Dan Tran

60W x 48H x 1.5T in, acrylic The specter of the Second Civil War hangs near. Have we not learned from the First

60W x 48H x 1.5T in, acrylic Our body politic has created a monster. Can it be tamed?

36W x 48H x 1.5T in, acrylic Henri Rousseau, the Gypsy, the Dream, the Douanier, Can the naive mind reconcile those disparate selves?

60W x 48H x 1.5T in, acrylic The specter of the Second Civil War hangs near. Have we not learned from the First
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Naive-Pop-Satirical Art: Lost & Found in the Time of INfection Series
As an immigrant from Vietnam deeply indebted to my adopted country, I believe that, at no other time, our society is more torn between different ideologies, our democracy more on the verge of dissolution, interpersonal relationships more frayed.
With no formal art training, I tackle, in my naive-satirical style, burning sociopolitical issues of our times (climate change, pandemic, criminal justice, human rights, racism, racism, disinformation, gun violence, etc…) and at skills we as humans have developed in order to survive (love, hope, healing, community, creativity.) My paintings express horror, shock, revulsion, at what we, as a community, have lost, or in the danger of losing, but also joy, hope, wonder at what we have interpersonally found
Viewers will meet childlike stick figures, floating urban landscapes, imaginary space, and characters from history, pop culture and contemporary politics telling today’s narratives. To bring about a rich, dreamlike background, I lay down several layers of acrylic paint on each canvas, and texture its flat surface with mesh-shaped acrylic paste, or glue on foreign objects to create a rough, 3D illusion of gritty realities. Childlike I disregard the rules of perspectives and proportions, and freely engage in geometric abstraction of forms. I then unleash the power of brushstrokes, colors, line drawing and mark making to tell the story.