Artist Statement
I received my first 35mm camera in 1975 at the age of 13 and quickly realized the power and privilege one has when viewing the world through a lens. 50 years later I find that I am still seduced by the voyeuristic politics of photography. My photography employs the power of capture and manipulation. Images of people on the street reacting to my camera, documenting a peculiar environment, or the use of darkroom techniques to challenge perceptions of the natural world are themes that populate my work. It is the confluence of innate curiosity and creative image-making that form the praxis of my art.
I draw inspiration from photographers who sought the sublime in the ordinary. Photographers like Lee Friedlander, Roy DeCarava, Minor White, and Jerry Uelsmann to name a few. Similarly, the work of the abstract expressionist painters has influenced me with their single-minded focus on empirical observation and primal experiences.
My recent and ongoing work finds me living in two worlds. “Altered Perceptions” is a project that has me wandering into the natural world to find environments that provide me with a fundamental experience. I use medium and large format cameras to capture those images only to alter them in the darkroom using masking films and creative printing techniques. The darkroom manipulations prompt careful examination of the black-and-white images and spark the simple question, “What exactly am I seeing?” Once asked, the initial step toward a deeper aesthetic experience has been provoked.
Concurrently, I am using my digital camera to target pedestrians on the streets of major cities. My photographic project, "Frames of Reference" speaks to the art of urban street politics and the cultural reactions to the chance encounter with the camera. By using a simple framing device, I have created an artificial means of selecting individuals from the sidewalk crowds for interaction and observation. I enjoy the voyeuristic pleasure of examining pedestrians' faces, body language, idiosyncratic behaviors, and their palpable reactions.
I rarely stop working on my portfolios. The curiosity that once brought the camera to my eye to capture an image remains fresh. Ideas once explored with the camera are still fair game. I continually seek novel ways to resee my world and, when realized, find joy using the camera to present them in visual form.
Recent Media / Promotional Media
Work in Private Collections
Todd and Yolanda Cruikshank - Peekskill, NY
Tim Hillis - Cortlandt Manor, NY
Kara Popiel and Kirk Bauer - Irvington, NY
Paul McKenzie and Cynthia Mathers - San Francisco, CA
Michael and Hillary Katzman - Verplanck, NY
Mitchell and Elizabeth VanDeVeer - Croton-on-the-Hudson, NY
Artist Bio
Dan Florin was born in the 1000 Islands region of New York State and currently lives in Peekskill, NY. Dan earned a B.F.A. in Photography from SUNY New Paltz and his MSEd in Reading from CUNY Herbert H. Lehman in the Bronx. He has pursued photography as an artform for over 45 years. Dan worked in NYC for 10 years as a reproduction photography printer before beginning his 31-year career as a Yonkers teacher and a vice president of the teachers’ union. Dan has maintained an active darkroom for over 40 years and continues to dedicate his time to the use of film and black-and-white printing. He utilizes digital photography where color and the immediacy of the digital image are a paramount consideration in the making of his art. Dan often has multiple photographic projects in progress with timelines that range from weeks to months for completion. His photography has been purchased by private collectors. Dan is currently a board member of the Peekskill Arts Alliance whose mission is to promote the arts and support local artists.
