It’s haunting to stare at a bullet-riddled stop sign painted with the portrait of a rapper who was shot multiple times in a 1997 drive-by shooting.
Then again, local art galleries usually shy away from showing Dan “Dunn” Ericson’s work.
Hip-hop culture is an uncomfortable fit for galleries that embrace the more traditional artist, he said, and when most people see the medium of his message — old, defunct street signs — they lump him with graffiti artists and vandals.
But such a response is indicative of the reason he does it — to invoke change.
“For a long time, I didn’t know how to give back to hip-hop,” said the graphic designer-turned-urban artist. “Now, I want to be part of the reason why people look to Denver for innovation. I want to help forge a sense of community.”
Ericson’s style began as “just an accident,” he said.
He was doing face studies for a graphic-design project when he ran out of pieces of cardboard, and the closest thing within reach was a faded No Parking sign.
The unconventional canvas grew on him.
Four years later, Ericson has narrowed his focus to portraits of his hip-hop idols presented in a negative relief. He has given his work to Kanye West, Nelly Furtado, John Legend and The Roots, who nicknamed Ericson the “signtologist.”
“My art has progressed and stayed the same, and I’ve found a unique niche,” Ericson said. “Some things I do with a piece are intentional and others are accidental, but some of the best things come from my mistakes.”
Imperfections abound in Ericson’s work because he works on the street signs that have taken the hardest beating. All of his signs are donated to him from Englewood Public Works and are ones that had to be retired because they were safety hazards.
But those same blemishes bring a raw energy to his art, Ericson said, like in the bullet-sprayed portrait of Chris “Biggie Smalls” Wallace, who went by The Notorious B.I.G.
The bullet holes are a stirring reminder of the violence of the East Coast rapper’s unsolved death, Ericson said, adding that the stop sign might as well read “Stop the violence.”
Wallace’s murder, along with the unsolved murder of his West Coast rival Tupac Shakur the year before, began a movement to ratchet down the escalating tensions between the two hip-hop camps, Ericson said.
“Hip-hop has changed so much. It’s really in a sad state,” Ericson said. “It should give insight into what’s not being represented, not an unattainable lifestyle that everyone is reaching for.”
Ericson sees the hip-hop community in Denver as not very strong or supportive.
But that’s what he wants to change with his art. Ericson has collaborated with local shoemakers to get his art painted on sneakers and is talking with a metalworker who bends street signs into furniture. Also, ESPN has approached him about displaying his art during the Summer X Games in Los Angeles.
“The feedback and response I’ve gotten has been amazing, and I’m always looking for a challenge,” Ericson said. “I don’t want people to think I’m one-dimensional or a one-hit wonder.”
Cassie Hewlings: 303-954-1638 or chewlings@denverpost.com
Signs of hip-hop idols
To view Dan “Dunn” Ericson’s portraits, go to or his MySpace page at .
