James "DrZ" Zdaniewski - Multimedia Artist

2014 NYC Armory Show Welcomes DRZ

DrZ — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 16:03:40 +0000

Fountain Art Fair has received critical acclaim for its uniquely alternative art fair model and genuine dedication to the artists and galleries who share in its vision and ideology. Celebrated as the first of a new influential generation of alternative fairs, Fountain is reinterpreting the concept of the art fair experience and paving a new path for the future of contemporary art.

Fountain Art Fair
69th Regiment Armory
(Lexington Ave. & 26th Street)
Manhattan, NY

HOURS
Friday, March 7
12 – 7pm: VIP/Press Preview (Open to the public)
7pm – Midnight: Opening Night Reception
Music Lineup: DJ Nick Zinner

Saturday, March 8
12 – 7pm: Open to the public
7pm – Midnight: Saturday Night Event
Music Lineup : THE DEEP!

Sunday, March 9
12 – 5pm : Open to the Public

Fountain is centrally located in the heart of Manhattan in immediate proximity to Armory Show and all satellite events.

View DrZ at Fountain Art Fair 2014

DRZ Invited Back for 2013 NYC Sapphire Artisan Series

DrZ — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 15:56:26 +0000

November 7, 2013 7-10PM: Rush Arts Gallery, New York, NY

DrZ chosen for NYC Sapphire Artisan Series 2012

DrZ — Fri, 31 May 2013 01:31:40 +0000

October 25, 2012 6-9PM: Rush Arts, New York, NY

Hyperallergic 9/11 Feature with DrZ

DrZ — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 15:05:13 +0000

View full article on Hyperallergic here

Artinfo: Summer Art Fridays

DrZ — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 13:48:23 +0000

Summer Art Fridays: Artist James Zdaniewski

For our fifth weekly highlight in our Summer Fridays collaboration with ArtInfo, we chose the work of James Zdaniewski, whose drawing immediately reminded us of what it felt like to spring off a diving board and be suspended momentarily in the air. After checking in with Zdaniewski for the interview below, we found out that it was just that experience that inspired him to create the sketch, which will be turned into a mixed media collage.

Describe the piece you submitted to Summer Fridays.

I submitted the piece titled Six and Seven, a charcoal drawing. This is part of my next series of works inspired by the hype of the supposed Apocalypse coming in December 2012. Based on the idea of the seven seals that bring on the apocalypse, “Six and Seven” shows two children falling freely from the sky. From this drawing I will create a silkscreen to print the work on top of a base layer of acrylic and spray paint, currently in production, to finish the concept.

How does the piece relate to your memories of summer?

This reminds me of the innocence of jumping off a bridge or a dock into a lake, when you experience those few moments of letting go of your limbs and just accepting the feeling of weightlessness before you get baptized by the sudden smack into water.

Describe your process.

For this series, I’m approaching my process a little differently from my norm. I begin with lists and notes on ideas that turn into thumbnail compositions, and then a more solid sketch in preparation for a painting. With these I’m spending more time on the sketch concept, and adding the new base element layered into the final piece. I spend a few months on each painting in order to marinate in the process, so that I make wise choices with color and mark making.

How did you end up making art?

I always watched my older brothers draw and wanted to mimic that. I’ve drawn my entire life, which led me to graduate from an art school — Savannah College of Art and Design — and pursue my solo fine arts career. I studied animation, so I find inspiration in motion and ideas on time and space. I read a lot of quantum theory books, so a lot of crazy ideas and inspiration come out of that.

How has Tumblr helped you?

I use Tumblr as a sort of sketchbook to document my process and ideas. It allows me to continue to post images in-progress while keeping the finished pieces on my own portfolio site.

—See full article by Kyle Chayka here

In Good Company

Artist “DrZ” helps put the New York back into the CBGB movie in Savannah

DrZ — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:36:25 +0000

With biopic “CBGB” filming here through the end of the month, New York punk has become a temporary part of the city’s scenery — from Louisville Road to Congress Street and even City Hall. But thanks to the creative efforts of several locals, Savannah will forever be a part of the Bowery rock club’s wallpaper, too.

That final metaphor may be more literal than you think, says artist James “DrZ” Zdaniewski, who scored a preemo role in helping evoke the original CBGB look inside local Meddin Studios.

“I recreated graffiti, tags, layered posters and stickers from archived CBGB photos,” he explains, noting he leveraged an old contact from Art Basel Miami to get stickers and posters original to the eras depicted in the film.

“Since they shoot out of order, they needed to transform the set from the original country bar to the later-years punk bar it’s famous for,” Zdaniewski says, “overnight and back again. For this, I created an almost ‘wallpaper’ to quickly put up over the ‘clean’ era set with layered practicals over top to create that realistic depth.”

Zdaniewski’s authentic interiors will follow English actor Alan Rickman throughout the Unclaimed Freight Productions film as he portrays club founder Hilly Kristal from the early 1970s to CBGB’s shuttering in 2006.

View full article here via – SavannahNow.com by Jason Kendall

DrZ Featured on Italian Fashion & Art magazine – THEMag.it

DrZ — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 14:28:12 +0000

A selection of works by the American artist James “DrZ” Zdaniewski, paintings done with acrylic layers and spray paint on canvas. Mixed technique and street art style influenced by the dreams and the environment that surrounds him, a negative reflection from the world, translated into a colorful and positive visual representation.

View Full Article

Juxtapoz Magazine – Process Video of Mural by Hebermehl x DrZ

DrZ — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 16:52:59 +0000

In February 2010, artists Hebermehl and DrZ blasted the walls of Meddin Studios in Savannah, Georgia with their art. This is a time-lapse video of the 3 days )and nights) they worked.

View full article here

Best Visual Artist of 2012 – Connect Savannah

DrZ — Thu, 24 May 2012 20:05:50 +0000

Connect Savannah has named DrZ Best Visual Artist of 2012

Best Visual Artist - Dr. Z

Savannah’s premier multimedia artist, James “Dr. Z.” Zdaniewski, is closely linked to high-profile projects such as the recent (and strangely controversial) “Before I Die” mural and also works with the Savannah Urban Arts Festival.

View full article here

DrZ in ShopSCAD

DrZ — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:03:54 +0000

ShopSCAD has acquired 6 of my pieces which are on display this month during SCAD Style 2012.