E. Dan Klepper
(American, b. 1956)
Artist and outdoorsman, E. Dan Klepper finds inspiration in the natural world. In his own words, “nature is beautiful and scary and weird and uncontrollable.” With his art, Klepper hopes to promote “a deep appreciation for the planet’s wildness.” Born and raised in Texas, Klepper lives in Marathon, just north of Big Bend National Park. He earned his bachelor of arts from the University of North Texas. Klepper then earned his master’s degree in the video arts from the School of The Art Institute of Chicago.
Gulf Moon , 2022
Photograph on dibond;
26 x 60 inches
Gift of Linda and William Reaves, The Linda and William Reaves Collection of Texas Art
Klepper’s Gulf Moon is luminous and grand. This seascape shows a thin strip of ocean in the foreground. Above the ocean, in the vast firmament, downy clouds are on the move. Where the sky and ocean meet, the moon, perched on the horizon, glows dimly. A storm gathers along the horizon in the center of the composition. Gulf Moon shows nature in its many incarnations. It shows the cosmos at play, alive and evolving. Combining moonlight and sunlight, peaceful skies and stormy weather, Gulf Moon attempts to order and harmonize nature’s phenomena. The moon and stars on the left show nature at rest, though not entirely still. In the center of composition, where the storm rages and the mountain of blurred clouds peak, Klepper frames nature as majestic, dynamic, and erratic. On the right, where the sky and sea are both illuminated, Gulf Moon presents nature as regenerative and powerful. Klepper approaches nature, ever in flux, inclusively, simultaneously capturing its vastness, vigor, and intricacies in a single image.
Sea Stacks – Nautical Twilight, 2022
Photograph on dibond;
24 x 72 inches
Gift of Linda and William Reaves, The Linda and William Reaves Collection of Texas Art
Divided into thirds, E. Dan Klepper’s photo mosaic Sea Stacks – Nautical Twilight shows four offshore structures standing erect amidst blue ocean waves. The horizons of the equally sized segments align to create one sweeping seascape. Sea Stacks – Nautical Twilight captures the majesty and power of nature, its beauty and caprice. Though placid, the sea remains daunting, vast, and in flux. The ocean and sky dominate and overwhelm the composition. In comparison to the sky and ocean, the humanmade towers, seen from a distance, appear fragile and meek. These structures stand at the whim of nature. Nature and humanity, the former represented by the sea and sky and the latter by the offshore structures sprouting from the water, interact harmoniously with one another. However, nature, though momentarily at peace with humanity, holds a position of power.