Just as you might turn a bottle of shampoo on its end to get every last drop out of it in the shower, so too does Dan Steinhilber get everything he can out of his materials. It just so happens that his work makes use of atypical artistic materials such as bottles of shampoo, packets of artificial sweetener, cardboard boxes, rolls of tape and anything else he can get his hands on. You can see this approach from this image above. Granted it’s not the oil paint used by the great masters, but the effect is remarkably similar to the eyes. Bear with us as we try to make sense of that grand statement.
Steinhilber’s first solo gallery show in D.C. is currently up through May 28 at Numark Gallery and marks another fantastic step in the artist’s recent rise in popularity. Just a few years ago Steinhilber was participating in group shows at MOCA DC. Recently, however, he has enjoyed a small show at the Hirshhorn, hanging in the Hirshhorn’s galleries next to Donald Judd and Andy Warhol, and now his debut gallery show. Next year brings even greater things for this local artist as he is slated for a solo exhibition at the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston to be curated by Valerie Cassel Oliver. Furthermore, he has also been invited to a residency and commissioned to create a site-specific installation for an exhibition at the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh next year.
None of these fantastic things would be occurring if Steinhilber’s work didn’t measure up. Clearly it does and we couldn’t agree more. So, with that, let us get back to the work.
