I have not posted any updates in a while but, there is a lot going on in my studio.
I have not posted any updates in a while but, there is a lot going on in my studio.
A friend of mine recently asked me to hang some pieces in the lobby gallery at the FP3 building in Fort Point. The room is beautiful and, in the back opens up into a large space with 20 foot ceilings, which makes it the perfect place to hang some of my larger paintings. I am always surprised at how nice the paintings look when they get out of the studio and into a proper environment and this is no exception. The space really gives the paintings some room to breath and, its great to see the new 5’x7′ large piece in a space that makes its scale work.
In any case, they are holding a little opening reception this Thursday from 6-8 (I hear there may be tasty snacks). So, if you are around Boston, come on out, say hello and check it out.
Nick Ward’s Distorted Memories
Opening Thursday November 14th 6-8pm
FP3, 346 Congress Street Boston, MA
https://www.facebook.com/events/1378107369099991/
It has been an exciting summer at my studio, which has taken its toll on my artwork. I got married, did some traveling, enjoyed the small window of warm weather that Boston offers and now, I am refreshed, ready to hit the ground running in the lead up to Fall. With that in mind, its time for a summertime wrap-up post.
First things first, crucial thanks to a few people that helped make the wedding great. Nathan Fried-Lipski took amazing photographs of the event. Not only did he risk life and limb by laying down in the middle of Atlantic Ave (a very busy three lane road for those of you not familiar with Boston) to get the shot he wanted, he also went above and beyond the call of duty by helping keep Margaux sane and happy during the days stressful moments. I can not recommend him enough, everyone should head straight to his blog to take a look at a few photos from the day, and then go ahead and like his page on Facebook. Seriously, he is a great guy and a talented photographer.
Next up, Eli at Alabaster and Chess. He does custom tailored suits for a good price and had me looking better than I probably ever will again. Beyond that, he was also just a really great guy and super easy to do business with, which counts for a lot in my book.
If you want to live vicariously, you can check out some photos from my travels by following me on Instagram.
Okay. On to some art related news. I know I have been talking a lot about the Street Diamonds show but, that’s because it is good. Silva Naci pulled together a nice mix of artists and it really is worth seeing. You’ve already missed the closing party but there is still time to see the show. It will be up through September 7th so, head out to Fourth Wall Project and have a look.
Speaking of the Just Platinum Rings and Street Diamonds closing party, I am told ALLDAYEVERYDAY was there shooting video for an upcoming Cheryl Dunn documentary. It should come as no surprise that I happily ride the coattails of those above me so, I am interested to see what they do with the video they took Saturday night. Keep your eyes open for that and, maybe I will be in the background of some shots, lurking awkwardly behind people, trying to gauge their interest in my paintings.
On to some paintings. I have done a little editing on this piece and plan on dropping it off at Sloane Merrill Gallery tomorrow (there is a good change that a couple new pieces will follow closely behind). I really loved the idea of consistent using four panels for this entire series of paintings but, I have just never thought it worked right for this particular piece. So I have dropped one. It is now a triptych and, since Sloane Merrill is interested in selling paintings, they have convinced me to allow them to split up the series. I still hope to keep all three together but, if you have had your heart set on a single panel from this painting (I know there are some of you out there), this is your chance. Head over to the gallery before I change my mind…
And finally, here is a quick update on my latest, large scale, piece. I lost my way a little bit with this one but, the solution has finally come to me. There will be some moderate editing done on this piece—don’t get used to her red hair—but, it is still turning out to be a pretty good looking painting. Stay tuned for the completed image and, enjoy the final days of summer.
A few days ago I dropped by Fourth Wall Project to take a sneak peak of the Street Diamonds show. The gallery was still awaiting the arrival of Faring Purth to install one of her large paintings in front but, the show was already looking great. I don’t want to give too much away but, there is one piece that I just can’t keep under my hat.
The piece is Silas Finch’s fifteen foot tall sculpture of a gown created from a discarded vintage parachute. The piece is so simple that I am having a hard time finding the right words to describe it but the visual effect is amazing. The piece as a sculpture alone is wonderful. Then he fits the dress to an actual living breathing (not 15′ tall) model and Heather McGrath uses it as the basis for a sensational series of photographs. Again, I don’t want to give away too much but, since Liz at Flux-Boston already posted this image, I will share it as well:
In any case, as much as it pains me to be the least famous artist in the room–showing pieces that are not even the biggest, brightest, or shiniest things there–this show is not to be missed.
