When Dan was l6 he was given a tour of Mademoiselle Magazine, arranged by Phoebe Vreeland, granddaughter of Diana. Carrying one of his journals, he met Kati Korjujakko, the Art Director of the magazine- she asked to hang on to the journal while he continued his tour. When he returned, the entire staff was wearing tee-shirts created from images in the journal. She later noted that he was the most talented person of any age who had come through the door- and offered him an internship which was to change his life.
Arriving in NY in September of l988 – aged 17, Dan was disoriented and homesick for Africa. At the top of this print you can see the view from his tiny apartment. At the bottom, his interpretation- a wild and exciting place, with a leopard prowling through the streets. You can almost hear the beat of the drums with the dancing ladies below. The self portrait on the right shows his confusion – his desire to be Superman, perhaps, and his uncertainty about his place in a foreign city so far from home.