Daniel Pollera
Born in 1953 in Freeport New York, Dan Pollera became inspired to paint at a young age. Even when he wasn't painting Dan actively sought inspiration in the coastal landscape. In 1977 he achieved his captains license and began a career giving boat tours along the Long Island coast. It was during this time that Dan, emboldened by his experiences at sea and the landscape around him, started painting again.
Loved and lauded by collectors worldwide, Dan choses his subjects with an eye for drama and narrative, lighting his subjects as one might a film. The clarity of detail is comforting while the marked lack of any human presence allows for a close intimacy between the viewer and subject, allowing the viewer to deeply connect with the space of the painting. There is a sense of loneliness to much of Dan's work but a longing too; a wish to inhabit the magic of the spaces he creates.
About Daniel Pollera
Daniel Pollera was born in 1953 in the coastal town of Freeport, New York. His interest in art began at a very young age gravitating toward drawing and painting the surrounding coastline of Long Island. After a short study at SUNY Farmingdale in Commercial Art, he left to enter the family business.
For almost 15 years, Daniel took a sabbatical from painting, but this didn’t void his love for the sea. He obtained a Captain’s License in 1977 from the United States Coast Guard and took passengers for hire on the open ocean. Through this experience and visual knowledge he was drawn to begin his painting again. Although Daniel is primarily self taught he worked with Frances Norris Streit, a portrait and mural artist, assisting her on a 14’ x 30’ historical mural for the Roslyn Savings Bank. He also studied with Everett Molinari, a well respected President of the National Mural Society.
Daniel Pollera captivates his admirers by inspiring emotion and feeling through light and composition in his work. “I strive to create a sense of peace and tranquility, that will lure the viewer into the painting, stimulating their emotion to interpret what he or she feels.” Some of his paintings have been purchased by international collectors in London, South Africa and Australia. Dan has been featured in many charitable events including East End Hospice, The Cancer Research Fund, The Guardian Brain Foundation and The South Shore Estuary Reserve Stewardship Awards. He has also had a one man show at the Long Island Museum of Art as well as group shows at numerous galleries. Most recently, the Parrish Art Museum in Watermill, New York and Guild Hall Museum in East Hampton, New York have each acquired Dan’s paintings for their collections.
Daniel splits his time between his home in East Quogue, Long Island, NY and Baldwin Harbor, Long Island, NY. These two places offer him inspiration which is the catalyst for his work. “I look for a dramatic setting, filled with light to draw awareness to the image”. Light in his paintings is what he is noted for; people say they wish they were there.
