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Artist Statement
Little Switzerland is a long-term multidisciplinary project about a fictional community of artists in Zurich. Through a variety of media I tell fragmented narratives about a fictional community of Swiss artists and the institutions that surround them. These institutions include an art school, an art gallery, an art supply store, a publishing company and a philanthropic tobacco company. I use Switzerland as a metaphor for the society in which artists live. I treat both time and place with a great deal of license. I aim to question authenticity.
The practice of painting is central to the project. My interest is in the external apparatus of painting: framing, narrative, context and presentation. I’d like to underline rather than downplay these structures.
For the past eighteen months I have focused on a fictional art school called the State Art Academy, Zurich (SKZ) from which all the artists in this story emerged. I began with a series of sculptural “Student Painting Storage Cabinets.” I have begun filling the cabinets with “Student Painting Exercises” addressing formal concerns such as color, composition, scale and pattern. I supplement this practice with video, installation and printed ephemera which give clues to an imaginary world. Using installation and video as framing devices, I hope to expand on my project and explore the ways in which narrative context affects our experience of art.
Little Switzerland is a long-term multidisciplinary project about a fictional community of artists in Zurich. Through a variety of media I tell fragmented narratives about a fictional community of Swiss artists and the institutions that surround them. These institutions include an art school, an art gallery, an art supply store, a publishing company and a philanthropic tobacco company. I use Switzerland as a metaphor for the society in which artists live. I treat both time and place with a great deal of license. I aim to question authenticity.
The practice of painting is central to the project. My interest is in the external apparatus of painting: framing, narrative, context and presentation. I’d like to underline rather than downplay these structures.
For the past eighteen months I have focused on a fictional art school called the State Art Academy, Zurich (SKZ) from which all the artists in this story emerged. I began with a series of sculptural “Student Painting Storage Cabinets.” I have begun filling the cabinets with “Student Painting Exercises” addressing formal concerns such as color, composition, scale and pattern. I supplement this practice with video, installation and printed ephemera which give clues to an imaginary world. Using installation and video as framing devices, I hope to expand on my project and explore the ways in which narrative context affects our experience of art.
CV
SOLO EXHIBITIONS -
2011 - SKZ Student Monochrome Workshop - Vox Populi - Philadelphia, PA
2008 - Anonymous Paintings from the Archives of Little Switzerland, USF, Bergen, Norway
2003 - White Room, White Columns, NY - curated by Lauren Ross
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS -
2012 - The Double - Cabinet, Brooklyn and LAXART, Los Angeles
2011 - ROY G BIV - Waterhouse & Dodd, New York, NY – Curated by Trong G. Nguyen
2011 - I Like The Art World And The Art World Likes Me - EFA Project Space - NY
2010 - Sanctioned Array - White Box - NY
2010 - I Know What You Did Last Summer - St. Cecilia’s Convent - Brooklyn, NY
2009 - Nothing Up My Sleeve - PARTICIPANT, INC. NY - curated by Jonathan Berger
2009 - CAM, Visningsrommet USF, Norway. Curated by Arne Skaug Olsen
2008 - Geometric, Abstract, and Geometric Abstraction - Jason Rulnick - NY
