Dan Fischer

Dan Fischer has created a distinctive body of work that examines the nature of photography, appropriation, and mythology through meticulously crafted graphite-on-paper drawings.

Biography of Dan Fischer

Dan Fischer was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1977. He studied at the School of Art and Design at Alfred University, obtaining a BFA, Minor in Art History in 1999.

In 2006, he received the UBS Art Scholarship. Later, in 2012, the artist participated in the Summer Hamptons Art Residency Program (The FLAG Art Foundation). 

His recent solo exhibitions inlcude "Project Room: Dan Fischer" at Derek Eller Gallery in New York (2024) and "Dan Fischer: Drawings, 1999-2021" at The FLAG Art Foundation in New York (2021). His other solo shows have been held at various venues worldwide, including Alison Jacques in London and ACME in Los Angeles.

Additionally, Dan Fischer's works have been featured in numerous group shows, including "Among Friends: Three Views of a Collection" at The FLAG Art Foundation in New York (2022), "Meticulous" at The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston (2022), "Cynthia Daignault, Dan Fischer, Ellen Lesperance: Makers Catalogue" at Derek Eller Gallery in New York (2017), "Introspective, A group exhibition of self portraits" at BravinLee programs in New York (2016), and many more.

Dan Fischer's Famous Works

Fischer has portrayed a wide array of figures, including Lygia Clark and Philip Guston in their studios, Andy Warhol in front of his 'Flowers' series, Pablo Picasso working on "Guernica" (1937), and self-portraits of Ana Mendieta, Gillian Wearing, and Hannah Wilke. He also depicts significant artworks, such as Jeff Koons's "Rabbit" (1986) and Marcel Duchamp's "Fountain" (1917), chosen for their iconic status—objects so closely associated with their creators that they almost serve as portraits themselves.

Fischer's notable works include "Kara Walker" (2008), "Gillian Wearing" (2008), "Yves Klein" (2010), "Robert Gober, Drain" (2011), "Marcel Duchamp, Air de Paris II" (2015), "Jackson Pollock in Studio" (2015), "Willem De Kooning" (2016), "David Hammons, In the Hood" (2020), and many more.

Dan Fischer's Art Style

Focusing on renowned and often iconic representations of artists and artworks, Fischer begins with photographs as his source material. He then creates richly textured, monochromatic drawings that meticulously replicate these images.

Fischer's practice is rooted in his personal connection to art history. His appropriations are more about homage than mimicry or critique. In his works, the artist uses photocopies. He refers to this approach as 'Xerox Realism.' The artist creates paper reproductions of photographs found in books and journals, working directly from these copies."

His drawings have a hyper-realistic quality. His portrayals transform the original photographs he reproduces through vivid variations in tone and texture.