Dan Witz
Encyclopedia
Dan Witz is a Brooklyn
, NY
based street art
ist and realist painter. He grew up in Chicago
, IL, and graduated in 1981 from Cooper Union
, on New York City's Lower East Side
. Witz, consistently active since the late 1970s, is one of the pioneers of the street art movement.
Dan Witz's paintings have been shown in galleries throughout the US and Europe. In June 2010 a monograph, "Dan Witz. In Plain View. 30 Years of Artworks Illegal and Otherwise", was published by Ginkgo press.
In 1983 Dan Witz's first book, “The Birds of Manhattan" was published by Skinny Books. His second book, In Plain View, was released in June 2010, by Gingko Press. In September 2010, Gingko Press will release "Hummingbirds, 2011".
The work of Dan Witz has appeared in Juxtapoz, Time
, Arts Magazine, New York Magazine, Sites, Public Art Review, The New York Times
, The Daily News, Newsday
, The New Yorker
, Harpers
, and Adbusters
. Dan was an early and frequent contributor to the definitive street art website and blog, the Wooster
Collective.
Witz's work can be seen in the 2010 Banksy
film, Exit Through the Gift Shop
.
In 2006 the Lou Auguste documentary, Open Air, featured the studios and methods of Dan Witz as well as five other American street artists: Faile, Skewville, Mike De Foe, Espo, and Tiki Jay. His work was also featured in the 2005 film, To Be Seen, by Alice Arnold.
Dan Witz paintings have been shown in galleries worldwide; including: Jonathan LeVine
Gallery, in Chelsea
, New York; Stolen Space Gallery, London, England; Carmichael Gallery, Los Angeles
, CA; Addict Galley, Paris, France; White Walls, San Francisco, and DFN Gallery New York.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, NY
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
based street art
Street art
Street art is any art developed in public spaces — that is, "in the streets" — though the term usually refers to unsanctioned art, as opposed to government sponsored initiatives...
ist and realist painter. He grew up in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, IL, and graduated in 1981 from Cooper Union
Cooper Union
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly referred to simply as Cooper Union, is a privately funded college in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States, located at Cooper Square and Astor Place...
, on New York City's Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
. Witz, consistently active since the late 1970s, is one of the pioneers of the street art movement.
Dan Witz's paintings have been shown in galleries throughout the US and Europe. In June 2010 a monograph, "Dan Witz. In Plain View. 30 Years of Artworks Illegal and Otherwise", was published by Ginkgo press.
Career
Dan Witz received a National Endowment of the Arts grant, in 1983, and fellowships from the New York Foundation of the Arts, in 1992 and 2000In 1983 Dan Witz's first book, “The Birds of Manhattan" was published by Skinny Books. His second book, In Plain View, was released in June 2010, by Gingko Press. In September 2010, Gingko Press will release "Hummingbirds, 2011".
The work of Dan Witz has appeared in Juxtapoz, Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, Arts Magazine, New York Magazine, Sites, Public Art Review, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, The Daily News, Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
, The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, Harpers
Harpers
The Harpers are a fictional and semi-secret organization in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the role playing game Dungeons & Dragons...
, and Adbusters
AdBusters
The Adbusters Media Foundation is a Canadian-based not-for-profit, anti-consumerist, pro-environment organization founded in 1989 by Kalle Lasn and Bill Schmalz in Vancouver, British Columbia...
. Dan was an early and frequent contributor to the definitive street art website and blog, the Wooster
Wooster
- People :* David Wooster , brigadier-general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution* Fred Wooster , cofounder of the Saanich Lacrosse Association, Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame...
Collective.
Witz's work can be seen in the 2010 Banksy
Banksy
Banksy is a pseudonymous England-based graffiti artist, political activist, film director, and painter.His satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine irreverent dark humour with graffiti done in a distinctive stencilling technique...
film, Exit Through the Gift Shop
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Guetta happily accepts the assignment, adopting the name "Mr. Brainwash", putting up street art in the city and six months later, re-mortgaging his business to afford renting copious equipment and a complete production team to create pieces of art under his supervision...
.
In 2006 the Lou Auguste documentary, Open Air, featured the studios and methods of Dan Witz as well as five other American street artists: Faile, Skewville, Mike De Foe, Espo, and Tiki Jay. His work was also featured in the 2005 film, To Be Seen, by Alice Arnold.
Dan Witz paintings have been shown in galleries worldwide; including: Jonathan LeVine
Jonathan LeVine
Jonathan LeVine is a New York City art dealer. As of 2005, he owns and operates the Jonathan LeVine Gallery, in the Chelsea area of Manhattan...
Gallery, in Chelsea
Chelsea, Manhattan
Chelsea is a neighborhood on the West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The district's boundaries are roughly 14th Street to the south, 30th Street to the north, the western boundary of the Ladies' Mile Historic District – which lies between the Avenue of the Americas and...
, New York; Stolen Space Gallery, London, England; Carmichael Gallery, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, CA; Addict Galley, Paris, France; White Walls, San Francisco, and DFN Gallery New York.
Recent publications
- 2010 “In Plain View: 30 Years of Artwoks Illegal and Otherwise” Dan Witz, Introduction by David Lopes,Gingko Press
- 2010 “Hummingbirds 2011” Dan Witz, Gingko Press
- 2010 “Tresspass, A History of Uncomissioned Urban Art” Edited by Ethel Seno, in collaboration with Marc and Sara Schiller, Taschen
- 2010 “Stickers, From Punk Rock to Contemporary Art” DB Burkeman/ Monica LoCascio, Rizzoli International Publications, Inc.
- 2010 “Street Art Cook Book, A Guide to Techniques and Materials”, Benke Carlsson/ Hop Louie, Dokument Press
- 2010 “Beyond the street” Patrick Nguyen, Stuart Mackenzie, Gestalten
- 2009 “The Thousands, painting outside, breaking in” DRAGO
- 2009 “Untitled II, The Beautiful Renaissance”, Gary Shove
- 2008 “Untitled, Street Art in the Counter Culture”, Gary Shove
- 2008 “Street Art”. Cedar Lewisohn Tate Publishing
- 2007 “Sticker City” Claudia Walde
- 2007 “Street Renegades” Francesca Gavin
- 2006 “The Art of Rebellion 2” Christian Hundertmark/ C100
- 2004 “Graffiti World” Nicholas Ganz
- 2003 “I NY New York Street Art” Kelly Burns
- 2002 “Stencil Graffiti” Tristan Manco
- 1985 “Street Art” Allan Schwartzman