He kept on apologizing when I was on my way to come see his apartment for the first time. 'I'm sorry. My room is such a mess don't look at it, okay?'. I stepped into his room and immediately fell in love with the space. Paintings leaning up against the wall, brushes on the floor surrounded with different colors of paint tubes strewn about. Two big windows with amazing light coming through, and his mattress, with messy sheets hidden somewhere in the corner. It was like I stepped into his mind. Such a interesting mind. And that's why Dan immediately popped up in my mind when Hissa asked me to shoot a art story for Twelvmag.

Check inside for the full page Art Story!

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http://twelvmag.com/sites/default/files/media/fashionstories/Dan_Oglander.pdf

Laura: So Dan, let's start at the beginning…

Daniel: Waking up. Seeing my dad with his shirt off, painting on the ground. Every part of the house I grew up in was used as studio space. Someone was always cooking, making a piece of pottery, carving a piece of wood or painting a painting…. My mom just gave me some paint and said: 'Here, use it.' I had no idea how to proceed. So I used my fingers instead of brushes for a long time. All the floors were covered with paint, all my clothes had at least one piece of paint on it.

Laura:From finger painting to your first solo show, how do you feel about that?

Daniel: Terrified. I'm gonna expose myself. My mind will be on display to the people I love. A lot of my subjects are about specific friends, and they will be at the show and see it.

Laura: But they won't recognize it, the words are hidden. Why did you choose for words in your paintings?

Daniel: It's my inner monologue. Things that I have inside my mind but I will never say out loud. Because it would either hurt someone or scare them. They are judgmental. Sometimes mildly racist or sexist. Fearful. But they are all hidden in the painting. It's revealing myself without outing myself. I am being honest but keeping it a secret. As you should.

Laura: Everyone needs secrets. Which painting is your favorite piece?

Daniel: That one. The cool fedora dumbass one. Because it has the most me in it.

Laura:The most me, what are you?

Daniel: What am I…. Umm....No comment.

Laura:Is that at question mark to yourself?

Daniel: -Laughing- Yes that's a question mark to myself, I'm still figuring that out.

Laura:You're gonna be alright Oglander, I'll help you figure it out... You saw all your paintings together for the first time today right?

Daniel: True, and it felt weird. I never saw them in the same room before. All displayed next to each other. I kind of hide from them myself normally. It's nice to live with them in my room, but if I look at them and analyze too much I feel like I'm never going to finish them. They will always just be in a state of Purgatory.

Laura: What's that word?!

Daniel: Purgatory? It's like where ghosts live. The place where you exist before you go to heaven… or hell.

Laura:Ah okay. And how did you like seeing a naked girl crawling next to your paintings today?

Daniel: It looked amazing. I should paint her and have her walk around the show.

Laura: We have to do that! I will do that!

Daniel: You will do it?! Ok, I will just paint the leaves on you and you have to stand there naked the whole time.

Laura: Sure... By the way, why did you choose leaves?

Daniel: It's inspired by a show that was at the Pompidou in Paris. A Hungarian artist most Americans are unfamiliar with... Hantaï*, you have to look up how to spell his name because I have no idea, but he did this leafy cam pattern that struck me as such a beautiful back drop. I looked at it and I thought I could take it further. I wanted to take that history and hopefully expound on it. That's a buzzword for ya. Expound.

Laura: I know. I'm gonna use Google translate a lot for this interview. What is the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning?

Daniel: Paintings. Compositions. I live with my work so the first thing I see when I open my eyes is them. Every day they are different. It's like having a kid. Every day it grows, changes for the better or annoys the shit out of you. You have to nurture the work and make them into something that you are proud of.

Laura:That's a good one. Is there anything else you want the world to know about you or your mind?

Daniel: I rather keep most of that a secret. I wanna "deepen the mystery." Francis Bacon said that… I don't wanna reveal too much. Artists are all about deepening  the mystery. (He said moving his hands, with a sarcastic grin on his face.)

Laura: Indeed. Well, thank you Oglander for the interview. I'm looking forward to seeing your kids hanging on the wall during your opening. I'll be naked, covered in leaves.

 The opening night of Daniel's show 'Admission' will be at Wednesday June 11, 6-9pm. You're more than welcome to join. The show will be up for a month. Come see his kids!

 Lilac Gallery

144 5th Avenue

New York, NY 10011

WRITTEN BY: LAURA KAMPMAN

MODEL: ANASTASIA CHORNA

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: LAURA KAMPMAN

website: www.laurakampman.com

instagram: @laurakampman

Facebook: laurakampmanphotography