Dan Life Brings The Bling To Bergdorf Goodman With His Nostalgic Art

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Dan Life

Contemporary artist Dan Life has brought his world-renowned crystallized artwork to one of New York’s most iconic landmarks, Bergdorf Goodman. Serving exclusively as the first artist to showcase at the infamous department store, Dan Life’s art taps into nostalgia with references to pop culture phenomena and luxury fashion archives. Dan reinterprets these classic cultural moments through his own innovative perspective, breathing a new, glittering life into the modern pieces via paintings, sculptures, and work on paper. 

Pulling inspiration from his childhood memories, jewel-embellished sculptures of The Simpsons shimmer throughout the store’s seventh floor as key hero pieces before guiding guests to an oversized $110k Nike sneaker sculpture created using over 140,000 Swarovski crystals lighting up the space (which took him around three and half months to create).

Paying as a testament to Dan Life’s craftsmanship, this stunning sculpture has now replaced the “Untitled Purse” sculpture, which mirrored a Hermès Birkin as it had been sold twice in the first week of the exhibit’s opening. Each piece is meticulously created through Dan Life’s vigorous creative process, which involves 3D printing a specific product, like the sneaker, to create a clay mold, which is then followed by a process similar to the pavé style of jewelry where instead of metal, a clay holds and secures the crystals which are all intricately hand-placed one by one throughout the mold. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Dan Life

While the sculptures are Dan’s signature and most recognized pieces of art, he also brought one of his newer techniques to the exhibit, which happens to be a series of print advertisements from notable magazines and brands, each adorned with his smaller versions of his jewel embellishments that debut in the shape of his favorite animation characters relating back to his youth, famous artists, and more culturally relevant figures presenting a playful juxtaposition that reimagines the worlds of fashion and editorial with that of pop culture and art. This new endeavor proves itself to be a genuine and significant addition to the artist’s connection to nostalgia and his experience. 

“So I finally figured out what I wanted to do on these covers, creating this type of commentary work. A lot of them relate to the art world as if they’re collectors or art dealers. So it’s kind of a mix between creating the high brow of the magazine including the characters and the settings through multiple layers. There’s also art within them, such as an Alexander Calder mobile, a Picasso face, a Giacometti sculpture, and more. Everything kind of goes back to my childhood, including what I created and collected, how I sculpted, and then how I was taught. I studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and learned about a lot of fine art, so now it’s about recreating new art using their work which has been fun,” shared Dan Life. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Dan Life

On the heels of a whirlwind year, the Bergdorf Goodman exhibit arrives fresh off Dan Life’s ComplexCon showcase with ESPN, where they collaborated on the “TOP 10” chain worn by celebs and athletes like 2Chainz, Nav, and Caitlin Clark. Jacobs also recently partnered with MVMT and Call of Duty to create a custom Black Ops 6 black diamond watch. Obsessed and beloved by celebrities, high-profile royals, and A-listers alike, Jacobs’ projects have famously collaborated with Justin Bieber, Shakira, Odell Beckham Jr., Bad Bunny, and Kylie Jenner, and cites NBA legend Steph Curry, as one of his personal favorites. 

The Dan Life exhibit at Bergdorf Goodman is open until February 14th.