2007 - The All-Smoking Art Opening - Sponsored by Altria - New General Catalog, Brooklyn, NY - curated by Trong G. Nguyen
2007 - Horizon - EFA Gallery - New York, NY - curated by David Humphrey
2007 - The Promise of Freshness - with Daniel Argyle - Peloton, Sydney and Dudespace, Melbourne, Australia
2006 - Recent Acquisitions - Jason Rulnick Fine Art - New York, NY
2006 - Cremaster Fanatic - Jack the Pelican, Brooklyn, NY and BOCA, San Francisco - curated by Eric Doeringer
2005 - Image Acts - OfficeOps, Brooklyn, NY - curated by Aspara DiQuinzio and Tina Kukielski
2004 - From New York with Love, Covivant Gallery, Tampa, FL - curated by Trong G. Nguyen
2003 - Terrarium, The Bronx River Arts Center, Bronx, NY - curated by Carl Eckhoff
2003 - Good Words and Credentials, Columbia University, NY - curated by Bethany Pappalardo, Holly Greenfield and Barb Choit
SELECTED PERFORMANCES -
2012 - A Social History of the State Art Academy, Zürich - International Studio and Curatorial Program (ISCP), Brooklyn, NY
2012 - The Batterkinden Art Awards - Triangle Project Space, Brooklyn, NY
2008 - Disarmory - organized by dBfoundation
2006 - New Swiss Art- Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, New York, NY
2004 - FrEE MoMA action - Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
AWARDS AND RESIDENCIES -
MacDowell Fellowship - 2011
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture - 2009
Triangle Artists’ Workshop, Brooklyn, NY 2008
Artist-in Residence, USF, Bergen Norway, 2008
Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, 2007
NYFA Fiscal Sponsorship, 2007
Elizabeth Foundation Studio, 2004 - ongoing
Yaddo Fellowships, 2006, 2004, 2001, 2000
P.S. 122 project studio, 2003
PUBLICATIONS -
Shifter Magazine, Vol. 19, Proposals, Design, Layout. September 2012
Nothing Up My Sleeve, Regency Arts Press and PARTICIPANT INC, 2010
Shifter Magazine, Vol. 16, Pluripotential, Design, Layout and “A Note On the Type” April, 2010
EDUCATION -
M.F.A. painting, Royal College of Art, London, 1997
B.A. studio art/art history, Oberlin College, 1994
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY -
Emily Orrson, “Vox Populi: Dan Levenson, SKZ Student Monochrome Workshop” Title Magazine, December 2011
Edith Newhall, “Artists’ subversive sense of humor at Vox Populi” The Philadelphia Enquirer, December 2011
Chip Schwartz, “Conceptual Mashup at Vox” KnightArts, December 2011
Rachel Wetzler, “A Populist Attack on the Art World Pulls Punches” Hyperallergic, March 2011
Michelle Levy , “Virtues of Smoke and Mirrors” ArtSlant, November 2009
Donato Ramani, “Imaginary Road to Little Switzerland” L’Uomo Vogue, July 2009
Paul Flannery, “Expandable and modular - Little Switzerland on a scale of 1 to 1” January 21st, 2008
Paddy Johnson, “Form and Enterprise: The Art of Dan Levenson” ArtCal Zine, January 16, 2008
Paddy Johnson, “Fia Backström No Copy No Paste“ Art Fag City, Jan 24, 2008
James Wagner, “Dan Levenson’s “Little Switzerland” at EFA” jameswagner.com, November 13, 2007
Shifter: Rules & Representations - http://www.shifter-magazine.com/Shifter8at120dpi.pdf, June 1, 2006
Daniel Smith “Andrew Jackson, The New Face of Modern Art” n+1, March 5, 2005
Sam Lubell, “The $20 Problem: Opposition still rages against MoMA ticket Prices“ Architectural Record, Jan. 2005
Carol Vogel, “What is the Value of Priceless Art?” The New York Times, Nov. 18, 2004
Kuntzman, Gersh, “Art Worship“ Newsweek, Nov. 22, 2004
Sherman, Gabriel “Mo’ Money MoMA” The New York Observer, Nov. 19, 2004
Muchnic, Suzanne “Parking costs rise at Getty” Los Angeles Times, Nov. 21, 2004
Burmeister, Thomas “Picasso kann durchatmen” Koelnische Rundschau, Dec. 10, 2004
