b. 1975, Bremerton, WA
We Haven't Told You Everything, 2022, oil on canvas, 12 x 12 in., 31 x 31 cm.
Moonlight Swim, 2023, oil on panel, 5 x 7 in., 13 x 18 cm.
Dead of Winter, 2022, The Hole, New York, NY
Glimmers in the Hills, 2023, oil on canvas on panel, 24 x 24 in., 61 x 61 cm.
Egret (Tough Shit Tiffany), 2022, neon, 60 x 29 in., 152 x 74 cm.
Dead of Winter, 2022, The Hole, New York, NY
Swimming Pool at Sunset, 2022, oil on canvas on panel, 12 x 18 in., 30 x 45 cm.
Dead of Winter II, 2023, The Hole, Los Angeles, CA
Beach Ghost/Oracle, 2023, oil on canvas on panel, 18 x 12 in., 46 x 30.5 cm.
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Dan Attoe has been exhibiting painting, sculpture and performance since graduating in 2004 with an MFA from the University of Iowa. He is most known for his paintings of natural scenes that uniquely combine landscape painting with genre painting; these scenes are inhabited by small human intruders who disrupt the grandiosity of their settings. This distinctive combination of two categories of fine art painting draw attention to the estrangement that man feels with nature. Attoe achieves this effect by highlighting the tendency of humans to focus on the mundane and inconsequential aspects of life while simultaneously ignoring the natural wonders that are directly in front of them.
His later body of work continues to reflect his particular interest with the absurdity of modern life. Attoe's neon drawings continue to convey the humorous critique on the monotony of everyday life present in his earlier bodies of work. The accompanying phrases under each piece contextualize the illuminated figures.
Recent solo exhibitions were held at The Hole, Western Exhibitions in Chicago and Peres Projects, Berlin. Interesting group shows include many museums around the world from Astrup Fernley Museum in Oslo, to the ICA in Portland, Maine; the DESTE museum in Athens to the Schirn Kunstalle in Frankfurt.
dan attoe
Lives and works in Washougal, WA
education
University of Iowa, M.F.A.
2004
University of Wisconsin, B.A
1998
solo exhibitions
Dead of Winter II, The Hole, Los Angeles, CA
2023
Dead of Winter, The Hole, New York City, NY
2022
Dan Attoe: Pandemic Paintings, Western Exhibitions, Chicago, IL
2021
Dan Attoe: Glowing River, The Hole, New York, NY
2020
New Drawings, Greg Kucera Gallery, Seattle, WA
2017
Natural Selections, Peres Projects, Berlin, DE
2016
Recent Landscapes, Half Gallery, New York, US
2016
DAN ATTOE, Western Exhibitions, Chicago IL
2016
Fourteen 30 Contemporary, Portland, OR
2014
Landscapes With Water, Peres Projects, Berlin, DE
2014
Dan Attoe, Western Exhibitions, Chicago, IL
2014
Lights Flickering in the Dark, Peres Projects, Berlin, DE
2011
I'm done worryin' about shit., Peres Projects, Berlin, DE
2009
Dan Attoe, Western Exhibitions, Chicago, IL
2009
American Dreams, curated by Tania Pardo, Museo de Arte Contemporanea de Castila y Leon (MUSAC), Leon, ES
2008
Simple Thoughts and Complicated Animals, Peres Projects, Berlin, DE
2008
Loaded, Nailed, and Short on Cash, Peres Projects, Los Angeles, CA
2006
You have more freedom than you are using, Peres Projects, Berlin, DE
2006
You Get What You Deserve, Vilma Gold, London, UK
2005
New Paintings, 404 Arte Contemporanea, Naples, IT
2005
Some of the best things I know, Peres Projects, Los Angeles, US
2004
Paintings and Tents, Western Exhibitions, Chicago, IL
2003
Dan Attoe: Tents and Paintings, curated by Chris Cook CSPS/Legion Arts, Cedar Rapids, IA
2003
group exhibitions
Hollywood Dream Bubble: Ed Ruscha's Influence in Los Angeles and Beyond, The Hole, Los Angeles, CA
2024
Storage Wars, The Hole, Los Angeles, CA
2023
The Midnight Hour, The Hole, New York, NY
2023
Manscaping, The Hole x Superzoom, Paris, France
2022
