I always think, “that is for a Master Artist not someone like me.” Ultimately, the student will adopt it into their own style, or what I call ‘dialect.’ I am always amazed when students say they talk about me in their class. The student is trying to figure out that style of painting, and if it is the right fit for them.

I hope during this time they get to learn that anything is possible when it becomes a passion.Īnything is possible when it becomes a passion.Īlexandra Wang: What is your reaction when you see other people use their heads, mouths and feet to imitate your style?ĭan Keplinger: This happens a lot in art classes, when a student connects to certain artists. This is so the students can really get to know me and ask the questions that they would otherwise be too shy to ask. For example, a wheelchair, or a cup of coffee with a straw in it.Īlexandra Wang: What is your aim when you give art demonstrations and talks in schools?ĭan Keplinger: I like to do this in a small group setting. I think a portrait can be anything that represents what the person is known for. But a portrait does not need to be an image of the person. Image courtesy King Gimp-Dan Keplinger Image courtesy King GimpĪlexandra Wang: Which styles or themes do you enjoy the most?ĭan Keplinger: I like portraits. As I work with images of wheelchairs or headsticks, I also look at Chuck Close since his work is made up of a lot of marks. Guston started to developed his own iconography to help tell stories about his own world. He started in NYC with group of Abstract Expressionists, but then broke off to do his own thing. During my MFA work, I discovered, Philip Guston. After all, I was an artist.Īlexandra Wang: Which artists inspired you in your work as an artist?ĭan Keplinger: I feel like my work needs some narration about what I am trying to express. I think they knew that I was a hard worker determined to get everything done.Īlexandra Wang: How were you viewed by your peers?ĭan Keplinger: I would like to think they thought of me as a cool geek. In my last year of high school, I had four periods of art. That is what almost kept me from being an artist. Ironically, to be a free creative artist, you must first fit in a box to see if you understand the fundamentals. They did not even know if I could understand the assignments, let alone have the ability to do it physically.

They thought that maybe I could not be in the class. I do not think art is not merely decorating, but a bridge between different groups to start conversations.Īlexandra Wang: How did your art teacher at school initially respond when you started making art?ĭan Keplinger: At first, they really did not know what to do with me. These feelings could be complete bliss, or could be troubling to others. Nobody can take that away from you.Īrt is a place to express your true feelings, no matter what. The idea is to have freedom of expression. Image courtesy Cerebral Image courtesy ABILITY MagazineĪlexandra Wang: How can art be a place of passion for people with Cerebral Palsy (CP?)ĭan Keplinger: Art is its own language there are no rights, or wrongs. You will do anything to reach your dreams! That passion is a seed to goals and dreams. So, I fully embrace it for the good and the bad.Īlexandra Wang: What would your advice be for others to turn those kind of words into something positive?ĭan Keplinger: Find your passion in life. I look at my disability as part of my personality. You need to turn the bad around, so it makes you better as a person. So, I fully embrace it for the good and the bad. I look at my disability as a part of my personality. I once even asked a Biblical scholar, but he looked puzzled.Īlexandra Wang: How were you able to turn a word like ‘gimp’ into something positive?ĭan Keplinger: This is about taking control of the situation and making it work for you. I also had a few people tell me that Gimp was one of Jesus’s Apostles who was unknown. I chose ‘king’ and found one of the meanings was ‘fighting spirit.’ Funny thing is, I never have been able to find the same definition since.

We had to pick a word, look at it and write about it. But I really adopted it after I did a long definition assignment in the 12 th grade. What made you decide to adopt that name in your personal and professional life?ĭan Keplinger: I always liked it. Some people know me as Dan Keplinger, others as King Gimp but they both stand for loyalty, honesty and a fighting spirit.Īlexandra Wang: Because you were able to push yourself to the top of hills in your wheelchair, your neighbors called you King Gimp. He holds a BA in Mass Communication and Art and an MFA in Studio Art from Towson University. Keplinger and his work are featured in the Oscar-winning documentary, King Gimp. The artist Dan Keplinger creates his work with the use of a headstick.

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