Daniel Pickens

“Three Faces of the Pioneer Woman” by Daniel Pickens
“Three Faces of the Pioneer Woman” is a mural painted by fine artist Daniel Pickens. Daniel was born in Lima, Peru in 1974 and is currently living in Stockholm, Sweden. Having a Peruvian mother and American father Pickens spent his life living between Peru and the United States finally settling in Europe to dedicate himself to his painting. Pickens studied Art at the Baltimore School for the Arts and The Maryland Institute College of Art and Archaeology at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Lima, Peru. Pickens has had one man shows of his art in Lima and in Stockholm.
Daniel Pickens has his own unique technique for painting. He works in two different styles simultaneously. He uses simple organic lines and flat colors to define faces and anthropomorphic figures reminiscent to images found in archaeological remains from Peruvian pre-Hispanic cultures while at the same time utilizing thin interwoven color lines that define faces and surreal environments. This style is influenced by the detailed handiworks of the Mantaro Valley in the Andes and the profusion of color found in the jungle of central Peru. Most notable among Daniel's other work is his series “The Crosses,” painted to honor the memory of his mother.
The Pioneer Woman mural was commissioned in 2015. According to Hugh Pickens, Executive Director of Pickens Museum in Ponca City, Daniel wanted to paint a mural that evoked Ponca City and “what could be more evocative of Ponca City than the Pioneer Woman.”
“The primary challenge with the mural was finding a fresh approach to the subject matter,” says Hugh Pickens. “The Pioneer Woman has been done to death. It is too familiar to us in Ponca City and statewide. There have been many paintings of the Pioneer Woman over the years and its iconic power had begun to fade.” For that reason Daniel decided that the mural would consist of close-ups of the face of the Pioneer Woman from three different angles to create a new symbol of the Pioneer Woman symbol for our era. “This is a Pioneer Woman for the 21st Century.”
Daniel was in Sweden when he received the commission, so Hugh took thousands of photographs of the Pioneer Woman Statue from every angle and emailed them to Daniel for him to work from. Six months later Daniel delivered three studies of the Pioneer Woman. “Once we approved the studies for the mural Daniel came to Ponca City and painted it in the large studio at my house,” says Hugh Pickens. “I designed the mural structure to be movable so we didn't paint it on a wall. We purchased 12 standard size doors and we put these together on French Cleats into a wall of doors that is 26 feet long by 12 feet high.”
Daniel came to the United States with his one-year old son in January 2016 and painted the mural in 2-1/2 months working from the studies. “The results speak for themselves” says Hugh Pickens. “The mural of the Pioneer Woman is striking. This is Daniel Pickens' masterpiece.”
Daniel Pickens: la explosión del color
miércoles, 14 de diciembre de 2011
Daniel Pickens Manrique es un notable artista plástico huancaíno. Nació el 6 de abril de 1974 y, desde entonces, se ha curtido día a día entre el amor a la pintura y su pasión por el color. Hoy, radica entre Europa y América, y hace poco regreso a nuestra ciudad trayendo gratas noticias: expuso su obra en una de las más prestigiosas universidades del mundo, en la Universidad de Cambridge. Acompáñenos a conocerlo un poco más con esta breve entrevista.
Daniel, tienes una notable habilidad para pintar, ¿cuándo te das cuenta de esto?
Desde siempre he tenido esta habilidad. Mi familia era muy amiga de Josué Sánchez, así que yo he observado sus cuadros toda la vida, y en un principio mis dibujos eran muy parecidos a lo que él hacía, en realidad, era una imitación de lo suyo. Luego, ya cuando hice estudios de arte fue que puede encontrar mi propia línea, que yo creo que aún tiene rasgos o influencias de Josué. Sin embargo, actualmente, estoy desarrollando un quiebre completo y es un tipo de arte que considero más auténtico, mío; o en todo caso, donde las influencias son menos notorias.
Has realizado estudios de arte. ¿Terminaste o como muchos artistas lo has dejado para encontrar tu propio camino?
He estudiado en varios sitios, pero no he terminado en ninguno. En el Colegio de Arte de Baltimore, estuve un par de años ahí; después en el Instituto de Arte de Maryland; además, ingresé a la escuela de Bellas Artes de Lima, pero lo dejé porque me cambié a Arqueología, que tampoco terminé, porque me dediqué a los negocios.
Aparte de Josué Sánchez, ¿quién es otro artista que te ha influenciado?
Hay un artista plástico que me fascina, se llama Joe Coleman. Búsquenlo en internet y verán unos cuadros fascinantes. Es un pintor poco conocido. Es de esos artistas que trabajan al margen de las galerías, que lo hacen al límite, en manicomios o cosas así.
¿Cómo defines tus etapas de artista?
