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DICK DUERRSTEIN —
His experience at Disney working on a wide variety of projects has given Dick a world-class sense of design. His artwork has adorned everything from record album covers and clothing to fine collectible items such as cel portfolios, art glass and furniture. Some of his published works include a series of three children's books that he illustrated, and a fine art serigraph series of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck. Dick began perfecting his current style of painting over fifteen years ago. Finding inspiration in the work of contemporary artists such as Keith Haring, Andy Warhol and David Hockney, he has imbued his paintings of cartoon characters with new life.
At home in his studio, Dick begins each painting by simply layering each aspect of the character, color by color, so that each painting expands beyond character interpretation. Working primarily on canvas in acrylics and oil pastels, his striking, contemporary style brings his images to life in a dramatic and unforgettable fashion. The vibrant colors and bold brushwork of his art create a sense of movement, excitement and reverence for the creative process. He truly enjoys the process of discovery involved in the conception and execution of his paintings, knowing that he can bring his imagination to life on the canvas for all to share.
Duerrstein's work can be found in the Walt Disney Studio corporate offices, Burbank, California; The Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. and St. Jude's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee and private collections worldwide. Currently his work is seen in "The Art of Mickey Mouse" exhibition traveling through Japan.
"I approach each painting, each character with the awe of a child, but the memories and skills of an adult and consequently, I hope that my artworks inspire in the viewer that wondrous sense of magical thinking that Disney imbued each of his characters with and that has made them such classic icons of American cinema. Having spent much of my career in my dream-job at Disney Studios, this new opportunity to interpret and to paint the characters is freighted with much more meaning than is possible to express in words, so I'll let my art do the talking for me."