Dan Mangan
Short Statement: Dan Mangan’s digital photographic art blurs the line between photography and painting, blending form and subtle nuances of light and shadow into an uncommon artistic expression. His work has been juried into numerous gallery shows, including the prestigious Art of the State: Pennsylvania 2008, held at the State Museum in Harrisburg.Full Statement: My goal is to create distinctive art through digital photographic and imaging processes. To this end, I aim to blur the line between photography and painting, blending form and nuances of light and shadow into an uncommon artistic expression. As such, the shutter’s click is only the beginning of a process; the art is built by subtle increments on the platform of the original exposure, much as a painter uses a palette, and often requires hours of refinement. And yet without sound photographic technique as a starting point, the end product won’t resonate. Thus my eye is drawn to line and form, geometric balance, color, and especially the nuances of light and shadow. Through the creative process, I strive always to remain essentially true to the original exposure.
Creating my art requires a high degree of concentration, and thus fills a personal need for inward focus and meditation. In a sense, photography and its artistic extension represent an essential adjunct to my senses of sight and touch. My hope is that others viewing my work will see a rich window on not only my world, but theirs as well.