David Datuna

PRESS RELEASE

December 1, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contessa Gallery: Premiering David Datuna’s Nostalgia for Warhol at Art Miami 2014

Monday, December 1, 2014, Cleveland, OH – Contessa Gallery is thrilled to be participating in Art Miami, which is the leading international contemporary and modern art fair. This is a notable year for Art Miami as they celebrate their 25^th anniversary. Art Miami works with the most respected and influential galleries to feature important artists and artworks from the 20^th and 21^st centuries. Contessa Gallery’s booth will be exhibiting new works by notable Contemporary artists Mr. Brainwash, David Datuna, and David Drebin, as well as iconic works by modern masters such as Jasper Johns, Helen Frankenthaler, and Chuck Close. 

This past year has been a landmark year for David Datuna, and continues to be with Contessa Gallery’s presentation of Nostalgia for Warhol. The gallery will exhibit Datuna’s homage to Andy Warhol’s iconic serial celebrity silkscreens, Ten Marilyns, on the main wall of their Art Miami booth. This group of transformative portraits of Marilyn Monroe are part of the artist’s Golden Triangle series. This recurring triumvirate in Datuna's reportage explores past, present and future, thematically linking to our time and culture.

The image of the famed Marilyn Monroe is reinterpreted through tiny colored dots signifying the viewpoint, people, culture and energy of the past. The present is revealed through a veil of optical lenses with varied magnification as the artist skillfully plays with the constructive elements, giving them special meaning from a diverse point of view. The juxtaposition of the celebrated actress’s image of the past and the power of 20th Century iconography in the present, shine through Datuna's clever use of lenses while giving personality, perception, fragmentation and unity new definition. As the audience examines the work from their unique point of observation, the illusion of movement three dimensionally morphs the viewer from the past (the image), through the present (the lenses) into visions of what the future may hold.

2014 started off with Datuna’s exhibition of his Portrait of America, part of his Viewpoint of Billions series, at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery on President’s Day Weekend. This groundbreaking work utilized wearable technology allowing the viewers to interact with images embedded within the artwork. As the viewers explored the works visually, their reactions were recorded, archived, and streamed worldwide through the web. Portrait of America in particular symbolizes the ways in which advancing technologies have helped create a more unified global experience, just as the American experience is a collection of diverse cultures and viewpoints.

Datuna is also well known for his portraits in which he juxtaposes influential historical figures with popular contemporary icons. The artist plays on concepts of identity, particularly through the exploration of perspective and observation heightened by the optical lenses placed across. Datuna is interested in how cultural identity is perceived by nations, social groups, and individuals through the use of symbols, flags, and logos.

About Contessa Gallery

Founded in 1999, Contessa Gallery offers artworks of exceedingly high quality as well as art acquisition counsel to collectors, museums, and institutions. Areas of expertise encompass pre-twentieth century, Modern and Contemporary sculpture, paintings, photography, and works on paper. While many galleries focus primarily upon artist representation and promotion, Contessa Gallery is collector oriented. The Gallery’s mission is to assist clients in developing collections that have deep personal meaning. Contessa Gallery encourages its clients to view their collections as a legacy to be passed down through generations of family or on to museums.

The gallery continues to expand its clientele and reputation through its participation in prestigious art fairs such as Art Miami, The American International Fine Art Fair (AIFAF), and The Armory Show – Modern. At the philanthropic level, Contessa Gallery seeks to make a difference in the community through the contribution of time, expertise, sponsorship, and educational programming for museums and arts organizations.

For more detailed information about the gallery, artists, exhibition history, art fair schedule, and philanthropic support, please visit our website: www.contessagallery.com or contact Steve Hartman at 216.956.2825 or via email: art@contessagallery.com.

For high-res images of the above mentioned works please contact Rebecca Roman at 216.382.7800 or via email: rebecca@contessagallery.com.

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