Today we’d like to introduce you to Sean Danconia.
Sean, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in the very beautiful, international city of Montreal and so was quite fortunate to gain exposure to both European culture locally and a healthy dose of retro Americana from classic TV beamed in from northern New York + Vermont. It was an odd creative culture combo platter and it also included the French’s early adoption of Japanese anime way back in the ’70s, which I obsessed about as a toddler. So my childhood was filled with Dreams of Jeanie, Loving Lucy, Fonzie’s Coolness, Andy Griffith, Captain Harlock, Mazinger Z, Astro Boy, Brigitte Bardot and Alain Delon. And of course JR Ewing…on Dallas.
That was on the inspiration side. And I wanted more. As such, I enrolled in Italian classes during my last semester at McGill (held in Florence) and scouted out Italian fashion / sporting goods brands, mostly so I could spend more time wine tasting, eating Italian food and exploring the culture with a way to pay for it. That company took off and I ended up representing Invicta, Ferrari, the original Seven, Momo Design amongst others during which time, I relocated to California to study film, photography and design at The Brooks Institute (Santa Barbara). While I was there, the former senior VP of Miramax (Paul Rosenberg) drafted me to become his story editor at his newly formed production company in Los Angeles while my family ran the Italian import business back in Canada.
And that was the beginning of what has to become a triple-feature career in business, brand and creative that would see me live in 9 cities across three continents, having the wonderful opportunity to study under and learn from a host of talented human beings while developing apparel/accessory brands, media properties and Fine Art flavored by my cross-pop-multicultural sensibilities.
Then after spending many years in both Asia (Hong Kong) and California (Little Tokyo + Ktown), and now focusing more on my Fine Art endeavors, I decided to relocate and set up an atelier in Dallas, aiming for some new inspiration and also because…BBQ.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There is this great quote from Shunryu Suzuki, a Buddhist monk who founded the San Francisco Zen Center. He said: “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few”. That’s true.
And while I’m not calling myself an expert and/or master in my own work, the obstacles, and challenges that one faces are the prime tools of physical, intellectual and spiritual refinement that we should all be grateful for—even though some hurt like hell when we’re going through them. From a career standpoint, I have found that falling on my face a few times (and a few times more) aren’t fun experiences but they end up making you stronger as a person and more talented in your chosen field.
For example, more than once, I’ve lost an entire 3-5 years of intellectual property. This forced me to not only design new characters, brands and creations, but also to enhance my skill set in order to outdo myself, competing with my old work. I never would have had to go this route had things proceeded smoothly. Same for my art career. That would not have existed had I not been burned in LA by some unscrupulous media business partners, forcing me to take up art as a way to temporarily pay the bills.
These days many people are asking me about AI and the challenges that might pose to my work or industry. Of course, if you look at what I do—and I thank Carolyn Solomon of The Jack Gallery for this one—I aim to create work that is so hyper-complex and…different…that one could “look at it for fifty years and find something new each day” (Carolyn’s request). If you can do that then perhaps you can’t easily be replaced by a thinking machine. ٩(＾◡＾)۶
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My time these days is split at about 80/20 in favor of creating + selling mixed-media Fine Art (acrylic on canvas + editions) and IP + brand projects. Recent gallery exhibits: the LISS Gallery in Toronto’s super cool Yorkville district, the Silver K Gallery in Australia, Mouche (Beverly Hills) plus upcoming exhibitions with Animazing (Vegas) and Generation Gallery in Manchester (UK).
Also thrilled to announce that I’ve signed on to be an official artist/creator for Tezuka Productions (Japan), which was founded by the modern originator of what we understand as Manga and Anime—Osamu Tezuka. I grew up loving his work (Astro Boy, Kimba, etc.) so it’s a major honor to create new, inspired artwork and products based on Tezuka-sensei’s library.
In addition, we have a collaboration with Tezuka across IP developed with creative partner Jack Hsu including the Tezuka-inspired Afrobot, which is an animated series currently in development, to be produced by Eric Rollman (former President of Marvel Animation) and the renown Writer/Producer/Director, Reggie Hudlin (The Boondocks, Django: Unchained).
In terms of what sets me apart: My real career is all about placing a lens on worldwide (pop)culture, re-assembling components that attract me—outputting the “collage” into new creative forms. My sensei-from-a-distance, Japanese artist Tadanori Yokoo, was the jumping off point for me back in the early 2000’s. He deserves the credit for my 60’s POP-Mandala-collage artistic sensibility, which I still use as my core foundation. The result is a unique perspective and (amateur to professional) techniques that can’t be easily duplicated by a person or machine. It’s certainly not for everyone but it is very different from the norm.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
During Covid, I travelled all over California, staying in rented trailers, campgrounds, mountain homes, tents, etc., and what I discovered was that I loved the people and places in the (supposed) middle of nowhere—sometimes even better than the cool cats in the city. There is a ton of beauty, nature, adventure, knowledge and friendship to discover across this country. Much of that exists within a few hours of the DFW (including adjoining states). I’m here to drink it in and grateful to let those experiences reflect back in my work. So if you see a guy at H3 in the Stockyards with an Astro Boy shirt and a Stetson, say hello. ღゝ◡╹)ノ♡
Contact Info:
- Website: www.danconiagallery.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/danconia_art
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/seandanconia
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danconia/
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/danconia_art
