dan makes art
Dan Brenton was born and raised outside the city of Boston, Massachusetts. He spent his childhood playing in the streets of his quiet suburban neighborhood and along the shores of Cape Ann near his family's beach house. Dan graduated from Salem State University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in printmaking.
After graduation, Dan spent less time in the studio as he focused on his family and his job but felt directionless and unfulfilled without the element of art in his life. In an attempt to find something he knew was out in the world and in himself, Dan left home on a bicycle ride that lasted 7 months and covered 14 states. His journey allowed him to reconnect with the artist within by documenting life on the road through writing and photography. Faced with the decision to keep riding or fly home, Dan chose the latter with the excitement of processing his experiences through painting.
His current work bridges the gap between the real world and the memories and impressions of experience. There is something familiar and grounded while alluding to the presence of something ‘other’, not necessarily seen but, felt. Dan believes a big part of making art is exploration; the artist’s initial vision always varies to a certain degree from the finished work. There is no map, only getting lost in the act of creation.
After graduation, Dan spent less time in the studio as he focused on his family and his job but felt directionless and unfulfilled without the element of art in his life. In an attempt to find something he knew was out in the world and in himself, Dan left home on a bicycle ride that lasted 7 months and covered 14 states. His journey allowed him to reconnect with the artist within by documenting life on the road through writing and photography. Faced with the decision to keep riding or fly home, Dan chose the latter with the excitement of processing his experiences through painting.
His current work bridges the gap between the real world and the memories and impressions of experience. There is something familiar and grounded while alluding to the presence of something ‘other’, not necessarily seen but, felt. Dan believes a big part of making art is exploration; the artist’s initial vision always varies to a certain degree from the finished work. There is no map, only getting lost in the act of creation.