An Interview with Danny Heller, Owner of Danny Heller Art
Image Source – Danny Heller Art
In painting, light is one of the most difficult aspects to capture. Photorealism has an unbelievable way of combining color and light. This fascinating mix of photography and painting has become an interest of mine and has led me to become familiar with photorealists that combine this genre of art with my passion: Mid-Century Modern.
Danny Heller has blown me away with how his pieces are created, and how difficult it is to distinguish whether I am looking at a painting or photograph. His art concentrates on chronicling Modern American imagery, specifically focusing on the architecture, design, and car culture found throughout the nation. He has been kind enough to share his story with me, and I believe you will find it as intriguing as his art.
Eric: Where did you grow up?
Danny: I grew up in the middle of the suburbs – the San Fernando Valley (deemed “America’s Suburb”) – and I never thought much of it. I was young, so I didn’t recognize or appreciate the idea of the suburbs, the post-war boom, the style of homes and buildings around me. It was idyllic, if not a bit bland. The ever-present car culture of the Valley did start to have an influence on me though, and only later would I start to pick up on the fantastic mid-century architecture of SoCal.
Eric: What did your parents do for a living?
Danny: My dad owned his own computer business and my mom split duties, helping him out and taking care of my brother and me. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was actually learning from the small business/entrepreneur mentality that my family had. This would aid in my success with my own business: my art.
Eric: How did you get started in the art business?
Danny: I got started by entering a group art show contest on a whim. I had been painting in the evenings after my day job, ever since I graduated from college two years prior. Not only did two of my paintings get into the show, but they both sold. After that group show, I was given a solo show, which had considerable success. One show led to another and one success led to another, giving me the confidence, as well as the financial means, to do art full time.
Eric: What was the first piece of art you purchased?
Danny: I grew up middle class and purchasing original art wasn’t really an option or a standard thing to do. However, I was obsessed with comic books – my first real exposure to artwork. Needless to say, they were a good price point and I could see a lot of fantastic drawings by collecting them.
Eric: Why did you become a photorealist artist?
Danny: When I started out, I realized that I had a slight edge over other artists if I could portray something realistically. It worked out for me because I was hoping to portray things in a way that people would recognize them and appreciate them, almost like a documentarian. I also found that photo-realistic paintings allowed the viewer to instantly enter them, and perhaps stay longer looking at them.
Eric: Did you encounter any obstacles in the creation of your business?
Danny: Yes, many! An artist never jumps into the gallery world, fully formed and in the position to set prices that they can realistically live off of. So I had to work someday jobs for years while my paintings started to sell and I became a stronger artist. And then the Great Recession hit! Talk about struggles…I was let go of my day jobs and that forced me to go full-time into my art. However, the recession caught up to my collectors years later and so I had to go back to day jobs in order to pay the bills. Thankfully that didn’t last long and things bounced back. Aside from that, there are always the administrative things I need to learn and perfect, while simultaneously focusing on my artwork and growing as an artist.
Eric: How did you land on “Modern American architecture, design & car culture” as a focus?
Danny: Like I said, I grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, around some great mid-century architecture and a classic car scene, however, I didn’t recognize it at the time. When I returned home after college at UC Santa Barbara, I started picking up on the “culture” of suburbia. I would recognize the feel of it in movies like “Edward Scissor Hands” and TV shows like “The Brady Bunch.” I realized there was a visual language there that was only beginning to be explored. Eventually, I started doing paintings of the post-war tract homes around me, mixed with the classic car culture. Eventually, that lead to the more high-designed mid-century tracts like the Eichlers in my town. Once I started painting them and learning about them, I never looked back. They were so dynamic and yet understated. I really landed on something big – something that was only beginning to be appreciated and rediscovered by society at large.
Eric: Has your taste evolved over the years as an artist?
Danny: Definitely! I’m still obsessed with mid-century architecture and classic cars, however, my interests have led me to different facets of Modernism. I started out painting strictly suburban houses, but that led to the Googie architecture of the LAX Theme Building. After dipping my toes in the commercial world of Modernism, I thought a series focusing on mid-century office buildings would be interesting, which led to a show on Downtown LA’s mid-century landscape. From there, I’ve done many series on Modernism found throughout New York, as I’ve started exhibiting out there.
Eric: What do you wish you had known when you started out?
Danny: Budget your money! Seriously though, I wish my teachers had been more realistic about being an artist. Maybe telling me there’s no shame in working day jobs to support my art. Also, I wish I had known to position myself better: right now I show in three galleries in three different cities. This allows me to not over-saturate a specific market and even weather some downturns in specific regions by diversifying my locations.
Eric: Who inspires you the most in the art world?
Danny: I’m a huge fan of Josh Agle (Shag). Not only do I love his wonderful mid-century-focused artwork, but how he conducts himself and his business. He’s managed to create a whole world in his art, while still reflecting the world around him. He’s branched off into products as well, carrying over the themes and aesthetics of his paintings into three-dimensional objects that delight and inspire in the real world.
Eric: What’s your go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant?
Danny: Since growing up in the suburbs, my wife and I moved down to the mid-century mecca of Palm Springs. It’s great because there are some amazing mid-century restaurants that are still around – restaurants that Sinatra and the like used to frequent. One of them with a Modern-meets-Miami flare is the Tropicale restaurant which serves the best burger in the desert. Imagine sitting in a beautiful clamshell booth, light jazz music in the background, but chowing down on a huge, messy burger. Very old-school.
Eric: What’s one thing you can’t stop talking about?
Danny: That would probably have to be Disneyland. My wife and I are fanatics! It has such an interesting history originating in mid-century American design. There are still remnants of that great mid-century aesthetic still there if you know where to look. Not to mention all of the animation had a strong impact on me growing up, which probably still affects me and my art today.
Want your own Photorealistic Painting from Danny?
If you would like to find out more about Danny and his incredible art, you can visit his website or find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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