Contrary to what some websites declare, artist and printmaker Dan Socha is residing on planet earth. Or, as artist and curator Kim Arthun tells me, “Dan is very much still alive.” At 82, his work is as strong as ever.
As an admirer of works on paper, the first piece I encountered by Socha’s was called “Chichi, 1969,” a Spanish word meaning stylish ornamentation verging on pretentiousness, yet in urban parlance, taking on an intimate connotation.
“Chichi, 1969” is a lithograph of a yellow, orange and white ice-cream scoop, resembling a female body part. I got the pun: a painting with a double entendre. It was a humorous, engaging print, akin to some of the California-based conceptual art produced by John Baldessari and Ed Ruscha, combining unassuming imagery with provocative titles.
The breadth of Socha’s work, however, goes beyond pop-influenced imagery, moving toward geometrical abstraction.
Born in Indian Orchard, Massachusetts in 1943, Socha lived and worked in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois until his retirement, moving to Albuquerque eighteen years ago to continue his artistic pursuits. Socha’s work is featured in collections throughout the United States.
At a recent exhibition of his works on paper at Exhibit 208, I caught up with curator Kim Arthun to discuss “Ghost: Works on Paper.”
What is about Socha’s work that attracts you?
Dan brings something new to the field, a fresh approach. His works are exceptionally assembled, well executed. Furthermore, he does what he wants, not succumbing to any one genre or movement. For some artists the openness to a variety of styles is scary, but not for Dan.
At Exhibit 208 I give artist a lot of leeway, freedom to do as they chose. Dan takes me up on the challenge
Another thing I’ll do is let artists fail. I never see the final work an artist brings until it comes through the door. I pick artists I don’t have to hold hands.
Fortunately, Dan brings quality art, never failing at delivering engaging work.
How would you describe Socha’s work? Minimalistic? Conceptual? Or something all its own?
Socha was one of the original Tamarind printers in Los Angeles, before Tamarind moved to New Mexico. His early work is print-based, conceptual and abstract. Stylistically, he’s a shapeshifter, moving as he sees fit according to his interests.
Some would say the Ghost exhibit is abstract in the line of Kandinsky, but I find it more Native-influenced, based on geometric art found in the Southwest.
To answer how he expands genres, let me tell you a story. A few years back Dan enrolled in a New Mexico tin-making class at the community college. Instead of the traditional method, he reworked the medium into something distinctly his own, incorporating items not traditionally associated with tinwork. Some felt the result was odd, womb-like, but I thought it was marvelous. My point: he pushed traditional forms in new directions.
As a New Mexico based artist yourself, working with Socha for many years as gallery owner, tell us about Socha’s practice and attention he gives to his work?
Dan is very much a hermit and doesn’t like talking about the work, rather letting the work speak for itself. At the same time, Dan is very prolific. I’ll go to his studio, and he’s completed an immense amount of art. He just keeps producing. It’s quite impressive.
Let me give you an example: The first exhibit we did with Dan at Exhibit 208 was ledger-smoke paintings. He collected ledgers from antique stores for months, spending countless hours holding the ledgers over smoke to get the image he had in his mind, showing dedication to his art.
Kim Arthun at Exhibit 208. | Photo by Brian C. Nixon
As a fellow-artist, curator, and gallery owner, I’m impressed by this type of commitment to the artistic process.
How would you explain Socha’s current exhibit, Ghost?
Dan’s hobby is Native American rock art. He’ll travel the Southwest spending a lot of time studying Petroglyphs. The artwork in Ghost represents his interest in line, abstraction, and Native forms.
The idea for Ghost may have arisen from an artifact he found at a flea market. As a frequent visitor to flea markets, Dan found an object of Acoma descent. He showed it to people to attempt to determine what it was. When he revealed it to people from Acoma Pueblo, they asked him to cover it up, to wrap it back in its packaging, and not show it to them again. In other words, the object had a startling effect, possibly with deep religious significance.
It was the disturbance that may have influenced Ghost.
"Ghost: Works on Paper." | Provided
“Ghost: Works on Paper” will run through March 8, 2025.
For more information on Exhibit 208, click here: https://www.exhibit208.com.
Brian C. Nixon, Ph.D., is Chief Academic Officer and professor at Veritas International University in Albuquerque. As a writer, musician, and artist, his interests surround the philosophical transcendentals: truth, beauty, and goodness. You can contact Brian via his Bandcamp email address: https://briancharlesnixon.bandcamp.com
