Los Angeles local Danny Galieote, distills Golden Age Illustration, movie magic and his own brand of iconography in his latest show, Americana West. Opening at downtown Los Angeles hotspot Maxwell Alexander Gallery on December 10, the narrative-rich body of work pays homage to early Southern California culture and Galieote’s own family history.
Train Mountain, oil on canvas, 40 x 40”
Raised in a San Fernando Valley that was home to major movie studios, yet still close to its agrarian roots, Galieote’s upbringing was “one foot in the city, one foot out.” He grew up riding horses and pitching in with chores at the family property, something he traces his work ethic to and still pulls inspiration from today.
Pieces like the loosely autobiographical Cooling off at the Water Trough call regionalists Thomas Hart Benton and Grant Wood to mind, while Hollywood Western and Cowboy Lingo dance between timelessness and yesteryear.
Monumental Morning, oil on panel, 18 x 24”
For the charming Cowboy Lingo, Galieote used authentic props including his father’s cap gun and other toys from the era. “I had a really good time with this,” says Galieote. “I love the idea of putting these book covers that are painted within the painting,” he continues. “It’s not trompe l’oeil exactly, but it’s close.”
Hollywood Western also takes a self-referential turn with illustrated movie posters, nodding to the artist’s interest in cowboy kitsch and the major export of his own hometown. “That American mythology emphasizes the importance of American culture,” says Galieote. “We can all relate to it even more because of the films.”
Cowboy Lingo, oil on panel, 14 x 18”
Playing his own role in film history, Galieote’s art career began at 22 with an internship at Disney. There, he’d go on to become a character animator and contribute to the last generation of hand drawn features including The Lion King, Hercules and Tarzan. As an animator “drawing for miles,” Galieote honed the discipline and artistic instincts he continues to lean on. “That’s exactly what
I pulled over into my fine art career,” he says. “Trust what comes natural.”
When he’s deep into a complex, time consuming painting, the artist thinks back to his great grandfather’s mantra, “piano, piano, si va lontano” which roughly translates to, “little by little, you go a long way.”
Hollywood Western, oil on canvas, 46 x 35”
“We were extremely proud of being American, and the dream, and making things happen,” Galieote says of his Italian-American family. Fittingly, themes of idealism, aspiration and pride in one’s work carry through the forthcoming show. “That’s what I can relate to really deeply,” the artist says, “making your dreams come true.”
For a cinephile who set out to “draw so well he could get a job anywhere,” a recent commission from Hollywood power couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds undoubtedly brought things full circle. In his usual cheeky fashion, Reynolds said he’d save Galieote’s painting first and “come back for Blake” in the event of a fire. “Reading that in People magazine the next day was cool,” the artist says with a laugh.
Maybe Galieote is already living the dream. —
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