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Dan Colen

Dan Colen is a mainstay of the New York art world who creates paintings, sculptures, and installations that dissect the precise moment an artwork descends upon an artist for creation. His earliest works implanted mystical totems such as the tooth fairy and Jesus Christ into banal interiors, summoning divine intervention that acquires humor from its proximity to reality. His subsequent works attempted to find the spirit or power pulling the strings of expression, using chewing gum and smoke from candles, for example, to determine the path of these works. In 2011 he began the “Miracle” series using stills from Disney’s Fantasia to summon “collective imagination” in gigantic forms. This pure space of fantasy taps into the “painterly sublime,” through which Colen explores the abyss of creation and it’s origins. 


Colen has exhibited at a number of institutions including Royal Academy, London, MoMA PS 1, New York, National Museum of Art, Architecture, and Design, Oslo, New Museum, New York, FLAG Art Foundation, New York, and Brant Foundation Art Study Center, Greenwich, Connecticut, among others. He participated in the 2006 Whitney Biennial in New York and the 12th Biennale de Lyon in 2013.

Born 1979
Hometown Leonia, New Jersey
Lives and Works New York, New York
Education
BFA, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island, 2001
Permanent Collection

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York

Saatchi Collection, London, United Kingdom

Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Oslo, Norway

Representing Galleries

Gagosian Gallery, New York

SHOWS

Massimo De Carlo

London
Jun 10 2016 - Jul 29 2016

SELF
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Articles

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How Peter Marino Became the Dark Prince of Luxury

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Jeffrey Deitch on his Miami Pop-up Show
Jeffrey Deitch on his Miami Pop-up Show

In an interview with Karen Rosenberg, the dealer, curator, and impresario gives Artspace a preview of his collaboration with Larry Gagosian in Miami, the latest iteration of his New York gallery, and other upcoming projects.

Agathe Snow on How 9/11 Shaped Her Career
Agathe Snow on How 9/11 Shaped Her Career

We spoke to the installation artist and sculptor about her upcoming 24-hour blowout at the Guggenheim and why she's enjoying getting older so much.

21 Things You Didn't Know About Jeffrey Deitch
21 Things You Didn't Know About Jeffrey Deitch

He was what kind of artist? Here are the most interesting morsels that arose from Massimiliano Gioni's conversation with the former MOCA director and art dealer at the New York Public Library.

Rosa de la Cruz on Making Miami an Art Capital
Rosa de la Cruz on Making Miami an Art Capital

We spoke to the eminent contemporary art patron about the philosophy driving her collecting, and her grand ambitions for the city she calls home.

The Winners (and Losers) of NYC's Auction Week
The Winners (and Losers) of NYC's Auction Week

While the blinding numbers tallied by the evening sales get the most attention, we scoured the day sale results for indicators of the direction the market for emerging artists is taking.

10 of the Most Influential MFA Programs
10 of the Most Influential MFA Programs

From the hallowed halls of the New England ivies to the progressive art-tech centers on the West Coast, these are the top grad programs for artists-to-be.

Peter Brant on the "Renaissance" in American Art
Peter Brant on the "Renaissance" in American Art

We spoke to the collector about what he learned from Warhol, his historic sale of Jeff Koons's balloon dog, and his plans for the future of his foundation.

6 Artworks to Invest in This February
6 Artworks to Invest in This February

From a retro-futuristic totem by a Fluxus great to an edgy photo by one of the most freewheeling of America's young lensmen, these are works to snap up.

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