Dedicated to Think Tank and the Hamilton Art Scene
Dan Zen is an Inventor first and foremost but his creations are often art. This exhibit explores the more traditional side of art such as drawing, painting and sculpture. Other exhibits will showcase photography, music, performance, storytelling, interactive works, etc.The World's Longest Eel ▲ The Eel is made from old hoses cut up into beads - hose beads. The top video shows the making of the Eel and the bottom video shows the launch of the exhibit during Art Crawl in Hamilton
Op Art 1974 ▲ Dan Zen at age 10 made this op art drawing - perhaps an indication of the times, but indeed Zen has continued to make op art light shows and interactive tools to let people create op art with Opartica and Opartica Tunnel.
Opartica ▲ the above thumbnails are for some of hundreds of op art pictures created by Dan Zen with his free online op art making tool, Opartica Tunnel. Tunnel lets you fly through the op art in 3D although these pictures were 2D cards for all Zen's Facebook friends. Each card was tailored for the individual - for instance a thistle for a Scot, a cross for a religious chap, flowers for gardeners, etc. VISIT OPARTICA
▲ Early Dan Zen drawings and paintings. This work is pre-Internet after which most of Zen's creativity went into digital works.▲ Dan Zen won the E. Holbrook Sculpture Award in High School for works which included a three dimensional chess board (which he later recreated with paper mache and sold in France for $60), a bust of Princess Leah, wax bas reliefs, etc. Zen continues to make sculptures and a wide variety of functional sculptures. Here are a few from around the house.▲ A mask made from junk given to Dan Zen on his 40th birthday and returned as a sculpture - part of Zen's Unjunk Movement. At right, a clay mask made volunteering to help kids make art at school. Perhaps this is what inspired Zen's Stick Aliens series ▼
Tree Houses ▲ two series of walking sticks turned into tree houses using shells, chains, string, etc. for a ladder and various media for the house at top. Fun to think you might be living in one of these.
Bathroom Tiles ▲ shells set in caulking to replace broken tiles. Surprisingly, these have lasted over a dozen years without any seeping or mildew.Medallions ▲ for identifying glasses at the medallion party.
Necklaces ▲ made as a present.
Cyber Trees ▲ a series of bark with circuits in the back playing with the ideas of natural code.Cyber Stones ▲ a series of computer parts fused with stones given as prizes for the Interactive Interactive shows Dan Zen put on with Sheridan and McMaster. Zen contemplates the nature of data.
Half Century Celebration ▲ part way through the video, Dan Zen shows and demonstrates some of his art to a crowd of friends. We hope you have enjoyed the Dan Zen Expo Art Exhibit. Please visit the Archives, share and come back as often as you like.
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