Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sid Daniels. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sid, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Going way back to my life in New York City. I had just visited from Toronto, Canada in search of a place to move to as I wanted to live in New York permanently. The era was magical and transformative and it was the heyday of the Disco Era. A famous boutique “Fiorucci” located across the street on the corner of 59th and Lexington, was the place everyone wanted to be. It was known for being super trendy and it was the center of culture and entertainment. I wandered in one day with my portfolio. At that time, I was interested in fashion illustration and I was painting very large scale flamboyant paintings of women with hats and high heels. I made an appointment with the owner of Fiorucci and after seeing my work, he had the idea of commissioning artwork that I would design as visual merchandising displays throughout the store. I created six pairs of life-size women that I designed and painted on plywood. The figures would first be sawed out as the form I would paint these women on. They resembled vintage showgirls from the 1940s. They were assembled like furniture and placed all over the store to display the Fiorucci brand of clothing and I created some extra pieces for their windows. The experience was meaningful to me at the time. This resulted in my work being on the cover of the last issue of Look Magazine as the magazine stopped operations with this issue. It was also meaningful as many friendships were formed, and one of these friendships was Joey Arias, who became a very famous performer. He introduced me to Larraine Newman of Saturday Night Live, which resulted in my subletting her apartment for three months that summer as she was on hiatus with the show, and I had those three months to look for a permanent apartment, which I did finally find.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I grew up in Toronto, Canada and studied art and design at the Ontario College of Art from 1970-1974. It was there that I studied the foundations of art and I fell in love with my fashion illustration course. During the fourth year I learned a lot about technique and the tools and knowledge that I accidentally stumbled upon that would transform my creativity for years to come. I had a need to express myself and didn’t really care what anyone thought about the work I was producing at the time. I seemed to be stuck in an era that being the 1930s and ’40s and especially the fashion and music. All of these visuals influenced the work I was creating, for myself, from my drawings to the large paintings, and they always were inventive and flamboyant. My whole life of creating art is actually a work in progress. Its exciting to see the process unfold with every new work of art. It has matured me tenfold over the years. During the 1980s and ’90s I had to make a living as an artist in New York City, so I was lucky to get lots of commercial illustration design work. I’m very proud of the album covers, restaurant murals, shopping bags, some magazine illustration work, and commemorative poster designs for Nescafe Coffee, the Design Industries Foundation Fights Aids, Absolut Vokda and more. I was lucky and proud to have one of my paintings, showcased in the 1981 motion picture ‘Tootsie’. This continued from the time I moved to Miami Beach, Florida in 1997 right through the present, where I still create. The commercial work continued with posters for the United States Ballroom Championships, Art Basel shows, the Art in Public Places’ ‘Flamingos on the Beach’ and many other institutions. My artwork is very specific. I identify with the fashion world, so my brand is theatricaL, whimsical, and sexy.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

There was no internet during the ’70s, ’80s and maybe ’90s and no iPhones either. It was extremely exhausting taking photographs of your work resulting in countless slides. Then you had to mail cover letters and slides to art galleries and creatives if you wanted to be heard and seen. At least most of my efforts did get noticed and a lot of rejections as well, like your work looks too commercial for our gallery. But I always believed there was a place for me and I’m still looking and learning after all these years.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I absolutely would like to see my work represented by a reputable gallery. The list is long for what is pushing me year after year. But most importantly, I have the urge to create. There is really never going to be an end result. I have learned to live day by day and just to continue to be creative. I get a big thrill during the creative process, not really knowing what the result will unfold, and that is why I love what I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.siddaniels.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siddanielsofficial
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sid.daniels.art

Image Credits

Sid Daniels