New Visions, The Love You, Miami, FL
2022
Manscaping, The Hole, New York, NY
2022
Manscaping, The Hole, Los Angeles, CA
2022
Figures, Grounds, Western Exhibitions, Chicago, IL
2022
Antithesis, Open House Art Series, Geheim Gallery, Bellingham, WA
2022
Interconnected, John Wolf Art Advisory & Brokerage, Los Angeles, CA
2021
Phase Two, The Hole, East Hampton, NY
2021
Nature Morte, The Hole, New York City, NY
2021
The Western Exhibitions Drawing Biennial, Western Exhibitions, Chicago, IL
2021
Killer Cute, De Boer Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2021
Are you familiar with our concept?, CFHILL, Stockholm, Sweden
2020
Psithurism: Visionary West, Curated by Anna Fidler, Fairbanks Gallery of Art, Corvallis, OR
2020
Paper View, The Hole, New York, NY
2019
Nature vs. Everything, Lubezink Center for the Arts, Michigan City, IN
2019
Les enfants du Paradis, curated by Jean-Max Colard and Jerome Sans, MUba Eugène Leroy, Tourcoing, FR
2019
An Homage to Hollis Benton, curated by Aaron Moulton, Over the Influence, Los Angeles, CA
2018
Immersion, Richard Heller Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2018
Becoming American, San Juan Island National Historical Park, Seattle, WA
2018
Horses, Eighteen Gallery and V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, DK
2017
Hope and Hazard: a Comedy of Eros, curated by Eric Fischl, Hall Art Foundation, Reading, VT
2017
American Genre: Contemporary Painting, curated by Michelle Grabner, Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) at MECA, Portland, ME
2017
Wild Style: Exhibition of Figurative Art, Peres Projects, Berlin, DE
2016
Go Figure!, Fredric Snitzer Gallery, Miami, FL
2016
Landscapes After Ruskin: Redefining The Sublime, Hall Art Foundation, Reading, VT
2016
Love Story: Works from Erling Kagge's Collection, Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo, NO
2015
Somos Libres II, Pinacoteca Gianni e Marella Agnelli, Turin, IT
2014
The Crime was Almost Perfect, PAC Padiglione d'Arte Contemporanea, Milan, IT
2014
The Crime was Almost Perfect, Witte De With, Rotterdam, NL
2014
We do what we like and we like what we do, Western Exhibitions, Chicago, IL
2014
PAINTALLICA, Iowa State Fair, Des Moines, IA
2014
Head, Western Exhibitions, Chicago, IL
2014
PAINTALLICA - SMELL THE BAR OIL, Rocks Box Fine Art, Portland, OR
2013
EXPO 1, MoMa PS1, Long Island City, NY
2013
The System of Objects – The Dakis Joannou Collection reloaded by Andreas
Angelidakis, DESTE Foundation for Contemporary Art, Athens, GR
2013
H.C. Westermann & Dan Attoe, Franklin Parrasch Gallery, New York City, NY
2013
Chicken or beef?, curated by Jesper Elg, The Hole, New York City, NY
2013
WONDERS – Masterpieces from Private Collections in Denmark, KUNSTEN Museum of Modern Art Aalborg, DK
2012
Secret Societies, Musée d'art Contemporain de Bordeaux, CAPC, Bordeaux, FR (Touring exhibition)
2012
Secret Societies, Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt, DE
2011
Sight Unseen, Mark Wolfe Contemporary, San Francisco, CA
2011
BigMinis, CAPC Musée d'art Contemporain, Bordeaux, FR
2011
Vivere Country, curated by Nonna Bruna, Grimmuseum, Berlin, DE
2010
Point to the end, which is always present, Small A Projects, New York City, NY
2010
Painter's Paintings, Western Exhibitions, Chicago, IL
2010
All Creatures Great and Small, curated by Maria Brewińska, Zacheta National Gallery, Warsaw, PL
2009
Le Petit Objet, Royale Projects, Los Angeles, CA
2009
PAINTALLICA, Country Club, Los Angeles, CA
2009
Access All Areas, curated by Tanja Wagner and Arturo Herrera, Max Hetzler, Berlin, DE
2009
Minneapolis, Peres Projects, Los Angeles, CA
2009
Breakfast of Champions, curated by Chloe Vaitsou, Yinka Shonibare Space, London, UK
2009
Until the End of the Worlds, curated by Max Henry, AMP, Athens, GR
