About DAN

Dan Root is an artist working in mixed media (assemblages, collages, etc.) and paint, combining found and vintage objects with caricatured figures, and using haphazard and layered textures to create unique pieces of art.

While at Plattsburgh State University pursuing a BA in Studio Art, Dan initially had ambitions to be a wildlife illustrator. Through his studies and work at the Rockwell Kent and Myers Fine Art Gallery, he was exposed to contemporary art – a game changer that opened his eyes to a new approach. He then started to incorporate societal philosophies and a textured, deteriorating, and weathered appearance into his artwork.

Dan has been inspired to create from a young age, and draws from those experiences – and materials – for his artwork today. Growing up in a small town in the Adirondack mountains of New York state, he occupied himself during long winters with magazines and books – dinosaurs, knights and vikings, science fiction, monsters and WWll were among favorites – and by spending hours watching classic noir, war, sci-fi B movies, Saturday morning cartoons and other vintage animation. He was fascinated by building plastic model kits, typically constructing dioramas around the models to create his own environment. As a child, Dan made paper dolls by cutting figures from superhero comics, eventually drawing larger figures himself.

Dan currently lives in the Washington, DC metro area.