West Coast lines interwoven with symbolic surrealism in Dan Quintana’s fluid oil works:
“A lot of the West Coast style of custom cars, graffiti, and Art Deco architecture has found its way into the line of work of my oil paintings”. ~(pulled from his Hashimoto Contemporary interview)
Dan Quintana is more than comfortable in both minimalist and intricate themes as devil-like imps can be seen tormenting hosts in bio-diverse landscapes, while in others works, brooding deity-like figures emerge from thunderous clouds with their heterochromatic iridium eyes sitting there, all knowing.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that it was the breadth of detail or the surreal themes that drew my attention but it’s always those eyes that capture me. They transfix you with a silent call: “If only you could see what I’ve seen with your eyes […] I’ve seen thing you people wouldn’t believe” (Roy, Blade Runner (1982)). In these eyes, we see a soul of sorts, not necessarily in the biblical sense but more as a view into the character itself. The almost androgynous muses work in tandem with these elements. The play on androgyny is so convincing that you question if the muse is human at all but is instead an artificially created form, or celestial being. This lends itself to the overall eerie and thought provoking surrealism that Dan utilizes to such great effect. It was the interplay between these elements that drew me into Dan Quintana’s work and hopefully his ghostly lullaby has the same effect on you too, dear reader!
Dan’s work has adorned many shows, including the most recent group shows at ‘Five and Under’ at Arcadia Contemporary and ‘The Moleskin Project VI’ at Spoke Art, New York. The not too distant exhibition at Hashimoto Contemporary is also a favourite of mine. If you’re in the New York area, be sure to keep an eye out for Dan’s up and coming solo show, ‘Tidepools’ at Spoke Art’, New York – it looks to be an eerie but sensory delight for fans of his work and newcomers alike!
