By Rebecca Pikus
Danny Heller is a young “emerging” artist who, at an early age, has already achieved national & worldwide recognition for his iconic paintings. He quickly became fascinated with automobiles & architecture, retro & mid-century modernism found in American culture. “I paint the reality of the American environment: how structures once revered for their groundbreaking ideas in design and social planning have been [both] perpetuated and how they’ve been forgotten….I play with lighting, dramatic angles, and specific colors to form engaging paintings that capture architectural elements….In some ways, I act as a type of documentarian of an endangered architectural culture in America.”
Danny was born in Northridge, CA in 1982. Growing up in the San Fernando Valley, the artist was able to carefully study the golden landscape of Los Angeles which would shape his later body of work. For formal art instruction, Danny left the Valley for the College of Creative Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. While studying under landscape painter Hank Pitcher, Danny earned a B.A. in art with an emphasis in painting. After formative years spent capturing Santa Barbara’s surf landscapes, Danny’s attention turned toward retro iconography characteristic of mid-century Los Angeles. Having set up his studio now in our Coachella Valley, the artist now concentrates on chronicling Modern American imagery, specifically focusing on the architecture, design, and car culture found in Southern California.
Danny Heller’s paintings have been exhibited in solo and group shows throughout the world, from Paris to Los Angeles, and most recently in Nashville, TN. The variety of collectors who have sought out his work are a testament to the artist’s success. Some have purchased work featuring familiar locations, while others collect purely for the artwork’s inherent qualities.
Danny recently exhibited in “Incognito 2014” at the Santa Monica Museum of Art; Palm Springs Fine Art Fair 2014; Art Auction 2014, Laguna Art Museum; Red Dot Art Fair, George Billis Gallery booth, Miami; “Kindred” at Bold Hype Gallery, New York City; “The New Real” at Tinney Contemporary, Nashville, TN; & Foundation Colas, Boulogne-Billancourt, France.
Selected paintings of Danny Heller have appeared in such publications as Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, Dwell Magazine, The Desert Sun, Juxtapose Magazine, KCET Artbound, McCallum Theatre Program, Atomic Ranch Magazine, Southwest Art, & CA Modern Magazine,
His UPCOMING EXHIBITS include: May 5, 2014, 7-9pm, Art Bar (BAR), 340 N. Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, Ca; May 18, 2014 – All Day, Venice Art Walk & Auction 2014, Google Headquarters, Venice, Ca; and Sept. 2-27, 2014 a Solo exhibition at George Billis Gallery, 525 W. 26 St, New York City. Danny Heller’s contact info: www.dannyhellerart.com, Tel: (818) 317-1061; Email: danny@dannyhellerart.com
