David Derr

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David Derr
Contemporary Fine Art

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But what if man had eyes
to see the true beauty--
the divine beauty,
I mean, pure and clear
and unalloyed, not clogged
with all the colors and
vanities of human life...
beholding beauty
with the eye of the mind,
he will be enabled to bring forth,
not images of beauty,
but realities
(for he has hold
not of an image
but of a reality),
and bringing forth
and nourishing true virtue...

The Glance
Plato
(5-4 century BC)
Symposium, 211e

David Derr Contemporary Art, Oil on Canvas, Sit Stay

David Derr Contemporary Art, Mixed Media on Paper, The Ringmaster

David Derr Contemporary Art, Sculpture, Assemblage, Sentinel of the Sun

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With works that could be described as a cross between surrealism and fantasy, spiced with a hefty does of allegory thrown in “for good measure,” David Derr’s art stands out as truly unique. One is tempted to see influences of Dadaism or the Blaue Reiter school of Expressionism in Derr’s free use of color and form, but his oils, mixed media, and digital works are distinctive and highly original. Intriguing and challenging viewers through an astonishingly rich vocabulary of symbols and allusions, they bear carefully crafted, often humorous titles which tantalize the mind and evoke connections to music, philosophy, literature/poetry, theater and, of course, to visual arts.

New Jersey artist David Derr’s first recollection of an interest in art was at age six, when an artist neighbor, introduced him to the world of drawing. Derr attended the Art Students League in the 1970’s studying life drawing under Gregory D’Allesio and Gutav Rehburger and graphics with Michael Ponce DeLeon. His passion for life drawing continued as a primary focus for nearly 10 years while he made a living as an artists’ model and freelance commercial artist. Currently Derr heads up his own design agency, D2 Studios Inc., in the past he has been employed as Art and Creative Director’s for New Jersey advertising agencies and has achieved national recognition for his designs. Commercial success has only brought into sharper focus his love for fine arts and his expression of deep personal imagery. This is influenced by his interest in archeology, primitive art, mythology, classical music, and dance.

Derr has been included in exhibitions juried by Ivan Karp of the OK Harris Gallery, Holly Solomon, of the Holly Solomon Gallery, and by curators from the Guggenheim and NJ State Museums. He has exhibited throughout the United States and Europe. His works appear in collections all over the United States and has been featured in NY Times, Photoshop User, Digital Fine Arts Magazine, and Gallery & Studio Magazine. He is represented online at SaatchiOnline.com, FineArtAmerica.com, DiscoverJerseyArts.com, and the Museum of Computer Art and many more. He has received awards from the International Digital Mural Competition, the NYC Art Directors Club, Adobe’s Digital Imaging Competition, and the Museum of Computer Art.