Pottorf formally studied art, dance and art history at the University of South Florida. He later explored art, creative writing, and architecture in Italy working alongside art historian Fred Licht and participating in archeological digs in Florence. His experiences there inspired him to pursue his dream of becoming an artist. With the aesthetic sensibility to match his technical ability, he gained the confidence to realize his dreams. Upon his return from Europe, he began working in theater set design at Edison Community College, where he was offered an opportunity to assist Gemini print publishers on a project for a Robert Rauschenberg and William Burroughs collaboration. Shortly thereafter he was asked to work in the studio of Robert Rauschenberg. This invitation led to subsequent collaborations between Pottorf and Rauschenberg, culminating in the Quatrro Mani (four hands) project, which traveled worldwide.
Throughout these collaborations and world travels, Pottorf continued his own self-discovery, developing new materials and techniques which defined his unique style. Since his first professional exhibition in the early 1980s, Darryl Pottorf’s mixed media style has progressed through various evolutions from his critically acclaimed “Eclipse” series on polished aluminum, to his proprietary “Lexan” series in which images are transferred to a polycarbonate substrate using toner, to his experiments with colored dyes and UV coating in his works. No matter the process, Pottorf’s work and the imagery he uses manages to seamlessly blend modern and classical styles.
Darryl Pottorf’s art, praised by critics in Europe and America, and process have both emerged as a consequence of each choice and chance encounter in his life.