Al principio creo que era algo antropomorfo, en todo caso trataba de poner un poco de realismo, una figura conocida. Hoy, lo más importante es el color, siento que estoy haciendo las cosas más y más complejas. Cada vez mis líneas son más delgadas, mis cuadros son más grandes, mis imágenes son mucho más complejas. Pareciera que mis colores, en un principio, eran áreas planas enormes de un color al lado de otro color, muy parecidas a lo de Josué Sánchez. Ahora son pequeñas líneas de un matiz cada una, intercaladas, como una explosión de color. Es una disgregación, una explosión, me estoy concentrando en pequeños detalles.
¿Cuál es tu técnica y qué colores prefieres?
Es acrílico sobre lienzo. Todos los colores, no tengo ninguna paleta en particular. Una de mis aficiones es coleccionar tubos de pintura de distintas fábricas, empresas, porque cada una tienen distintas formas de color, de consistencia.
¿Piensas mucho antes de pintar?
Todo nace ahí. Muy aparte de la planificación, es si quiero poner un rostro en el lienzo. Ahí escojo los colores, y las líneas tienen que salir en el momento. Es el proceso del descubrimiento al pintar.
¿Cómo autodefines tu estilo?
Visceral fauvista. Quiere decir que no planifico en lo posible y que tengo una adoración por los colores intensos, por los contrastes; esas cosas que hacen que vibre la vista. No tengo ningún interés en el arte conceptual, en dar a entender ideas; en lo mio lo único es el amor al color, la estética; es una forma particular, cada artista tiene que trabajar.
¿Qué te ha llevado a Inglaterra?
Mi esposa está haciendo un doctorado en Cambridge; además, estando ahí he logrado hacer contacto con algunas galerías y pude presentar una muestra. Lo anecdótico es que la hice al lado del salón donde están los escritor originales de Isaac Newton. En un principio, iba a ser ahí, pero a última hora pasó a la sala contigua. Tuve una acogida muy buena, me han pedido y comprado varios cuadros. Ahora estoy trabajando emocionado, aquí en Huancayo, para tener material, para ver si puedo volver a presentarme.
¿Qué otros proyectos tienes?
Mi proyecto más importante, por ahora, es la paternidad.
Acabas de ser papá, ¿cómo se llama tu hija?
Se llama Lili Jane, nació el 10 de enero de 2011, en Cambridge.
¿Ella es parte de tu inspiración, es una razón más que te da fuerza para seguir pintando?
Ambas cosas. Ha nacido y cada poco tiempo que tengo libre pinto. He hecho cosas buenas que no sé de donde han salido, pero creo que mucho tiene que ver con la paternidad y con un montón de emociones nuevas.
Pareciera que mis colores, en un principio, eran áreas planas enormes de un color al lado de otro color (…). Ahora son pequeñas líneas de un matiz cada una (…). Es una disgregación, una explosión.
Daniel Pickens: the explosion of color
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Daniel Pickens Manrique is a notable visual artist from Huancayo. He was born on April 6, 1974 and, since then, he has tanned day by day between his love of painting and his passion for color. Today, he lives between Europe and America, and recently returned to our city bringing good news: he exhibited his work at one of the most prestigious universities in the world, at the University of Cambridge. Join us to get to know him a little better with this short interview.
Daniel, you have a remarkable ability to paint, when did you realize this?
I have always had this ability. My family was close friends with Josué Sánchez, so I have watched his paintings all my life, and at first my drawings were very similar to what he did, in reality, it was an imitation of his. Then, when I studied art, I was able to find my own line, which I think still has traits or influences from Josué. However, currently, I am developing a complete break and it is a type of art that I consider more authentic, mine; or in any case, where the influences are less noticeable.
You have studied art. Did you finish or like many artists have you left to find your own way?
I have studied in several places, but I have not finished in any of them. At the Baltimore College of Art, I was there for a couple of years; then at the Maryland Institute of Art; In addition, I entered the School of Fine Arts in Lima, but I left it because I changed to Archeology, which I did not finish either, because I dedicated myself to business.
Apart from Josué Sánchez, who is another artist that has influenced you?
There is a plastic artist who fascinates me, his name is Joe Coleman. Look it up on the internet and you will see some fascinating paintings. He is a little known painter. He is one of those artists who work outside the galleries, who do it to the limit, in asylums or things like that.
How do you define your stages as an artist?
At first I think it was something anthropomorphic, in any case I tried to add a bit of realism, a well-known figure. Today, the most important thing is color, I feel like I'm making things more and more complex. Every time my lines are thinner, my paintings are bigger, my images are much more complex. It seems that my colors, at first, were huge flat areas of one color next to another color, very similar to Josué Sánchez's. Now they are small lines of one shade each, interspersed, like an explosion of color. It's a disintegration, an explosion, I'm concentrating on small details.
