In the Artist's Studio: Daniel Dens

Since yesterday’s Food & Drink Round-Up got such a positive response, here’s another Brooklyn Record spin-off that might interest the interior decorators out there. One of the ways to keep Brooklyn feeling artsy is to keep some artists around — and it goes without saying that the best way to support local artists is to buy their stuff. We’re always on the look-out for Brooklyn artists who have affordable work for sale, and when we visited Daniel Dens’s Manhattan Beach studio (pictured above), we wanted to give you a peek inside. If there’s enough interest, we could keep this feature going — but again, if it’s too off-topic, let us know in the comments. For more photos and info on Daniel and his Warhol-esque paintings, keep reading. —KZ

Belgian-born artist Daniel Dens came to Manhattan Beach for a large studio space — and cheaper rent than he could find elsewhere in the borough. Here, he took over a two-car garage with light tables, rolled canvases, paint cans, and squeegees. The majority of his work is silkscreened, but also works with paint and collages. We first saw his stuff for sale on a street corner in Soho — giant cassette tapes screened on dark canvases, 45 records enlarged over primary colored backgrounds, and silkscreened amps, turntables, vintage cameras, speakers, microphones, and icons of the silver screen.

Needless to say, he does a lot of business with music fans, film buffs, and photographers. He’s also sold works to a handful of celebrities, including Kid Rock, Chistina Aguilera, and Rebecca De Mornay, but his prices are pretty affordable, even for the JV art collector. The best way to find out specific prices is to email Daniel via his website, but a large, unstretched canvas with rough edges usually runs around $480. (These pieces have a cool, industrial look and are ideal for decorating a rental apartment because you can hang them easily and just roll ’em up when you move.) Stretched canvases cost extra, but any of his works can be stretched-to-order, and he even does custom-screenings for customers who have particular colors in mind.

Below, check out Daniel’s work and his studio space:

— Kara Zuaro