Originally hailing from Germany, New York based artist Daniel Rich creates meticulous acrylic paintings of an empty, man-made world. Although completely devoid of human presence, his paintings are not without character. Rich chooses to celebrate the rich vibrancy and personality of architectural structures, which appear smooth, intricate and appealing. The absence of people also brings out an eerie quiet and calm to what should be bustling urban cities. They are failed utopias- Rich’s ideas about what the future of human civilization could look like. Rich collects his image sources primarily from the internet, newspaper, and photographs which he translates into stencils. He then uses these to precisely map out his paintings, finished with a variety of tools and brushes. “The architectural image is represented to introduce a dialogue about changing political power structures, failed utopias, the impacts of ideological struggles, war and natural upheavals,” he says. Daniel Rich will exhibit new works at Carbon 12 gallery in Dubai on November 16th.