What is your technique and what colors do you prefer?
It is acrylic on canvas. All colors, I don't have any particular palette. One of my hobbies is collecting tubes of paint from different factories, companies, because each one has different forms of color, consistency.
Do you think a lot before painting?
Everything is born there. Quite apart from planning, is if I want to put a face on the canvas. There I choose the colors, and the lines have to come out at the moment. It is the process of discovery when painting.
How do you define your style?
Fauvist visceral. It means that I do not plan as much as possible and that I have an adoration for intense colors, for contrasts; those things that make your eyes vibrate. I have no interest in conceptual art, in conveying ideas; in mine the only thing is the love of color, aesthetics; it is a particular form, each artist has to work.
What has brought you to England?
My wife is doing a Ph.D. at Cambridge; besides, being there I have managed to make contact with some galleries and I was able to present an exhibition. The anecdotal thing is that I did it next to the room where the original Isaac Newton writers are. At first, it was going to be there, but at the last minute it was moved to the next room. I had a very good reception, they have asked me and bought several paintings. Now I am excitedly working, here in Huancayo, to have material, to see if I can perform again.
What other projects do you have?
My most important project, for now, is fatherhood.
You just became a dad, what's your daughter's name?
Her name is Lili Jane, she was born on January 10, 2011, in Cambridge.
Is she part of your inspiration, is she one more reason that she gives you strength to continue painting?
Both. She was born and every little time I have free I paint. I've done good things that I don't know where they came from, but I think a lot of it has to do with fatherhood and a lot of new emotions.
It seems that my colors, at first, were huge flat areas of one color next to another color (...). Now they are small lines of one shade each (...). It is a disintegration, an explosion.
Pickens Museum




Location and Hours of Operation
Artists at Pickens Museum
- J. Chester Armstrong
- Bryant Baker
- Jolene Bird
- Robin Bray
- Barbara Chase Riboud
- Sergey Chernomorets
- Charles Cordier
- Jo Davidson
- Andrew Scott DeJesse
- Donald De Lue
- Roger Disney
- Yatika Starr Fields
- Espi Frazier
- John Dale Free
- John Free, Jr.
- Paul Gauguin
- Mitch Gyson
- Jeff Ham
- Robert Hardee
- Hugh Harrell Jr.
- K. Henderson
- Bri Hermanson
- Skip Hill
- Malvina Hoffman
- Allan Houser
- Patrick Dean Hubbell
- Oreland Joe
- Malvin Gray Johnson
- Rockwell Kent
- William Kilpatrick
- Tom Lea
- Becky Mannschreck
- John Manship
- Paul Manship
- Raoul Middleman
- Woodrow Nash
- Ed Natiya
- Clyde Otipoby
- Gene Pearson
- Pablo Picasso
- Daniel Pickens
- Erika Pochybova
- Charles Pratt
- Bill Rabbit
- Traci Rabbit
- Tanya Rafael
- Richard Recchia
- Faith Ringgold
- Josué Sánchez
- Fritz Scholder
- Stephen Schwark
- Isaac Shari
- Ralph Steadman
- Scott Storm
- Albert Wein
- C J Wells
Articles about Pickens Museum
2022
- Pickens Museum Acquires "War Club" by Yatika Starr Fields January 20, 2022
2021
- Pickens Museum/NOC Mural Dedication Set for June 16th
- Yatika Starr Fields Completes Mural for Pickens Museum May 12, 2021
- Pickens Museum and NOC Announce Mural by Osage Artist Yatika Starr Fields May 5, 2021
- Osage Warrior in the Enemy Camp (Counting Coup) by John Free March 29, 2021
- Pickens Museum Displays Route 66 Murals by Robert Hardee March 29, 2021
- Pickens Museum Opens Exhibit of Sculpture by Donald De Lue at NOC March 24, 2021
- Pickens Museum partners with NOC February 23, 2021
2020
- Three Faces of the Pioneer Woman February 21, 2020
- Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Faith Ringgold February 21, 2020
- Exhibition: "Winter in New York" January 22, 2020
2019
2018
- The Turquoise Guitar by Jolene Bird November 26, 2018
- World's Largest Naja August 29, 2018
- A 1949 Hudson Limousine August 29, 2018
- Meet the Museum Design Team May 21, 2018
- A Ponca City Mystery April 5, 2018
- Tonya Rafael Visits Ponca City February 2018
2015 and before
- Sculptor Bryant Baker's Lost Masterpiece November 3, 2015
- Pioneer Woman Models Come Home February 26, 2010
- Pioneer Woman Models Should Return to Ponca City July 13, 2007
About Pickens Museum
Contact
hughpickens@gmail.com