de-code: Daniel Romano | Foster Romano

Daniel Romano:
Combining painting and sculpture in unexpected materials and forms, Colorado artist Daniel Romano offers new dimensions of thought on the world today.

Using eyes trained by a life of creative work and his unique neurodiverse perspective, he makes art that expresses his one-of-a-kind view of the world. For Romano, words and concepts do not have one concrete meaning; they are playful, curious, and malleable. His mind forms verbal and visual puns and conceptual references that lay outside of typical interpretations, creating fresh takes on contemporary issues.

From clouds made of steel to eyeballs that gaze back at us, mechanical heads that seem imbued with human emotions, and relics that our contentious times deserve, Romano’s work is constantly surprising, presenting fresh takes on materials, forms, and issues. He draws from the history of modernist sculpture and painting, contemporary graffiti and street art, detoured commercial icons, and subverted trademarks, layering and juxtaposing images and symbols to express new ideas and to shake us out of our complacency.

This mixture of images and concepts is manifested into visually and physically compelling objects through Romano’s command of materials from the world of construction, drawing on his varied background in several trades and his accomplished history as a craftsman. He often designs and fabricates tools that enable him to create specific features of his works, in the process modifying their meanings through the process of making them.
At first, Romano’s work appears amusing and almost playful. Deeper consideration reveals the complex issues underneath the explosion of colors, forms, and references, leaving the viewer with a paradox to ponder over the coming days and weeks.

Foster Romano:

My name is Foster Romano and I am a professional artist. I grew up in Colorado Springs. As of 2023 I am 19, and am an only child. My dad is an artist and a maker. I was raised in his studio where he has taught me how to use my imagination and work with my hands.

Growing up, reading was always a huge struggle for me due to my diagnosis of dyslexia. In school, learning relied on reading and spelling skills, which made it nearly impossible for me to succeed. The lack of support for people who learn differently led my parents to understand that conventional education was not for me.

When I was 11, we started homeschooling, which has allowed me to thrive and grow. Homeschooling has made learning accessible to me, through experiences and projects. It has allowed me to spend time creating and making art, and working on technical projects, such as restoring a ‘62 Hillman Minx.

My work is in calligraphy based art, spanning mediums of street art, paint, metal work, clothing and jewelry. My art is an expression of my experience learning to read and spell. The foreign shapes and figures provide a taste to the viewer of the struggle and frustration that I experienced growing up.