Boddie
/boe-dee/
(b. 1997)
Born and raised in a small suburb outside Chicago, IL, Dylan DeBoer left the cozy stability of the Midwest to pursue a biomedical engineering degree in Hoboken, NJ. Seconds away from mighty Manhattan and influenced by the city’s creative gravity, he unknowingly began his painting career with a large bedroom mural.
Soon, a heartfelt passion formed, a self-taught technique developed, and Boddie, the artist, was born. Starting with purely abstract work, a desire for more refined skill quickly blossomed into an appreciation for figure study and photography. Now, easing comfortably between each domain, Boddie works to hone his vision and skill while staying open to creative influence and further evolution.
On the path to becoming a full time artist & designer in the decades to come, Boddie remains faithful to a slow, organic mindset towards stylistic growth. “I make what I like to make and know, eventually, the works and their collectors will speak for themselves louder than I ever could.”
He currently lives in San Francisco, works for a small startup engineering company, and enjoys many hobbies including golfing, skiing, rollerblading, and socializing.
About the Unbleached Series
The Unbleached series was conceived of in a whirlwind of creative desperation, but has undoubtedly become my favorite art to make. Its stark, raw simplicity evokes a subtle, yet powerful, influence that encourages the eye to wander.
Just before making the original ‘Unbleached’, I was new to California and starting from scratch. I had just recently begun building my own backboards to more sustainably make larger works, and was surrounded, taunted even, by the recently stretched canvases that lined my furnitureless living room.
One night, frustrated, and met with an inescapable urge to ‘just finally fucking make something,’ I mixed up the only paint I had in the apartment and laid down one of my largest canvases. Truthfully, I had nothing in mind. No shape. No motion. No vision for a series. I just wanted to see what would happen when I poured paint over the canvas. I’m so glad I did. In that moment, the original Unbleached was created (top).
Since that day, the series has matured into something I’m extremely proud to call my own. Firmly rooted in its two key components, raw canvas and black paint, it’s only with the varied motion of the stroke that I can make new and unique works. It’s this difficult balance of freedom and constraint that I deeply enjoy exploring.
What eventually draws most people’s attention, though, is the irregularity of its pricing structure. Lacking clean zeros and any apparent consistency, the pricing of the series was ultimately designed with gradual growth in mind. Like many other artists, it was very difficult for me to price abstract works so early in my career. I wanted to sell the first few works at a low enough price that early collectors could invest in me from the beginning while letting water find its level. I wanted the people that trusted me from the start to be proud of their works, and their keen eye, as the series expanded.
With that, I decided to remove the burden of pricing from my ego and made it so after each successive installment of the series the price of the next work would double. It was bold, but I knew that by choosing the right starting point, only $0.64 (yes, cents), the price of the series could slowly grow into its own while giving me time to explore the paint. Now, years later, the series speaks for itself, and the price is only beginning to catch up.
About the Black and White Series
The Black and White series was subconsciously in development long before I even knew it would exist. While working on abstract art almost exclusively in the beginning of my career, I had grown restless with my style and sense of direction. My once small hobby had, rightfully, turned into an obsession and I could feel the desire to dive deeper into my craft. I wanted to prove I was truly an artist and could do more than just throw paint at the wall.
Determined to teach myself something more technical, and guided by many painters before me, I figured the best way to learn realism was by painting the body. After each new work, my confidence grew. Quite honestly, I was attempting and completing things no self-taught rookie should ever try.
For a time, I was surfing a nice wave of momentum, making abstract and realistic works quite regularly. With that drive, I began, and barely finished, creating a one-off white on black work (top) when a sudden job opportunity stopped me in my tracks. Before I could blink, I was across the country trying to adapt to a wildly new west coast life.
When the dust settled and I finally started painting again, I couldn’t help but gravitate back to the last work I made. I couldn’t escape it. That simple white paint carried so much emotion within a few careful lines. Its beauty continually spoke to me and spoke for itself. I felt like I had finally found the right voice for a new series.
Years later, and now over ten installments into the series, each work brings an exciting, yet technical challenge. One that I’m always proud to share. While my work will evolve over the coming decades, this series is undoubtedly here to stay.
‘Invest in Art’
The phrase ‘Invest in Art’ means two things to me. While it’s true that as an artist I want people to collect and highly value my work, I view the investment in art as much more than financial. After years of left-brain engineering blindness, I made a switch and consciously started to invest my time into unabashed creativity. When I did, everything changed.
The art world opened a door to my creative side that will never close again. After a few days of painting, colors seemed brighter. After a few weeks, music sounded better. A year later, and my world had been changed for good. I was seeing life through a completely different lens and wanted to encourage others to embrace their creative side. I found that behind every person, every place, was a unique voice, an unspoken vision, waiting to be explored. All I had to do was look around and let it in.
Many years later, I still find myself looking through that same creative lens. For those who have since taken the leap with me, to engage their creative side and explore the best of what life has to offer, I have only ever heard great things.
Invest in Art. I mean why not?