Bernau, Nikolaus, “Das MoMA tanzt” Berliner Zeitung, Nov. 20, 2004
Villasmil, Alejandra, “El MOMA de Nueva York abre al público su nueva sede” Diario de Cadiz, Nov. 20, 2004
Faure, Guillemette, “La culture hors de prix à New York “ Le Figaro, Aug. 29, 2006
Hickland, Aaron, “Open for business: the multi-million dollar cathedral for art that heralds a renaissance for the Big Apple” The Sunday Herald, UK. Nov. 21, 2004
Rousselot, Fabrice, “20 dollars l’entrée, de la folie furieuse” Libération, Nov. 20, 2004
SOLO EXHIBITIONS -
2011 - SKZ Student Monochrome Workshop - Vox Populi - Philadelphia, PA
2008 - Anonymous Paintings from the Archives of Little Switzerland, USF, Bergen, Norway
2003 - White Room, White Columns, NY - curated by Lauren Ross
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS -
2012 - The Double - Cabinet, Brooklyn and LAXART, Los Angeles
2011 - ROY G BIV - Waterhouse & Dodd, New York, NY – Curated by Trong G. Nguyen
2011 - I Like The Art World And The Art World Likes Me - EFA Project Space - NY
2010 - Sanctioned Array - White Box - NY
2010 - I Know What You Did Last Summer - St. Cecilia’s Convent - Brooklyn, NY
2009 - Nothing Up My Sleeve - PARTICIPANT, INC. NY - curated by Jonathan Berger
2009 - CAM, Visningsrommet USF, Norway. Curated by Arne Skaug Olsen
2008 - Geometric, Abstract, and Geometric Abstraction - Jason Rulnick - NY
2007 - The All-Smoking Art Opening - Sponsored by Altria - New General Catalog, Brooklyn, NY - curated by Trong G. Nguyen
2007 - Horizon - EFA Gallery - New York, NY - curated by David Humphrey
2007 - The Promise of Freshness - with Daniel Argyle - Peloton, Sydney and Dudespace, Melbourne, Australia
2006 - Recent Acquisitions - Jason Rulnick Fine Art - New York, NY
2006 - Cremaster Fanatic - Jack the Pelican, Brooklyn, NY and BOCA, San Francisco - curated by Eric Doeringer
2005 - Image Acts - OfficeOps, Brooklyn, NY - curated by Aspara DiQuinzio and Tina Kukielski
2004 - From New York with Love, Covivant Gallery, Tampa, FL - curated by Trong G. Nguyen
2003 - Terrarium, The Bronx River Arts Center, Bronx, NY - curated by Carl Eckhoff
2003 - Good Words and Credentials, Columbia University, NY - curated by Bethany Pappalardo, Holly Greenfield and Barb Choit
SELECTED PERFORMANCES -
2012 - A Social History of the State Art Academy, Zürich - International Studio and Curatorial Program (ISCP), Brooklyn, NY
2012 - The Batterkinden Art Awards - Triangle Project Space, Brooklyn, NY
2008 - Disarmory - organized by dBfoundation
2006 - New Swiss Art- Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, New York, NY
2004 - FrEE MoMA action - Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
AWARDS AND RESIDENCIES -
MacDowell Fellowship - 2011
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture - 2009
Triangle Artists’ Workshop, Brooklyn, NY 2008
Artist-in Residence, USF, Bergen Norway, 2008
Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, 2007
NYFA Fiscal Sponsorship, 2007
Elizabeth Foundation Studio, 2004 - ongoing
Yaddo Fellowships, 2006, 2004, 2001, 2000
P.S. 122 project studio, 2003
PUBLICATIONS -
Shifter Magazine, Vol. 19, Proposals, Design, Layout. September 2012
Nothing Up My Sleeve, Regency Arts Press and PARTICIPANT INC, 2010
Shifter Magazine, Vol. 16, Pluripotential, Design, Layout and “A Note On the Type” April, 2010
EDUCATION -
M.F.A. painting, Royal College of Art, London, 1997
B.A. studio art/art history, Oberlin College, 1994
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY -
Emily Orrson, “Vox Populi: Dan Levenson, SKZ Student Monochrome Workshop” Title Magazine, December 2011
Edith Newhall, “Artists’ subversive sense of humor at Vox Populi” The Philadelphia Enquirer, December 2011
