Dan May Art
American, b. 1955
Dan May is an American painter and printmaker born on March 11, 1955 in San Francisco, CA. Raised in aesthetic surroundings heavily influenced by his architect father, May grew up learning to view all things with an eye for design, color, and shape. At age 5, he remembers his father cutting up a book of drawings by Henri Matisse and hanging them on the walls of their home. The French master Matisse as well as Richard Diebenkorn and David Hockney are his favorite art influences. He began his first attempts at painting at age 15, and later began to experiment with printmaking, teaching himself various techniques such as woodblock printing, etching, silkscreen printing, and monoprinting.
Monoprinting soon became May's medium of choice due to its wide range of expression and spontaneity that he felt other techniques lacked. May - "With monoprinting, you can only work a piece for as a long as the paint stays wet, so the resulting print has a feeling of movement and immediacy. I also like how monoprinting allows the brush strokes to transfer a transparent light quality to the print. For me, this is a technique that bridges drawing, painting, and emotions." The themes of May's prints borrow from his fantasies, memories, and the people and places he has seen in life's checkout lines and waiting rooms. "My work allows me to be a voyeur, to see through the walls into life's secrets, and unveil the hidden stories of everyday life," he says.
Color and design are essential elements in May's work. Exploring and playing with color is a huge source of enjoyment and passion for May. "Working with color combinations, playing color against color to create an electric contrast, never ceases to excite me," he says. May finds working color with design elements and balancing compositions is challenging, frustrating, and supremely rewarding.
Today, Dan May lives and works in Oakland, California. He has shown his paintings and prints in galleries predominantly throughout California and his work is in numerous private and corporate collections throughout the United States and the world.
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Waiting /// Contemporary Pop Art Interior Figurative Sofa Colorful Screenprint
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Waiting"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1986
Medium: Original Screenprint on unbranded soft-c...
Category
1980s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Book on Chair (Black) /// Contemporary Pop Art Screenprint Interior Home Plant
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Book on Chair (Black)"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1988
Medium: Original Screenprint on unbranded white wove pape...
Category
1980s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Cat with a Habit /// Contemporary Animal Smoking Humor Screenprint Black
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Cat with a Habit"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1995
Medium: Original Screenprint on unbranded white wove paper
Lim...
Category
1990s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Dogs and Bones /// Contemporary Pop Art Animal Pet Funny Humor Screenprint
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Dogs and Bones"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1986
Medium: Original Screenprint on unbranded white wove paper
Limited edition: 15/25
Printer: the artist May himself, Oakland, CA
Publisher: the artist May himself, Oakland, CA
Sheet size: 34.13" x 29.88"
Image size: 25.88" x 24"
Condition: Some moderate edge wear around, and heavy wear with a repaired tear at lower right corner. In otherwise good condition with strong colors and clean paper. Will look great once framed and with its marginal imperfections covered
Notes:
Titled and dated by May in pencil lower right.
Biography:
Dan May is an American painter and printmaker born on March 11, 1955 in San Francisco, CA. Raised in aesthetic surroundings heavily influenced by his architect father, May grew up learning to view all things with an eye for design, color, and shape. At age 5, he remembers his father cutting up a book of drawings by Henri Matisse and hanging them on the walls of their home. The French master Matisse as well as Richard Diebenkorn and David Hockney are his favorite art influences. He began his first attempts at painting at age 15, and later began to experiment with printmaking, teaching himself various techniques such as woodblock printing, etching, silkscreen printing, and monoprinting.
Monoprinting soon became May's medium of choice due to its wide range of expression and spontaneity that he felt other techniques lacked. May - "With monoprinting, you can only work a piece for as a long as the paint stays wet, so the resulting print has a feeling of movement and immediacy. I also like how monoprinting allows the brush strokes to transfer a transparent light quality to the print. For me, this is a technique that bridges drawing...
Category
1980s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Woman with Fruit /// Contemporary Pop Art Screenprint Nude Food Colorful Art
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Woman with Fruit"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1994
Medium: Original Screenprint o...
Category
1990s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Milk and Teddy Time /// Contemporary Pop Art Screenprint Baby Crib Children
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Milk and Teddy Time"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1986
Medium: Original Screenprint on unbranded white wove paper
...
Category
1980s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Nude with Dogs /// Contemporary Pop Art Screenprint Animal Pet Black and White
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Nude with Dogs"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 2005
Medium: Original Screenprint on unbranded white wove paper
Limit...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Devil /// Contemporary Pop Art Minimalism Screenprint Black and White Art
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Devil"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1999
Medium: Original Screenprint on unbranded white cotton rag laid paper
Lim...
Category
1990s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Chickens /// Contemporary Pop Art Screenprint Animal Funny Blue Farm Bird
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Chickens"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 2003
Medium: Original Screenprint on unbranded soft-cream wove paper
Limite...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Reclining Nude (Blue) /// Contemporary Pop Street Art Figurative Screenprint
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Reclining Nude (Blue)"
Portfolio: Reclining Nudes
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1983
Medium: Original Screenprint o...
