ARTIST’S STATEMENT
My work could be described as American genre. Subjects that I explore are: tools and technology, sex roles in labor, corporate branding, and the transference of myth and archetype onto genre activities. I am intrigued by the paradox and incongruity of a contrived culture imprinted onto evolved, long-standing traditions. What interests me is the horror of the mundane, the disassociation of humans from the biophysical environment, and consequently an effort to replace or transform nature.

I like to think of paintings as interactive. The artist contributes a certain amount, but the viewer is challenged to participate in the experience. In the same way you might stare at clouds or plaster on a wall and begin to "see" images I want people to invent a narrative or story about the picture. I invite a free association that will lead viewers to a unique understanding of the image, fermented by their own identity. This is also why I leave my works untitled, to divorce text from a visual dialogue. Many of my compositions are produced using a geometric grid onto which objects and figures are placed. I strive to make adjustments and translations of colors and shapes into organized relationships within the picture.

Daniel Stepp

EDUCATION

1995 MFA in Painting, New York Academy of Art. Focus of work on narrative imagery. Study of anatomy, figure drawing and sculpture, direct and indirect painting techniques. Studied with Eric Fischl, Vincent Desiderio, Martha Mayer Erlebacher and Alfred Leslie.

1993 Independent study of art and art history in France, Italy, and Spain.
1990 BFA in Design, University of Florida.
1990 Study in Florence, Italy.

EXHIBITIONS & AWARDS

2004 Combined Talents, FSU Museum of Fine Arts, Tallahassee, FL

2004 Juried Exhibition, Wright State University, Dayton, OH

2004 *Solo Exhibition, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL

2003 *Solo Exhibition, Florida School of the Arts, Palatka, FL

2003 39th University of Florida Art Faculty Exhibition, Miami Design District, Miami, FL

2003 52nd Annual Juried Florida Exhibition, Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, FL

2003 Group Exhibition, James Baird Gallery, Newfoundland, Canada

2002 51st Annual Juried Florida Exhibition, Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, FL -Juried by James Rondeau, Associate curator of Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago

2002 Works with Water, James Baird Gallery, Newfoundland, Canada

2002 Red Clay Survey, Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL -Juried by Norman Lundin

2000 Harn Museum of Art, University of Florida Faculty Exhibition, Gainesville, FL

1997 Madelyne McConnel Gallery, West Pam Beach, FL

1997 *Solo Exhibition, Santa Fe Community College, Gainesville, FL

1995 MFA Exhibition, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY

1994 Scholarship Award, Posey Foundation, Sarasota, FL

1994 Exhibition of works at the College Art Association National Convention, New York, NY

All works ©2010 Daniel Stepp. All Rights Reserved. All images are the exclusive property of Daniel Stepp
and may not be re-used in any way without written permission from the artist.