ABOUT THE ART AND ARTIST
BIO/ARTIST STATEMENT
BIO
Dan McGarrah was born 1953 in Philadelphia, and lived in that area until 1978, when he came to California to attend Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara. After graduating, McGarrah had a career in advertising photography in the San Francisco Bay Area. He currently lives in Oakland.
As McGarrah’s photography career wound down, he became very fascinated with abstract art. Soon, McGarrah started creating abstract art via his unique methodology. His starting points for his artworks are digital photos he has taken of sections of plants. Then, selecting an individual image, McGarrah brings it into Photoshop (No AI programs) and does extensive adjustments and alterations, often over 100 actions, in creative spurts over months. From the final image, he offers small edition archival prints of these ‘Photo-Based’ digital artworks - usually canvas, occasionally metal or paper. With Certificates of Authenticity.
STATEMENT
A severe Grand Mal Seizure, in February 2020 caused significant damage to my subconscious, including a massive amount of permanent long-term memory loss, and a slightly amorphous cognizance of this world and my path in it. This event, and ongoing Epilepsy, amplified my proclivity for creating artwork addressing this realm. I became compelled to create abstract artwork reflective of nebulous subconscious mental activities, of which there is an enormous amount - A 2020 scientific article claims that the subconscious processes 27,500 times more information than the conscious mind! Throughout, for each artwork, I strive to create it with strong emotional and/or intellectual impact.
I work intuitively, without a preconceived destination. The artwork brings me along, continually winding towards whatever feels best. Artwork about the subconscious created by the subconscious.
Due to hand tremors from the Epilepsy, the methodology of creating the artworks on a laptop, while being able to rest my forearm on a surface, is the only one that can work for me; I wouldn’t be able to paint (If I had that skill). I have weighted gloves to help steadiness for taking the ‘starter’ photographs. 3.4 million Americans have epilepsy. ‘Epilepsy Foundation’ is a wonderful organization - epilepsy.com
McGarrah currently has three series:
'Subliminal Processing' artworks are reflective of the vast amount and widely varied nebulous activity that is constantly happening in our minds. All of which we have no control over. There are the pragmatic processes, such as translating the inputs of all 5 senses to understandable and actionable information. But there are also processes that contribute a great deal to ‘who we are’. Our instincts, interests, emotional sensitivity, psychological strengths and weaknesses as well as other characteristics are within the purview of the subconscious. It is an amazing wonderland.
'Dreamscapes' artworks are metaphorically reflective of the destinations our subconscious can take us to in our dreams. Dream activity is less nebulous than other subconscious activity - there are images, and usually a storyline, though often a disoriented one. But, as the rest, it is subconscious activity that we do not control. The titles are an integral aspect of these artworks indicating the metaphor.
‘Botanical Splendor’ I have recently added this series. Mildly abstracted, appealing images of flowers and other plants. Mood lifters.
Archival Limited Editions, with Certificate of Authenticity.
CV
Dan McGarrah
MUSEUM EXHIBIT
2021 - 2022
International Art Museum of America
San Francisco Solo Show Nov 2021 - Jan 2022
SOLO EXHIBIT
2019
UCSF Women’s Health Center
San Francisco Solo Show - 6th Floor
TWO PERSON EXHIBIT
Healdsburg Center For The Arts
Healdsburg, CA 2 Person Show
UCSF Women’s Health Center
San Francisco Solo Show - 6th Floor
ART FAIRS
2022
Superfine Art Fair San Francisco
Solo Booth
GROUP EXHIBITS
2025
Sacramento Fine Arts Center
Sacramento CA
ARC Gallery
San Francisco
ACCI Gallery
Berkeley CA
Belvedere/Tiburon Gallery
Tiburon CA
Sebastopol Center for the Arts
Sebastopol CA
Far Out Gallery
San Francisco
SF Women’s Artists Gallery
San Francisco
2024
Drawing Room Annex Gallery
San Francisco Jan - Feb
:iidrr Gallery
San Francisco Dec - Jan
BlueStream Gallery
San Francisco Dec - Jan
2023
Carter Burden Gallery
NYC
May - June
Studio 23 Gallery 10th Anniversary Exhibit
Alameda, CA May 10 - June 15
The Drawing Room Annex
San Francisco ‘Sky’
Feb 18 - April 1
Sebastopol Center For The Arts ‘Favorite Things’
Sebastopol, CA Jan 13 - Feb 6
2022
Sacramento Fine Arts Center ‘Abstract Intentions’
Carmichael, CA 3 Prints
November 1 - December 5
2018 - 2022
San Francisco Women’s Artists Gallery
My Artwork & Photography Selected
For 32 Of Their Monthly Exhibits
Each Jurored by an independent juror
Received ‘Juror’s Prize’ 4 Times
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