Recent Solo and Group Exhibitions
The Capa Space - "Through Other Eyes" Group Exhibition, 2467 Quaker Church Rd, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, September 2025
Solo Exhibition - "Altered Perceptions" Chappaqua Library Gallery, 195 South Greeley Avenue, Chappaqua, NY 10514, September 2025
2025 Peekskill Arts Alliance's Open Studios "Off the Beaten Track" Art and Film Exhibit at SUNY Westchester Community College Video - "Frame #36" Two Photographs from "Altered Perceptions" 22 North Division Street, Peekskill, NY 10056 Group Exhibition June 2025 - July 2025
Solo Exhibition - New Era Creative Space, "Frames of Reference" 203 Esther Street, Peekskill, NY 10566, April 2025
Upstream Gallery 2025 Photography Show (four photographs selected - Awarded Honorable Mention for "The Woods") 21 Pinecrest Drive Hastings on Hudson, NY 10706 Juried Group Exhibition (Juror Karintha Lowe) "Anaphora Show" February 2025
Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art 5th Annual Juried Exhibition ‘So You Think I'm Too Old To…’: A Look at How Older Artist Excel as the Years Progress 1701 Main Street, Peekskill, NY, 10566 Juried Group Exhibition February 2025
Dan Florin Artist Talk moderated by Joe Squillante as part of his "Pictures that Talk" panel discussions with artists. Discussion of my photographs from my solo show "Altered Perceptions" exhibited at The Field Gallery. January 25, 2025
Solo Exhibition -The Field Gallery - of 27 photographs "Altered Perceptions" 4 Nelson Ave, Peekskill, NY 10056 January 2025
Photographic Mural Installation Pugsley Park - "Hand and Black-Eyed Susan" Group Installation, June 2024; Located 1038 Main Street, Peekskill, NY 10566
2024 Peekskill Arts Alliance's Open Studios "Off the Beaten Track" Film Exhibit at SUNY WCC Video - "The Not-So Secret Lives of Critters"
Two Photographs from "Pedestrians" 22 North Division Street, Peekskill, NY 10056 Group Exhibition June 2024
2024 Peekskill Arts Alliance's Open Studios "Off the Beaten Track" Art Exhibit at SUNY WCC 22 North Division Street, Peekskill, NY 10056 Group Exhibition June 2024
Peekskill Arts Alliance/The Field Library Gallery - 4 Nelson Ave, Peekskill, NY 10056 Group Exhibition “Creativity in 2023” December 2023
Center for Fine Art Photography 321 Maple Street, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521 Juried Group Exhibition (Jurors Hamidah Gasgow and Charles Guice) "Center Forward 2023 Show" September 2023
PAA at Hendrick Hudson Library Gallery 185 Kings Ferry Rd, Montrose, NY Juried Member Show One photograph from "Edgelands" exhibited; September 2023
Solo Exhibition - The Field Gallery - 24 photographs "The County Fair" 4 Nelson Ave, Peekskill, NY 10056 June -July 2023
2023 Peekskill Arts Alliance's Open Studios "Off the Beaten Track" Film Exhibit at SUNY WCC Three videos accepted: "Delhi Milkweed From Spring to Autumn;" "Late Winter Walk;" and "Sunken Mine Road First Snow; 22 North Division Street, Peekskill, NY 10056 Group Exhibition June 2023
Garrison Art Center - 23 Garrison’s Landing, Garrison, NY 10524
Group Exhibition "Members' Show" January 2023
The Chateau Gallery - 1230 S 3rd Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203 Group Exhibition Juried Show “Urban and Street” December 2022
Peekskill Arts Alliance/The Field Library Gallery - 4 Nelson Ave, Peekskill, NY 10056 Group Exhibition “New in 22” December 2022
2022 Peekskill Arts Alliance's Open Studios "Off the Beaten Track" Arts Exhibit at SUNY WCC – 22 North Division Street, Peekskill, NY 10056 Group Exhibition “Off the Beaten Path” June 2022
The Chateau Gallery - 1230 S 3rd Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203 Group Exhibition Juried Show “The Art of Street Photography” February 2022
Soho Photo Gallery - 15 White Street, New York, NY 10013
Group Exhibition Juried Show “International Photography Exhibition 2020” June 2020
Garrison Art Center - 23 Garrison’s Landing, Garrison, NY 10524
Group Exhibition Juried Show “Small Works” December 2016
Gallery 22 – 22 North Division Street, Peekskill, NY 10056
Group Exhibition Juried Show (3 Works Selected) “To the Lover of Small Things” December 2015