DANNY HELLER
Artist Statement
My latest series opening at the George Billis Gallery, titled “Modern Society,” continues my exploration into midcentury architecture and design found in New York City, but focuses on the cultural centers and glamorous institutions that signaled its strength – and enchantment – in the 1950s and 60s. Covering such bewitching landmarks as Lincoln Center, the Guggenheim, and 5th Avenue stalwart Bergdorf Goodman, this series delves into how high design from this groundbreaking Modern period shaped metropolitan society and reinforced New York as a cultural capital. When viewed individually, each painting showcases an aspect of booming avant garde design, be it the Metropolitan Opera’s Sputnik Chandeliers, the high fashion displayed in a store window, or the curving façade of a Modern high rise. But taken as a whole, this series presents the fantastical development of the city, documenting its growth as a post WWII epicenter of design and how it exuded – and continues to do so – the charm of “Modern Society.”
