Figure Study 1 

Dan Graziano painted "Figure Study 1" using oil on canvas. The material qualities of oil paint – its viscosity, its capacity for layering and blending – are very much in evidence here. Graziano has captured the figure's relaxed posture and the gritty urban environment with loose brushstrokes and a muted palette. The canvas texture is visible beneath the paint, adding to the sense of immediacy and rawness. The composition is simple, but effective: a man sitting on a yellow container or gas can, leaning against a car. The scene evokes the everyday realities of working-class life. The paint’s materiality and application contribute significantly to this narrative, grounding the artwork in tangible, sensory experience. The texture is everything; it speaks to the inherent value of labor, and the consumption required to maintain it.