2009
Reality Sandwiches, curated by Margherita Belaief, Artnews Projects, Berlin, DE
2009
Rock Opera, CAPC, Museum of Contemporary Art, Bordeaux, FR
2009
Play, Galleria Maria De Cardenas, Milan, IT
2009
A Fragile Reality, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR
2009
The Gainsborough Packet, 176 / Zabludowicz Collection, London, UK
2009
War Party, TBA Fest, Portland Institute of Contemporary Art, Portland, OR
2008
The Unforgiven, Stellan Holm Gallery, New York City, NY
2008
OPEN: Neon as a medium, Royale Projects, Indian Wells, US
2008
Lightness of Being, Initial Access, Wolverhampton, UK
2008
Discover the Landscape, Orangery Museum, Gera, DE
2008
Several Landscapes, Western Exhibitions, Chicago, IL
2008
Important If True (Hootenanny in E.), Burnet Art Gallery at Chambers, the Luxury Art Hotel, Minneapolis, MN
2008
Contemporary Northwest Art Awards, Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR
2008
Shape of Things to Come, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
2008
Legend, curated by Alexis Vaillant, Domaine Departemental de Chamarande, FR
2008
Gravity's Rainbow, Peres Projects, Athens, GR
2007
8th Northwest Biennial, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA
2007
PAINTALLICA Demolition Crew, Western Exhibitions, Chicago, IL
2006
Phantasmania, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MI
2006
1627 – 2007, Artnews Projects, Berlin, DE
2006
Let's go camping, John Connelly Presents, New York City, NY
2006
There's no fooling you (the classics), Peres Projects, Los Angeles, CA
2006
Eigenheim, everything but the kitchen sink, Kunstverein Goettingen, DE
2006
The Classics: Dan Attoe, Elliott Hundley, Raqib Shaw, Peres Projects, Los Angeles, CA
2006
Montezuma's Revenge, Nicole Klagsbrun, New York City, NY
2006
New Monastery, St. Paul's Church Gallery, London, UK
2006
The Zine UnBound: Kults, Werewolves and Sarcastic Hippies, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
2005
Fast Forward: A Passion for the New, House of Campari, Venice, IT
2005
Growing Up Absurd, Hebert Read Gallery, Kent, UK
2005
Sunset in Athens, Vamiali's, Athens, GR
2005
The Common Room, Wilkinson Gallery, London, UK
2005
New Figuration, Galleri Christina Wilson, Copenhagen, DK
2005
Growing Up Absurd, curated by Alun Rowlands & Matt Williams, Kent Institute of Art & Design, Kent, UK
2005
Axxxpresssunizm, Vilma Gold, London, UK
2004
Young Americans, Galerie Hof & Huyser, Amsterdam, NL
2004
Fictional Wonders / Real Hallucinations: Works by Dan Attoe and Tammy Mercure, curated by Chris Cook, Sioux City Art Center, Sioux City, IA
2004
Cave Canem, John Connelly Presents, New York City, NY
2004
New Space: figurative, abstract, and literal, Wendy Cooper Gallery, Chicago, IL
2004
Rules Everyone Will Follow From This Day Forth, Peres Projects, Los Angeles, CA
2003
Today's Man, Hiromi Yoshii Gallery, Tokyo, JP
2003
Today's Man, John Connelly Presents, New York City, NY
2003
Summer Jam, Peres Projects, Los Angeles, CA
2003
Iowa Artists 2002, Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines, IA
2002
Pretending I'm In the Forest, Eve Drewelowe Gallery, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
2002
Glad to Be Here, Byron Burford Gallery, Iowa City, IA
2001
Mixed Bag, Wendy Cooper Gallery, Madison, WI
2001
Secrets of Goo, Commonwealth Gallery, Madison, WI
1999
The Walker Valise, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MA
1999
Appel Artist of the Year Show, Wausau, WI
1998
fairs
Art Cologne, The Hole, Cologne, Germany
2022
Enter Art Fair, The Hole, Copenhagen, DK
2022
NADA Miami, Western Exhibitions, Miami, FL
2019
Dallas Art Fair, The Hole, Dallas, TX
2019
Art Los Angeles Contemporary, The Hole, Los Angeles, CA
2019
UNTITLED, Western Exhibitions, Miami, FL
2016