Dan Kopp

By: Joseph Jacobs

February 2007

“Leaper”, acrylic on canvas, 2005.

Alluring or repulsive? Sensual or threatening? Playful or frightening? These are among the conflicting responses we may have when looking at the strange yet beautiful landscapes of the young New Yorker Dan Kopp. In his work, Yves Tanguy meets Thomas Cole—the deserted scenes and organic, abstract forms recall Surrealistic dreamscapes, while the suggestion of trees, pastures and mountains are reminiscent of the Hudson River School’s glorification of nature. Color is often appealing,sometimes a lush, sensual range of greens evoking pastoral bliss. Sometimes it is rainbow- or candy-colored, conjuring joy and playfulness.

But ultimately, we are forced to ask: What is wrong with this picture? Where did all the people and animals go? The recent works are filled with energy and are even explosive.Kopp takes his inspiration from mass-media imagery, often of catastrophic events. “I can’t begin to tell you how many pictures of blown-up Humvees are in my studio,” he says. “I try to make plate tectonic landscapes, which are born out of totally artificial color references.”