Artist notes:

When I create art my intent is to allow the viewer to bring his or her own story to the piece. I want people to explore, to place their own experiences and labels on the artwork.

I really enjoy capturing a small section of the world in a fragmented yet focused way. It’s a way of slowing down time and meditating on a single thought. I take an impressionistic, not documentary, approach to my art, and I use that perspective to challenge viewers to complete the context. I don’t want to be too literal in explaining my work because I don’t want to taint the viewer's experience.

Daniel Santjer is a Pacific Northwest artist who grew up in Eastern Washington and started taking photographs as a personal pursuit.

As he studied photography and art in community college, he wondered what made certain images more appealing than others to viewers. This led him to pursue a degree in psychology at Washington State University, where he explored the science of human perception. This helped him better understand how people interpret and process visual images. He continued formal art training, earning a degree from the Art Institute of Seattle.

In addition to working as a graphic designer and art director, Daniel continues to build his art repertoire, studying encaustics and printmaking, and combining them with his photography. He teaches at Northwest Encaustic Studio in West Seattle, and his award-winning work has been exhibited in galleries and shows around the Northwest.

View more of his work at danielsantjer.com.

2010 NWE Show