132 Brookline Ave, Boston
Aug 10 – Sept 7th
Collector Reception Aug 10 (7-9pm)
Closing Reception Aug 24(7-9pm)
I briefly mentioned in the last post that I am participating in the next show at Fourth Wall Project which is curated by my friend Silvi Naci. Fourth Wall is always putting on good shows and making waves in the calm pool that is the Boston art scene so, I am pretty excited to be a part of this. The show will be up from August 10th through September 7th with a closing reception on August 24th.
Curated by Silvi Naci, Street Diamonds II reflects on areas of street culture in relationship to personal triumphs and battles according to Diamond and Diamond. Utilizing various techniques from cut-out paper, murals, painting, photography and sculpture, each artists provides a different entry way into their progression to make an impact in the world as a whole.
Fourth Wall Project is located at 132 Brookline Ave in Boston (near Fenway). It is open from 1-6PM on Wednesday through Friday and 1-5PM on Sundays.
There is a point, about two thirds through the completion of a piece, where it starts to become clear what painting I am actually working on. As much as I have ideas that I am trying to articulate with each piece, and despite my best efforts to plan everything out before I get started, there is really no telling what is going to happen once paint starts hitting the canvas. Lately, I start every painting with the intention of bringing more abstraction and diversity of marks into my work.
Then I start painting.
I start painting and each piece begins to be tighter and more controlled realism than the one before it. I just can’t seem to help myself. I get sucked into the world that I have created for myself where each tiny brush stroke gets its little load of paint mixed independently of every other tiny brush stroke and details that nobody will ever notice are of the utmost importance. Then I get to that point. The point where I finally step back and remember what I was trying to do. The point where I see what kind of painting I am actually making. The point where I have been looking at the tightly controlled paintings and fantasizing about ways to ruin them.
This is when things like the bright red line in this painting (that everyone loves to hate) start happening.
This tendency is only amplified now that I am preparing pieces for a show that I will be taking part in at Fourth Wall Project. Suddenly I am not bringing the biggest, brightest, freakiest pieces to a show filled with traditional paintings. Instead I am bringing the most traditional paintings to a show of people pushing boundaries. Here is the painting I am currently working on, that I hope to finish for the show, right at the point where I find myself searching for the most interesting way to finish (or ruin) this otherwise lovely piece.
Recently, I was visiting my friends over at Sloane Merrill Gallery and they decided to give their summer intern the task of putting together a short artist interview with me. For those of you that know me personally, it is obvious that this is a fool’s errand. Giving me the stage in a room full of lovely young women and turning the spotlight on me is no way to get any work done. What started as a few simple inquiries about my art turned into hours of dodging questions, intern teasing, and rambling stories (mostly stories about cows that day). While the afternoon was enjoyable, I didn’t expect many lucid or relevant thoughts to be caught for the interview.
She did, however, manage to sift out one important thought that I want to elaborate on today. When listing to music, I am often overcome with waves of emotion. These moments are very unpredictable and run the spectrum from overwhelming rushes of nostalgia, or feelings of amazing calmness, all the way to what I described as a full body tingle. That rush of excitement that sweeps from head to toe, vibrating your whole body with excitement.
I often worry that people do not experience this sort of purely emotional response from purely visual, static forms of art like painting and sculpture. Looking at great paintings is always intellectually stimulating and is quite and enjoyable experience but, those intense feelings that music so often brings out in me are missing. People tell me that paintings have the ability to stir these emotions but I just don’t get it. It should go without saying; this is a troubling realization for someone who spends so much time and energy creating paintings.
After talking about this concern with the women at the gallery, I couldn’t get it out of my head. I am always chasing this idea when I make paintings. I am always trying to create images that I think will trigger these feelings. Images of moments that we have all experienced in some form, images that should trigger nostalgic feelings, or memories of pleasure, or maybe memories of pain. I am fine tuning the colors, adding contrasting visual elements, bits of text, nothing seems to work.
Then it hit me. I have been experiencing these moments the entire time, not with finished paintings but, during the creation of them. So many people describe creating art as therapeutic, relaxing them or bringing them increased feelings of sanity. This is not at all what I experience in the studio. Making art is hard. Not hard physically but, mentally draining. It is a stress filled rollercoaster ride, like a whirlwind romance, filled with dramatic mood swings and chaos, waves of pure pleasure followed but crushing frustration.
