ARTIST DANIEL CLURMAN
I am a self taught Black - Jewish Queer artist working and living in both Brooklyn, New York, and the Hudson Valley area.
I make drawings of people I admire either from history or from social media. I am engaged in the images of people for either their contributions to social justice or for my attraction to them physically. My process begins by researching a subject through images and imagining them as part of my visual world. Once I have decided on the subject I’m going to draw, I then energize the image with color. I use mixed media on paper to flesh out and bring to life the photograph I am working from. I am not interested in reproducing the image but really in discovering something about humanity.
Your greatest inspirations or influences?
Color, joy and tragedy are my greatest influences. I think, Identity plays a role in all of these facets. Identities are aspects of our lives and emotions that are private but need to be free in the world. Influences are very varied at this point, as artists we ingest so many ideas and iconography that at some point, you just start regurgitating them into your own language.
Tell us a bit about your creative process?
I always start with research. Whether they be conceptual or photos I melt them into my visual vocabulary and then start to elaborate on their meaning and move them into my narrative. I like to call this my algorithm. It is about the things that influence me and bring me personal joy.
I am looking forward to a great summer. Swimming, eating great food with my friends, long walks with Libby the dog and exploring a series of self portraits.
How has this year changed your creativity or how you see the world changing moving forward?
This year has been so great and so hard. In December 2020 I was rushed to the hospital in diabetic shock. I spent 2 and half days in the ICU and 4 days in the hospital during the winter COVID season. I was basically almost dead but these great EMTs, Nurses and doctors in Upstate NY saved my life. I was diagnosed as type 1 diabetic. This was life changing. My vision changed and I have to inject insulin 4 times daily. Nevertheless I was not scared. It felt like it needed to happen or maybe I didn't feel bad for myself, there were so many people who were sicker than me. I started drawing right after leaving the hospital and my vision had changed drastically. I was fuck’n scared shitless. There was a moment when I said to myself “how i can do this with these new eyes?'' But I just did it and my hand learned how to draw with my new eyes, and I think there is something better in my work now.
Who do you consider to be an icon of our time
Marsha P. Johnson & Michael Jackson...don't hate me lol
Do you think the art world needs to change, and if so how do you feel it can improve?
The world needs to change. It needs to stop being a racist, sexist homophobic/Transphobic place. If this applies to the art world then, hell yes.
What does wellbeing mean to you?
Good food good friends, exercise, cigarettes, cocktails and Libby
Cover photo by Peter Stanglmayr instagram @stanglmayr