Chip Schwartz, “Conceptual Mashup at Vox” KnightArts, December 2011
Rachel Wetzler, “A Populist Attack on the Art World Pulls Punches” Hyperallergic, March 2011
Michelle Levy , “Virtues of Smoke and Mirrors” ArtSlant, November 2009
Donato Ramani, “Imaginary Road to Little Switzerland” L’Uomo Vogue, July 2009
Paul Flannery, “Expandable and modular - Little Switzerland on a scale of 1 to 1” January 21st, 2008
Paddy Johnson, “Form and Enterprise: The Art of Dan Levenson” ArtCal Zine, January 16, 2008
Paddy Johnson, “Fia Backström No Copy No Paste“ Art Fag City, Jan 24, 2008
James Wagner, “Dan Levenson’s “Little Switzerland” at EFA” jameswagner.com, November 13, 2007
Shifter: Rules & Representations - http://www.shifter-magazine.com/Shifter8at120dpi.pdf, June 1, 2006
Daniel Smith “Andrew Jackson, The New Face of Modern Art” n+1, March 5, 2005
Sam Lubell, “The $20 Problem: Opposition still rages against MoMA ticket Prices“ Architectural Record, Jan. 2005
Carol Vogel, “What is the Value of Priceless Art?” The New York Times, Nov. 18, 2004
Kuntzman, Gersh, “Art Worship“ Newsweek, Nov. 22, 2004
Sherman, Gabriel “Mo’ Money MoMA” The New York Observer, Nov. 19, 2004
Muchnic, Suzanne “Parking costs rise at Getty” Los Angeles Times, Nov. 21, 2004
Burmeister, Thomas “Picasso kann durchatmen” Koelnische Rundschau, Dec. 10, 2004
Bernau, Nikolaus, “Das MoMA tanzt” Berliner Zeitung, Nov. 20, 2004
Villasmil, Alejandra, “El MOMA de Nueva York abre al público su nueva sede” Diario de Cadiz, Nov. 20, 2004
Faure, Guillemette, “La culture hors de prix à New York “ Le Figaro, Aug. 29, 2006
Hickland, Aaron, “Open for business: the multi-million dollar cathedral for art that heralds a renaissance for the Big Apple” The Sunday Herald, UK. Nov. 21, 2004
Rousselot, Fabrice, “20 dollars l’entrée, de la folie furieuse” Libération, Nov. 20, 2004
"Scenes from the State Art Academy, Zurich." Installation with paintings, printed matter, photos and video at Vox Populi, Philadelphia. 2011.
"18 Student Monochrome Paintings." Oil on aged linen, handmade birch stretchers and aged painted plywood rolling storage cabinet. 2011.
Handmade printed ephemera from installation at Vox Populi. 2011.
"Art Student Life" Magazine. Aged bound lithograph magazine. 11" x 17" 2011.
"Art Student Life" Magazine. Aged bound lithograph magazine. 11" x 17" 2011.
"Postcard from the State Art Academy, Zurich." Handmade aged lithograph. 4" x 5" 2011.
"Art School" Still from video. 10 mins. Swiss-German with English subtitles. 2011.
"Student Color and Composition Study." Oil on aged blotter paper. 20" x 30" 2012.
"Student Color and Composition Study." Oil on aged blotter paper. 20" x 30" 2012.
"Student Composition Study." Oil on aged blotter paper. 20" x 30" 2012.
"Student Composition Study." Oil on aged blotter paper. 20" x 30" 2012.
"Student Composition Study." Oil on aged blotter paper. 20" x 30" 2012.
"Student Color and Composition Study." Oil on aged blotter paper. 20" x 30" 2012.
detail of image 13 showing aged blotter paper.
"Swiss Artists" installation with video, electronics, silkscreen on cardboard boxes. 2012.
"Swiss Artists" Painted TV monitor, electronics, video. 2012.
"A Social History of the State Art Academy, Zurich." Performance at ISCP, Brooklyn. 2012.
"The Batterkinden Art Awards" Performance with awards ceremony, jazz recital, video and silkscreen on wood awards. Triangle Artists Workshop, Brooklyn. 2012.
"The Batterkinden Art Awards" Performance with awards ceremony, jazz recital, video and silkscreen on wood awards. Triangle Artists Workshop, Brooklyn. 2012.
"The Batterkinden Art Awards" Performance with awards ceremony, jazz recital, video and silkscreen on wood awards. Triangle Artists Workshop, Brooklyn. 2012.