Biography
Born and raised in rural Eastern Washington, Dan John Anderson spent his formative years in Portland, Oregon where he studied at the Oregon College of Art & Craft. Surrounded by the forests of the Pacific Northwest, Dan’s first materiality interest was wood. He continues to revere the medium along with other craft-based materials which have a history rooted in collaboration, intense labor, and pragmatism. Dan and his studio are currently based in Yucca Valley, California. His work has been shown in a variety of locations including the Palm Springs Art Museum, A-Z West, NYC Design Week, MATTER NYC, The Future Perfect in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and Curator’s Cube Japan.
Artist Statement
“Gesamtkunstwerk or the German word for “total artwork,” is a guiding principle in Dan John Anderson’s work. There is a fluidity between his studio practice and daily life, and creating continued connections is part of Dan’s practice.
Dan’s objects occupy a space between sculpture, furniture, and totems. He has an almost spiritual reverence for wood that he translates into the objects he creates. He achieves this through repetition of material, shape, and dedication to his studio. His concerns lie in what the final objects both reveal and hide about the work that went into them. This transcendent quality acts as a through line, as he aims for his work to be a catalyst for continued experience outside of the original object or space. This has led Dan to creating environments and events that feature his objects but extend beyond them.
Both in synthesis and in outcome, Dan’s practice relies heavily on collaboration. This takes form through objects and events. Dan finds inspiration in the materials or people he works with and tries not to manipulate them to his will, but rather find a middle ground between his collaborator’s natural inclinations and his own. The final collaboration of his work is often the participants of an event or the clients who house an object.”
FAQ
How can I place an order with the studio?
Use the contact form or directly email studio@danjohnanderson.com with the following information about your desired piece:
Dimensions
Wood species
Reference images
All pieces are made-to-order and production lead times vary. Please keep this in mind when ordering, and feel free to reach out with any questions. Given the nature of our made-to-order production, we are unable to accommodate rush or expedited orders.
Where can I purchase available works?
Pieces are available for purchase at The Future Perfect and Spartan Shop.
How can I care for my piece
To maintain and prolong the existing finish, our recommended schedule is to refinish with Rubio Monocoat's Oil Plus 2C in the color Pure once a year, and apply the Renew product in between annual refinishing. All of these products are high quality, user friendly, and plant based (No VOCs), and include instructions with purchase. For more frequent application, use Howard Wood Polish.
Prior to any product application, clean the surface of the piece using a soft, lightly damp cloth. You can use a wood appropriate soap as well.
Apply these finishing products with a soft, cotton jersey cloth. Be sure not to use too coarse of a cloth and to buff it out thoroughly. If too much oil or wax is applied and not buffed out adequately before it sets, it can leave an undesirable finish. Use some elbow grease, but no stress; this is a simple process that breathes new life into the work and is a practice that will allow these pieces to get better with age.
We recommend setting aside thirty minutes per piece.
Can my piece live outside?
While we do everything in our power to ensure that whatever leaves the studio will maintain its integrity - ultimately, the only thing we can guarantee is that things will change as these pieces go on to live in new spaces. This is especially true if they are left outside in natural environments. Some environments may quicken this process more than others.
Generally, the back and forth of sun and rain (getting wet and drying out) or even freezing and thawing out will, over time, break down the finish and then eventually the material. Although most cracks should have run their course with our drying process here in the desert, exposed to the elements, new cracks can appear and existing ones may be prone to opening up further.
This is more relevant to the natural finished pieces. The blackened pieces have been burnt, further sealing the pores, which protects and increases the material's longevity.
As the artist, Dan likes the idea of some of these pieces aging, earning a patina, and showing the signs of a kind of collaboration with their environment. With that said, the recommended maintenance procedures can help preserve and slow down the process of deterioration if a person feels inclined to keep up that fresh look.