ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
I am an artist, animator and musician. I was born a triplet in San Diego and graduated at UC Davis in 2011; double majoring in Film Studies and Art Studio with a minor in music. After several years job hunting, I focused on my craftsmanship in painting, design and animation. In 2017, I earned my MFA in Animation at UCLA School of Film, Theater and Television.
In addition, I've participated in developing and conceiving various community-based projects such as public screenings and murals. After co-finding ASUCDs Aggie Public Arts Committee, I became chair and held that position to put on exhibitions, community building events, and group murals. At UCLA, I organized and facilitated the Winter Screening consisting of over 30 films submitted by students and alumni at UCLA in Bridges Theater in 2016.
I'm proud to have my paintings on display at UC Davis Shields Library and to have several accolades from various film festivals. While my emphasis is in stop motion, I constantly push my abilities in traditional and contemporary media.
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I am a visionary artist where I aspire to take something that doesn’t exist and make it as believable as possible.
I’m compelled with visions and feeling to provoke emotions and picture harmony. My goal is to produce work that tells a story to reflect on personal experiences and develop character.
Animation has the magic to make metaphors literal and show something that you can only imagine. Even in my paintings you can find my subjects to be made up of more than just one symbol or object. I do this because feelings and emotions aren't always direct. Sometimes a gesture feels much more significant than what we see on the surface. I also find that a key process to my work is to take something recognizable and turning it into something that wasn't there before. This allows you to tell something complex in a simple and comprehensible way.
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My art is about creating what I want to feel, or something I've felt that I want to sustain. The greatest feelings I look for are those that provide a connection. That is one of the true beauties of art. Finding that right line, and laboring over colors where I mix and mix, seeing the work come out is like hearing the guitar being tuned to that perfect pitch. I aspire to continue to grow and connect with others; utilizing movement as visual poetry to express beauty, tragedy and love.
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-Daniel Olivas
ARTIST STATEMENT
