Daniel Bilmes is a contemporary painter, working in Los Angeles. His approach is characterized by deep personal exploration, combining realism with elements of symbolism and abstraction. Through tactile textures and delicate expressions, his paintings weave together the magical and mundane. His work is at once hopeful and brooding. Realistic and symbolic. Somewhere between the vitality of the Russian circus and the gravitas of a Churchill speech.
Daniel began his art education at the age of 8 under the tutelage of his father, the respected artist and educator, Semyon Bilmes. Being immersed in art from such an early age had a profound impact on his personal growth and creativity, laying a lasting foundation of curiosity that continues to drive and inform his work today.
A notable characteristic of Bilmes’ work is how he treats the paint. He renders his subjects by scraping almost dry paint to make marks rather than direct painting. His unique approach to painting combined with his subjects, and limited palette unify his paintings as well as give him a signature style. The fresh, energetic appearance of his works give the viewer the impression that the narrative of the work is taking place as they encounter it.
Visual references are an important part of Bilmes’ process. He will often go through images of architecture, fashion, photography, painting, and sculpture. Once he finds something that resonates with him he will deconstruct why that image is striking to apply to his own practice. That leads to thumbnail drawings, which later leads to a painting full of movement and visual rhythm.
As an artist, Bilmes believes it his and his fellow creatives’ responsibility to create art that leaves a lasting impression on its audience by making them see or feel something they wouldn’t have otherwise experienced without the context of the work. Concepts about the complexity of reality and personal perception play a large part in the construction of his paintings as well.
Bilmes’ work continues to grow in intricacy. By creating personal work, he develops an attachment to each piece that allows him to push it to its limit, ultimately making a visually compelling work of art.