“Architecture is not only a response to one’s spatial needs, but also a response to the surrounding environment of the time,” says realism painter Danny Heller. The California artist paints in a photorealistic style—clean and sharp. “The goal with my artwork is to capture and share how innovative midcentury design was and how relevant it still is,” he says. “By capturing things realistically, I act as sort of a documentarian—I want to communicate that these places and ‘scenes’ are all real.”
Usonian Ideal, oil on panel, 18 x 24"
A forthcoming exhibition at George Billis Gallery will be showcasing new paintings by Heller featuring various examples of architecture from in and around the New York City area. The show opens with a reception on April 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. and remains on view through April 27.
Usonia Afternoon, oil on panel, 18 x 24"
“As my paintings primarily focus on mid-century architecture and design, this show will be an analysis of how the built environment in and around Manhattan is a reaction to the natural environment that surrounds it,” Heller continues. He adds that it all started when he graduated from University of California, Santa Barbara, and returned to the suburbs of Los Angeles. “I thought they were so bland, yet also really quirky and in need of capturing. I started painting them more and more realistically when I realized I needed to clearly show the design elements that made them unique. So I focused on how the golden Southern California light fell on finely manicured hedges, green lawns and the flagstone siding on these elongated, colorful tract homes.”
Usonia House at Twilight, oil on panel, 18 x 24"
From then on, Heller has approached all of his subject matter, including this newest body of work depicting modern architecture on the East Coast, with the same degree of detail.
“This exhibition of my paintings hopes to showcase the transformative power of modern architecture and design,” he says, “but also how it is firmly a reaction to the world around it.” —
Afternoon At The Glass House, oil on canvas, 30 x 38"
George Billis Gallery 527 W. 23rd Street, Ground Floor • New York, NY 10011 • (917) 273-8621 www.georgebillis.com
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