Category
1980s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Dog Face (Purple) /// Contemporary Pop Art Screenprint Animal Face Pet Black
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Dog Face (Purple)"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1986
Medium: Original Screenprint on unbranded white wove paper
Li...
Category
1980s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Reclining Nude (Black) /// Contemporary Pop Art Screenprint Figurative Alcohol
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Reclining Nude (Black)"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1995
Medium: Original Screenprint on unbranded white wove paper
Limited edition: 45/50
Printer: the artist May himself, Oakland, CA
Publisher: the artist May himself, Oakland, CA
Sheet size: 20.25" x 24"
Image size: 11.38" x 17.13"
Condition: In excellent condition
Notes:
Titled and dated by May in pencil lower right.
Biography:
Dan May is an American painter and printmaker born on March 11, 1955 in San Francisco, CA. Raised in aesthetic surroundings heavily influenced by his architect father, May grew up learning to view all things with an eye for design, color, and shape. At age 5, he remembers his father cutting up a book of drawings by Henri Matisse and hanging them on the walls of their home. The French master Matisse as well as Richard Diebenkorn and David Hockney are his favorite art influences. He began his first attempts at painting at age 15, and later began to experiment with printmaking, teaching himself various techniques such as woodblock printing, etching, silkscreen printing, and monoprinting.
Monoprinting soon became May's medium of choice due to its wide range of expression and spontaneity that he felt other techniques lacked. May - "With monoprinting, you can only work a piece for as a long as the paint stays wet, so the resulting print has a feeling of movement and immediacy. I also like how monoprinting allows the brush strokes to transfer a transparent light quality to the print. For me, this is a technique that bridges drawing...
Category
1990s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Tossing the Bone /// Contemporary Pop Art Nude Screenprint Dog Pet Animal Black
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Tossing the Bone"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1999
Medium: Original Screenprint on unbranded black wove paper
Lim...
Category
1990s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Nude and Cat /// Contemporary Street Screenprint Figurative Black and White Art
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Nude and Cat"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1987
Medium: Original Screenprint on unbranded w...
Category
1980s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Angel /// Contemporary Pop Art Screenprint Blue Minimal Religious Portrait Bird
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Angel"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1992
Medium: Original Screenprint on unbranded white wove paper
Limited editio...
Category
1990s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
In Chair Reading /// Contemporary Pop Art Interior Sofa Book Black and White
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "In Chair Reading"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1988
Medium: Original Screenprint on unbranded white wove paper
Lim...
Category
1980s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Crazy Dog /// Contemporary Pop Art Funny Screenprint Animal Pet Black and Purple
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Crazy Dog"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1996
Medium: Original Screenprint on unbranded white wove paper
Limited ed...
Category
1990s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Reading Pig /// Contemporary Pop Art Black and White Screenprint Animal Funny
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Reading Pig"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1984
Medium: Original Screenprint on unbranded white wove paper
Limited ...
Category
1980s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Reclining Nude (Purple) /// Contemporary Street Pop Art Screenprint Figurative
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Reclining Nude (Purple)"
Portfolio: Reclining Nudes
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1982
Medium: Original Screenprint...
Category
1980s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Reclining Nude (Blue) II /// Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Minimal Screenprint
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Reclining Nude (Blue) II"
Portfolio: Reclining Nudes
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1983
Medium: Original Screenprin...
Category
1980s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Nude /// Contemporary Pop Art Screenprint Colorful Figurative Reclining Print
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Nude"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1987
Medium: Original Screenprint on unbranded soft-cream wove paper
Limited ed...
Category
1980s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Reclining Nude (Maroon) /// Contemporary Pop Art Screenprint Figurative Legs
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Reclining Nude (Maroon)"
Portfolio: Reclining Nudes
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1983
Medium: Original Screenprint...
Category
1980s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Phone Loitering /// Contemporary Pop Art Screenprint Funny Red Blue Lady Gossip
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Phone Loitering"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1984
Medium: Original Screenprint on unbranded ...
Category
1980s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Reading in Space II /// Contemporary Black and White Screenprint Rockets Planets
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Reading in Space II"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1988
Medium: Original Screenprint on unbranded white wove paper
...
Category
1980s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Man with Glasses /// Contemporary Pop Art Screenprint Head Face Portrait Black
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Man with Glasses"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1988
Medium: Original Screenprint on unbranded white wove paper
Lim...
Category
1980s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Man Reading /// Contemporary Pop Art Screenprint Lamp Book Man Funny Black White
By Dan May
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Dan May (American, 1955-)
Title: "Man Reading"
*Signed and numbered by May in pencil lower left
Year: 1988
Medium: Original Screenprint on unbrande...
Category
1980s Contemporary Dan May Art
Materials
Screen
Dan May art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Dan May art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of purple, red, blue and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Dan May in screen print, acrylic paint, paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Dan May art, so small editions measuring 8 inches across are available. Dan May art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $100 and tops out at $5,000, while the average work can sell for $600.