Danny Joe Rose III reflects on his digital residency project with Oklahoma Contemporary

By Danny Joe Rose III, Studio-in-Place artist

A figure wearing a baseball cap and headphones paints a large abstract landscape on a canvas in an art studio

Danny Joe Rose III in the studio.

My Studio-in-Place project, VIEW FROM THE VALLEY, has grown and shifted in many ways over the past month. At first, I wasn’t sure how I would turn photos submitted by the public into my own abstract landscapes, but it soon began to unfold organically as I started to build connections.

I experimented with new shapes and compositions each week, seeing what new places I could unlock. It provided me with a form of digital travel through pictures. The collaborative nature of the project got me thinking of future ways to connect with others through my practice. It also gave me some insight into what people are looking at — what aspects of nature they gravitate towards. I was thrilled to see so many skylines and sunsets. I plan to continue working on this series, and I now have a new perspective on how to approach creating it.

Below you'll find four works that resulted from this digital residency project. Thank you to everyone who tuned in and took a trip with me, and to all the participants who submitted images. Lastly, thank you to Oklahoma Contemporary for providing artists with opportunities like this, especially in such uncertain times.

An abstract composition of various shapes with dominant yellow in the background

An abstract composition featuring a large spherical shape with smaller orange spheres surrounding

An abstract composition featuring three large spherical shapes (yellow, blue, green) against a light blue background

An abstract landscape featuring an inverted triangle, a sphere with a grid pattern and a small, curved pink line against a light green background

Editor's note: The artist will send those who submitted images a link to the catalog next week. If you did not submit but would still like a link, please send a note to dannyrosestudio@gmail.com. One piece from this series will be printed as an edition with proceeds benefiting The Black Trans Advocacy Coalition. If you would like to learn more about the printed edition, follow Danny Joe Rose III on Instagram at @dannyrosestudio.

Danny Joe Rose III is an artist and educator living in Oklahoma City, best known for his shapeshifting paintings and minimalist collages. His work is inspired by colors and forms found in nature, specifically landscapes and memories from his travels.

He holds a BFA from the Art Institute of Dallas, and his work has been included in both national and international group exhibitions. Danny has had solo exhibitions at Jen Mauldin Gallery, Artspace at Untitled, The Charles W Eisemann Center for Performing Arts, Galleri Urbane and others. Danny has been a visiting educator at Oklahoma City University, Chandra Kumala International School and Art Class Dallas, and he will soon join the Oklahoma Contemporary as a Studio School instructor. He has been an Artist-In-Residence at Artspace at Untitled, the Guapamacátaro Center for Art and Ecology, the Moon Mansion Dallas, the Paseo Plunge and Oklahoma City University. Danny is represented by Objets Trouvé gallery in Oklahoma City.

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Studio-in-Place Studio School Danny Joe Rose III landscape abstract art