Maybe it's not your thing, but we love going to museums and seeing the old Greek classics, but more like the functional, ornate objects that were used for drinking water or some everyday use. It goes to show just how much our past cultures cared about design and ornamentation, perhaps something we take for granted in contemporary culture.

That is why we love the new works from Bay Area artist, Daniel Velasquez AKA Funtime Dan, who will be showing ceramic works in the vein of the classic Greeks at First Amendment Gallery in San Francisco from November 9—December 21, 2019. The works in Man-Made Mythos play on the idea of the classics and graffiti culture, the idea of the things that stand the test of time. 

1AM FuntimeDan Jux 006

"I believe that Ceramics is an extremely archival form of art; it stands the test of time, unlike most other mediums," Dan says. "A majority of what we know about ancient civilizations, we know from studying their ceramic works. I seek to continue this tradition of documenting contemporary cultures, ideas, and modern history on this archival medium. The outside designs relate to contemporary art and graffiti because those things are a part of our culture and are relevant to our history. In addition to capturing history, I seek to capture the parts of our history that are purposefully covered up and taken out from the story, even though they show so much of our culture. Graffiti is the best example of this."

As the gallery notes, "Hand-embellished in a variety of graffiti hand-styles and familiar figures, Funtime Dan’s ceramic works are a mirror into contemporary society: the fleeting moments, the judgement, the grandeur, the humanity that connects and divides us are just a few of the comical elements highlighted in each porcelain vase."

Daniel Velasquez AKA Funtime Dan is an artist and designer based in San Francisco, California. Using humor, sarcasm, symbolism, and word play, Funtime Dan’s work generally pokes fun at modern themes, promoting light-hearted morals and universal humility.

First Amendment Gallery invites you to join us for a conversation with Funtime Dan on Saturday November 9th from 5-6pm with the opening reception of “Man-Made Mythos” to follow from 7-10pm at 1000 Howard St. San Francisco. For further inquiries on the artist or available works, please contact [email protected].