing has not afforded him the opportunity to shoot an entire feature in 35mm on his father’s dime, he’ll be given a fair shake with someone who has.
These issues, and related concerns of nepotism, have plagued art’s good name perhaps since the first Neanderthal leader horded paint for his son to decorate their cave walls with.
As we--at least ostensibly--move towards a more equal society it will be intriguing to see how these challenges are addressed.
I really enjoyed your blog post about Danny Dent. It reminded me a lot of this clip I came across the other day.Bill Hansen http://video.stumbleupon.com/#p=c3fxfy65ah
This guy also uses his body to create art in many different ways. The title of Danny's piece “Two-Fisted Art Attack” could also serve as a title for Bill Hansen's piece in which he paints a picture of Bruce Lee by dipping his hands in black paint and karate chopping the canvas. I would love to see some of Danny Dent's art. You should put some pictures up on your blog! Great post I really enjoyed reading it!
Wow this is written very eloquently. The transitions are seamless (such as a piece of clothing haha). It is short and to the point, unlike my blogs. I enjoyed reading this one because I could picture what you were describing. Perhaps you could leave the You Tube link you were watching!! I'm really glad you introduced me to someone I haven't heard of yet! The idea that his artwork is an expierence is a great idea to mention that sounds really different!
I love that you go on youtube tangents. I love it so much I’d love to know more about it and also see a picture or link or video to this two-fisted attack. Why do you go on youtube tangents? If you have time, hit me up or post a follow-up about what hunger you think youtube tangents satisfy in your life. The reason I ask is because I do the same thing and have thought much about it. Does Dent’s appreciation of his audience’s reaction to more relatively accesible characters influence your art at all? Thanks for bringing in the corsets. Your passion for your craft is contagious. I’ve had fun being in class with you. (This is really starting to feel like a yearbook signing of sorts.) Have a great summer!
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