DAN AHLRICH

Painter

Recently transplanted artist, Dan hails from Atlanta and is thoroughly enjoying the art that is everywhere here in Morganton. He is especially excited to be one of the artists in residence at West Union Art Studios and he can be found upstairs working on adding more work to his series, Tablet Head and App-Men, both an exploration of technology on social interaction.

Dan’s work can be found at Burkes Art Council, upstairs at West Union Art Studio, and will be lining the walls of the Morganton City Hall in February/March 2021 as part of the Art In the Hall series.

In his Tablet Head series, the person is so fixated on their screens that their face resembles or has become a device. Thus, you have the student at their own graduation, the child on Santa’s lap, or the couple ignoring each other on their date at a restaurant, all staring into their phones instead of the world around them.

In his App-Men series, inspired by Rene Magritte’s The Son of Man (1964), the person has transformed into the very game they have been seduced by. Favorites include App-Men Twitter and App-Men Candy Crush.

Dan’s work also include traditional landscapes, local points of interest, and personalized commission work – usually of pets or family photos. And for those with strong walls, his Windows to the Outside series – painted on recycled house windows, subjects have ranged from Veteran saluting the U.S. Flag, whimsical animated subjects, and major landmarks such as Notre Dame and the Tower Bridge. Come upstairs to see his CastleVania window work.

While in Georgia, Dan earned his Bachelor of Arts from Georgia College and State University. His work has been exhibited the Atlanta airport, multiple Atlanta festivals, local libraries, restaurant venues, the tables of Silent Auctions, and even the walls of a local middle school. 

Dan may be contacted at dan.ahlrich@gmail.com
Portfolio found at www.bigdansart.com

Big Dan’s Art
Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an Artist – Pablo Picasso