dan attoe
Dan Attoe is a painter and sculptor born in 1975. He is represented by Peres Projects in LA and Berlin. Attoe was born in Bremerton, Washington in 1975 and moved through Idaho, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa before choosing his current location near Portland, Oregon. Attoe attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison where he first studied psychology, and later changed his major to art and studied with the influential painter T.L. Solien. Attoe founded the art group Paintallica. Attoe has used a variety of media in his art, but has become best known for his paintings that blend noir-ish surrealism not unlike that of filmmakers Gus Van Sant and David Lynch who are also from the Northwest. He is founder of art group PAINTALLICA. Attoe’s work often touches on the grittier parts of both rural and urban life colored with a mystical form of existentialism. While studying in Spain in 2005, Attoe embraced bullfighting and earned a silver star in regional competition. His recent film work portrays the sport as though it were a Christmas pageant in “Le Pointy.”
Attoe is on sabbatical from a part-time art instructor position at Portland State University. On November 23, 2009, Attoe informed his students he’ll use linguistics and gymnastics proficiency as a rickshaw driver in Bangkok, Thailand. Beginning in May, Attoe says he’ll replace paints with pigments pulled from mule and chicken droppings.
