Dan Workman
G Spot Contemporary Art Presents, Dan Workman
Opening Reception Saturday, September 2nd, 2023, 6p to 8p.
The Exhibition through Sept 30th, 2023.
The Exhibition
I got into fountain pens in 2018 and quickly made my first big mess with ink. I found that I saw things in the dried shapes and wondered if others could as well, so I kept at it, developing precious little craft and a high tolerance for rejected work. Oddly, my creative success in music production liberated me from the weight of forming an identity as a visual artist.
Early in 2023, Wayne Gilbert encouraged me to show my fountain pen ink art, which sounded fun at the time. Neither he nor I knew it would be The Gspot Contemporary’s last show. While I hate the idea of Wayne not being here to guide me, his final text to me was him making sure I’d keep my obligation for a September show.
At age 65, I’m not exactly claiming a unique space in the artistic firmament, and I’m not in conversation with anything other than my sense of humor. I am, however, grateful that Wayne and others have shown interest and shared my delight in my work. I’m both sad and honored to be the closing show at “The G.”
The Artist | Dan Workman
In the early 1990s, Dan Workman leveraged his role as guitarist in the Texas punk/experimental noise band Culturcide into a mainstream music career as engineer/producer and co-owner of the iconic SugarHill Studios in Houston, Texas. His work included Grammy-winning gold and platinum records over three decades, working with Beyonce, Destiny’s Child, ZZ Top, Hubert Laws, Paul Wall, Clay Walker, South Park Mexican, and many more.
In 2017, he sold SugarHill and returned to grad school, earning a degree in clinical social work. Dan now works as a psychotherapist primarily with patients who identify as creatives and speaks publicly on the importance of creativity in mental health.
His latest personal creative projects are meditation music with Welch, Workman, Welch, instrumental soundscapes with Can’t Take a Picture, and lots and lots of fountain pen ink art.