Dan Attoe is an American painter, sculptor, and author. He is represented by Andrew Reed in Miami, The Hole in New York and Los Angeles, and Western Exhibitions in Chicago. Attoe is recognized for his detailed landscape and figurative paintings, as well as his neon sculptures that often resemble beer signs or classic roadside advertising, featuring humorous or philosophical text.
His first novel, "The Taking Tree," was published in May 2024. Throughout his career, Attoe has integrated text into his artwork, having studied writing at The Writers' Workshop while pursuing his MFA at the University of Iowa.
Attoe earned his BFA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and UW–Stevens Point at Wausau in 1998, and his MFA from the University of Iowa in 2004.
Born in Bremerton, Washington, Attoe spent his childhood in various locations, including Island Park and Ashton, Idaho, and Silver Bay, Minnesota, due to his father's employment with the U.S. Forest Service. His mother often worked as a librarian.
Before establishing himself as an artist, Attoe worked part-time at Wausau Window and Wall Systems in Wausau, Wisconsin, for four years and held positions as a security guard, maintenance worker, and part-time installation technician at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.
Currently, Attoe resides in Washougal, Washington, where he continues to create art, write, and operate a tattoo shop named Dan’s Tattoos.
He is one of the founders of the collaborative art group Paintallica but left the group in 2017 due to creative differences.
