Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Riede.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I grew up on the move. Before going to college, I lived in Colorado, Minnesota, Florida, California, Virginia and Iceland. My parents loved nature and traveling and they took my brother, sister and I on adventures whenever possible. During my undergraduate career at the University of Virginia, I headed to Italy for a semester abroad and loved it! After graduating, I returned to Italy and worked as an au pair and a translator. I also attended figure drawing school at the Accademia di Belle Arte di Firenze. I met German artists from the Villa Romana Residency while in Florence and applied to be part of Daniel Buren’s class at the Art Academy of Dusseldorf. At the same time, I was accepted to the MFA program at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.
While in Dusseldorf, I met my husband who is a classical percussionist. We moved back to the United States and my daughter was born. We have a home studio where we make music and art. Recently I was awarded the Randolph H. Deer Professorship in Painting at Herron School of Art & Design at IUPUI.
Please tell us about your art.
My “Wingspan” paintings are inspired by dance. I begin with an intuitive movement off of the canvas and then record that same movement in paint. This gesture morphs as I move across the surface of the canvas and an image unfolds.
My earlier works also tracked the movement of my body but did not have gesture and dance as their point of origin. In addition to painting on canvas, I make site specific installations out of recycled materials. The composition of these works is driven by the relationship of my body and movements to the space that the installation inhabits. The materials I gather reflect the activities of the members of the community from which they are collected.
Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons you wished you learned earlier?
Over the years I’ve learned not to take myself too seriously. I feel like my work resonates with others when I give myself space to breathe. There is no such thing as a perfect art career and the market and the art world are always in a state of flux, so expect the unexpected and enjoy the ride.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Currently, I have an installation and two paintings in an exhibition at Herron School of Art and Design at IUPUI. I also have an exhibition planned for Takt Gallery in Berlin, Germany next spring.
I am also open to sharing my work with collectors and curators by appointment, and have a website and Instagram account: www.danielleriede.com & @danielleriede If you are in New York, you can also stop by Garvey|Simon Gallery.
Contact Info:
- Address: Danielle Riede
- Website: www.danielleriede.com
- Email: danielleriede@gmail.com
- Instagram: danielleriede
- Facebook: danielle riede
Image Credit:
Thanks to Leah Roddey, my studio assistant is standing in front of the installation prep for “Yours and Mine”.
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