Dana Saulnier lives on a few acres of rural land where he tries to keep his senses alert to the fragile rhythms of time and form. Saulnier’s painting practice is historically self conscious, aligning with traditions of the figure in landscape. He received a BFA in Painting from the University of Cincinnati and an MFA in Painting from Cornell University. Saulnier teaches Painting, Drawing, and Theory, at Miami University. He has exhibited his art in over one hundred exhibitions, including more than thirty solo shows. Saulnier’s work is represented by First Street Gallery in New York.
The nominal subject of the work is ‘the figure in landscape’, evoking our transience and continuous uncertainty. The sense of encompassing time in painting the figure in landscape sustains themes of tragedy and comedy as repeating projects within history. My dialogue with historical paintings locates both my connection to the past and my distance from the past. The distance is crucial to my work. I seek to make works that are absolutely specific while being productively resistant to analysis. Painting lives best when it devours our attempts to theorize.
