1515 Lincoln Gallery invites you to experience the stunning works of Daniel Edwards in his exhibition Portraits of Greatness: Trailblazers of Civil Rights. Daniel is a child of the Civil Rights era who came of age as an artist during political correctness. As an avid visitor to the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian, Edwards noticed the collection lacking racial diversity. He began sculpting approximately 50 portraits of living pioneers. His unique exhibition is a 3D-printed survey of sculptures created from life studies over the last 25 years. The moving series includes sculptures of pioneers of the Civil Rights, movement, sports, and the music industries. Daniel says, "Life-session portraiture remains the pure form of sculptural expression for me, but I am enjoying other methods for exploring portraiture."
About Daniel Edwards
California-based artist Daniel Edwards engaged in the arts throughout his childhood and excelled. He received an affirming portfolio scholarship at the Herron School of Art and the Warhol Scholarship to study at the New York Academy of Art. At the New York Academy, Daniel specialized in portrait sculpting. While studying, he taught at both schools and went on to teach at the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts in Connecticut. Daniel developed the unique craft of live sculpting, creating a portrait series focusing on Blues musicians such as B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, and Chuck Berry. Drawn to the visceral challenge of live shows, he developed a real-time sculpting technique using wax. Daniel says that while the core practice of wax sculpting remains the same, his methods continually evolve. "I love digital art, but working on location with wax is the healthiest. Now I start at a live event, bring the wax sculpture home, and scan it into the computer", says Daniel. After adjusting the portrait digitally, Daniel 3D prints the sculpture.
At one point, Daniel shifted focus towards more studio-based and digital sculptures, which led to his well-known pop culture portraits. Inspired by the surreal world of celebrity culture and internet tabloid headlines, Daniel made sculptures of famous individuals ranging from Paris Hilton to Prince Harry. Irreverent and ironic, the sculptures immortalize modern idolatry to reflect societal issues. The sculptures capture a cultural moment, and Daniel says that is the core of his art. "Art became a way to get ideas out there and tap into the narrative in the press. It is easy to cross the line with art to make something controversial. Dedicating my ability to a person or a community, respecting people with my time, is how I say something," he explains.
