Urban inspiration
about
My name is Dan Kennedy. DK Studio is the banner under which I operate in San Francisco as artist and product designer, and my creative output is documented in these pages. Please navigate the site by clicking on the categories at the top of this page, and contact me if you have any questions or would just like to say hello!
Download design résumé (PDF) >
Download design résumé (PDF) >
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Snack Cakes
2008 / oil stick on paper / 18 x 25"
This picture describes the high-volume manufacturing process for a typical convenience store snack cake.
Distillery
2008 / oil stick on paper / 18 x 24"
Here I begin to experiment with a combination of the black/white and primary color palettes, grouped in alternating horizontal layers. The portrait layout facilitates a top-to-bottom movement.
Processing Plant #8
2008 / oil stick on paper / 18 x 25"
This composition might depict a modern factory, where flags are proudly flown high above a stately façade - behind which some questionable activities are taking place.
Processing Plant #7
2008 / oil stick on paper / 19 x 25"
This collage attempts to combine softer, more organic shapes with hard-edged geometry. To suggest depth, I'm also introducing some three dimensional elements.
Composition
2008 / oil stick on paper / 18 x 24"
Here I explore a composition that has fewer tangible references. The goal is to achieve a satisfying balance of simple forms.
Processing Plant #6
2008 / oil stick on paper / 19 x 25"
This collage limits the palette to black/white. At some point I'd like to interpret these compositions in black/white enamel on canvas in the style of Willem de Kooning and Joyce Pensato.
Processing Plant #5
2008 / oil stick on paper / 17 x 28"
Some of these collages have taken on aspects of a landscape, especially with the introduction of water-like elements. I appreciate fundamentally abstract compositions that can be viewed in the context of something tangible.
Toxic Beach
2008 / oil stick on paper / 17 x 28"
Eliminating the burden of representation initially presented the problem of "where to start" - I needed to establish new constraints in order to get a foothold. The process for creating these collages involves sketching various shapes in oil stick on the pages of a phonebook, which I then use as source material for assembling the final composition.
Industrial Revolution
2008 / oil stick on paper / 18 x 24"
In early 2008 I set aside my figurative painting in order to focus primarily on form and composition. This collage represents my first move in this direction.
Two Dancers I
2007 / charcoal on paper /18 x 24"
One in a series of charcoal drawings exploring the representational-vs-abstract theme.
Uerkheim
2003 / charcoal and pencil on paper / 12 x 16"
I enjoy a process of creation that incorporates the element of chance. A looser and less deliberate approach, such as the one taken in this landscape, embraces accidents and results in something more human.
Braids
2003 / watercolor on paper / 9 x 12"
In this watercolor I aim to capture figurative expression with a minimum number of lines. This strategy continues in my paintings from 2004 onward.
Rollercoaster
2002 / pencil and pastel on paper / 12 x 20"
This drawing represents a progression towards a more illustrative style, where I attempt to make the figures "pop" through the use of hard outlines and flatter shading.
