Vinyl Art is portraiture on vinyl records. Painted by hand with only white acrylic, the density of the paint creates the illusion of shading. I create these pieces to celebrate the object and the subject, to pay tribute to the cultural contribution of the music, and to spark conversation and questions.
Is that a REAL record? Is that ON the record? Is it done with a COMPUTER? Is it still PLAYABLE?
"As a kid I always loved the Stones … tried to learn everything I could about them: first it was Mick, then I started learning about Keith, then Ronnie … in the three of them, I see the flash, the grit, the fun … but the beat holds it all together. I read this passage and it stuck with me: 'There's an old saying among those who have know the Stones a long time. It's that Mick wants to be Keith, and they all want to be Charlie. Why Charlie? Because he's genuinely hip, he's got innate good taste, and understands restraint. Charlie kept his family together, and he never got off on the star trip that the rest of them did. He's just Charlie Watts and when the job's over, he goes home and feeds his horses.'
Who knows if it's true, but it's a great reminder when I'm sitting in my office all day not to get caught up in the perks of being a corporate exec … do the job and go home spend time with my wife, call my mother more often, enjoy the sunshine and my garden. Work comes around again tomorrow … until it doesn't."
Download For Good
"It's always exciting of being part of a project that help to create a better world. The collaboration between The David Lynch Foundation and Daniel is trully the kind of association that I am really proud to support.
Everytime I sit and listen a good record, I have a look at the amazing portraits I own from Daniel. He combined two of my passions (art painting and music) and make me feel that I contributed to help the DLF to bring healing to people.
Thank you Daniel for giving me so much feelings with your art."
"As a collector of exclusively jazz records, original Blue Notes are my most sought after but are also the hardest to find. Because my hobby can't be fulfilled solely by local record store purchases, I often turn to eBay. However, you'll inevitably run into issues with the mail and insufficient packaging like I did here with this Harold Vick record. Fortunately, Daniel was able to turn this shattered vinyl into a work of art with an image taken by Tom Marcello, and positioning the shattered pieces as if Vick is blowing sound waves out of the record with his saxophone."
"As an artist and a former teacher and Art School Director, I've always filled my environment and my life with art that I love and admire. This portrait of Marvin Gaye, on his vinyl record by Daniel Edlen is one of the most creative yet traditionally rendered drawings that I've seen. It's especially meaningful because I've been a fan of Motown music my entire adult life.
This piece is one of the favorite works of art in our collection because of it's unique and poignant qualities. Daniel, the artist, who was a former student of mine, organically combined his exceptional skills as an artist with the music of a cultural icon and the society in which he performed. He has created similar portraits with hundreds of musical giants of our era. I'm proud to own one of them."
Memories
"Daniel painted this haunting image of Joe on my my original Combat Rock record. I bought this when I was in the eighth grade. When I met my future husband, this was one of the records we listened to together. Joe and The Clash have been a staple at our house ever since. All these years later, we decided give the album prime wall space with Daniel's amazing artwork."
"I believe in art. I believe in music. I believe in the soul and the magic of the artists in any medium. Daniel Edlen's work captures the spirit of all of the right brained things which make their own special marks on our shared history and my personal history. I connect with each artist differently on every glance, stare, gawk or gaze at these one of a kind pieces. Daniel makes music and art into collectable treasures."
480-239-1688 | me@danieledlen.com