About the artist
Daniel Pineda Luna is a first-generation printmaker and MFA graduate student at the University of Nevada, Reno. He finds inspiration within the Nevadan desert landscape, focusing on the interplay of isolation and human intervention with nature. Focusing mostly on relief printmaking, he creates his interpretation of human engagement with the environment in a consumerist society. In addition to printmaking, Daniel also enjoys book art and loves to incorporate language into his work.
Daniel is passionate about working within his community to bring printmaking as a staple art practice. He volunteers with Mountain View Montessori and UNR Extension 4H afterschool programs. Outside of printmaking, Daniel likes to watch movies, taking care of his colony of cherry shrimp and drown in coffee every chance he gets.
Artist's statement
My work is inspired by a sense of isolation wherever I go. Themes of loneliness, memory, and American urban decay motivate my work. My printmaking is guided by solitude, whether I’m depicting homes I used to pass by routinely as a delivery driver or proposed long term nuclear storage landscapes for the future. There is repetition observed in these places and printmaking allows me to continue that pattern, both representing real locations and imaginary ones.
Linocut is the printmaking technique that I utilize the most for this way of processing pattern. The medium and texture of linocut also calls to me, reminding me of home, community, and distant memories. Removing what was once there and only seeing a shadow of its former self, the “noise” giving context to the bigger picture is what I enjoy about relief carving.
My vision as an artist is to share these experiences and document places people might not have an appreciation for. In an ever-changing environment, the houses and natural landscapes we view today might not exist in a couple of years. Even for imagined landscapes, my prints are a record and recognition for what might come, if humanity is to survive for the next millennia. I acknowledge the changes in American urban landscapes and appreciate what short amount of time I have of community and nature in the face of immense isolation and decay.
Stay connected
Instagram: @danbeprinting
