Danny Heller has always been fascinated with creating realistic depictions of midcentury modern architecture and classic cars, but his one-man show with George Billis Gallery in Los Angeles couldn’t have come at a better time. “After a difficult year of quarantines,” Heller says, “we’re slowly beginning to leave our homes to once again venture into the outside and the unknown. At no other time has the idea of home been under such examination: your geographical home, your mental home and the home you share with others.”
Canyon View Chevy, oil on canvas, 24 x 34"
While Heller has always focused on concepts of home, community, neighborhood and social design in the Los Angeles and New York areas, the show with George Billis Gallery, Palm Springs Weekend, will feature scenes strictly from Palm Springs, Heller’s current home base.
“Drawn to the ubiquitous midcentury modern architecture he grew up surrounded by in Southern California, Heller uses the graphic hard-edged lines of buildings paired with a stunning sense of light to create compositions that go far beyond simply rendering the innovative architecture,” says gallery director Tressa Williams. “His paintings capture the elegant clean lines of that era’s designs—both architectural and automotive.”
Movie Colony Sunset, oil on canvas, 24 x 34"
When he started painting suburbs, Heller knew it was significant to capture all the quirky parts of the style. “As I got more into high design,” Heller furthers, “I realized it was even more important to capture details, because it’s the details that really set this apart from other styles of architecture—the atriums, pools, big patios and post and beam ceilings.”
Williams echoes this in stating, “Heller’s visual vocabulary is a delicate balance of form and color—lights flare and glint off chrome, a roofline bisects the composition casting hard shadows, and desert flora and fauna juxtaposed against the man-made to create striking geometries.”
There’s an additional, underlying motive and inspiration for Heller in this show series, besides boldly appreciating midcentury architecture. He says, “When I started working on this [series] during the pandemic, I thought about how people just need an escape…people spend so much time in their homes, they might as well have something beautiful to look at and daydream about. I wanted to really amp up the escapism and make paintings that were not so serious. I wanted a focus on brighter, optimistic scenes.”
Palm Springs Entry, oil on canvas, 32 x 22"
Heller certainly achieved this in pieces such as Vista Las Palmas Afternoon, depicting an inviting, beautifully designed pool area, on a bright, sunny day. There are grand pops of color such as a bright pink inflatable pool floaty, the green succulent vegetation, a yellow and white umbrella and of course, the striking blue of the pool.
Of his painting Movie Colony Sunset, Heller says, “The colors in the sky were just super uplifting and I just had to capture the sunset. It’s so bright and happy, and gives people a sense of optimism. Although it’s a sunset scene, there’s still an incredible amount of light and beauty.”
Vista Las Palmas Afternoon, oil on canvas, 30 x 40"
Heller creates his art from photographs of actual homes in the Palm Springs area. “These homes are real,” says Heller, “and reminds viewers this does exist, it isn’t just fantasy land, although it may look that way. I hope people can reflect on these scenes, thinking about how they live and where they call home. Perhaps they’ll reevaluate their own living situation and make small adjustments. But maybe they’ll plan that next vacation, as things open up bit by bit, day by day, and we can all once again enjoy a Palm Springs weekend.”
The exhibition will be on view at the gallery from May 15 through June 12, with 10 to 12 new works. —
George Billis Gallery
2716 S. La Cienega Boulevard • Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 838-3685 • www.georgebillis.com
Powered by Froala Editor