Realizing this made me feel a little more relaxed about wasting my life creating paintings. Like so many things in life, it is more about the journey than the destination and, it seems that people can find and appreciate these struggles and emotions in the finished pieces of art. This realization also helps explain why my best paintings feature models that I know and love, even if the imagery of the piece does not necessarily reflect their personality or my relationship with them.
With that in mind, I want to show you my latest piece. It features my, soon to be wife, sunbathing. Like most of my sunbather paintings, I have corrupted an old masters representation of the lamentation of Christ but, that is not important for this blog post. What is important in this context is that I did the initial studies and photographs for this painting, a few years ago when we first met. Back before we were (almost) newlyweds, she was just a pretty stranger walking through The Distillery building, and I was just a broke artist who needed someone willing to model for free. As we started dating the creation of this piece got pushed aside as I was inspired to (somewhat obsessively) work on a large scale portrait of her instead. Now that our relationship is changing once again, I thought it was a good time to bring this piece back, to finish the painting that initially brought us together.
Now, that story has little to do with the message and imagery of the completed painting. I came up with the concept for the painting before we even met and in its world, she is just a helpful volunteer. However, in the studio, where paintings are frequently abandoned incomplete, and the (fairly simple and easy) act of rendering is turned into a dramatic battle within my own mind, having that deeper connection and interest in the model is often the difference between success and failure.
The title of the piece is simply, “Sunbather #4”. It is done in oil on custom birch wood panel and I will be dropping it off at Sloane Merrill Gallery (on Charles Street in Beacon Hill) this afternoon. By popular demand, I have conceded to make a series of smaller pieces that are a bit more affordable and, most importantly, fit into apartments or houses with normal sized walls. If you like this piece, let me know and go by the gallery and have a look. While I really love working large, I know that large pieces are just not practical for many people. So, if the pieces sell and feedback is good, I will try to keep focused on making more small pieces.
I will be participating in this event on Saturday. Read below for the official press release.
Image borrowed from Flux-boston.com who probably borrowed it from someone else.
On Saturday, June 22nd Cambridge’s historic Foundry building (101 Rogers Street) will host “The Foundry Equation,” an art initiative and open house. Presented by local art advocates FLUX. Boston, Opus Affair, Voltage Coffee & Art, and Yes.Oui.Si., this unique event will feature both contemporary and children’s art, live music and improv performances while showcasing the potential of a neighborhood landmark.
“Art plus community equals renewal that’s The Foundry Equation. In this building lays an opportunity to unite Cambridge, Kendall Square and East Cambridge, industrial and residential, kids and adults, art and music, past and future… ” said Ilan Levy, East Cambridge resident, host of Cambridge Community Television’s “The Foundry,” and one of the event’s organizers.
In addition to residents, area businesses are excited about the possibility of a vibrant community arts space, “There’s been interest in using this space to support local artists for some time. This event is a one day solution to the Foundry Equation,” said Lucy Valena, proprietress of Voltage Coffee and Art. “It’s a chance to show all the cool stuff that could be happening in this neighborhood. People could be making really great art, regularly, in Kendall Square.” Anna Schindelar, Art Director at Voltage Coffee and Art as well as curator of the event, added: “This is our vision, our take: an art initiative with the hope of engaging the community, residents, and kids in a dialogue about what they want to see happen to this space. We’re just providing an option, a suggestion to the Foundry Equation.”
Enthusiasm among community partners underscores the strength of this option: “Having access to such a large arts space in the city opens up a world of possibilities. It would create an environment that promotes collaboration, skill sharing, and the exchange of ideas. The Foundry would be an invaluable resource for the Cambridge community,” said Liz Devlin, independent curator and founder of FLUX. Boston.
The Foundry Equation is free and open to residents, arts enthusiasts, and the community at large from 11am – 3pm on Saturday, June 22nd. For updates, information, and a full list of collaborators please visit www.thefoundryequation.org and join the conversation on Twitter with hashtag #thefoundryequation.
Open Studios time at The Distillery is always a lot of fun. Unlike regular gallery openings, it really is a great time to meet other artists and talk about art. My studio will, as always, be open for visitors. Art will be hung, floors will be mopped and the beer will be flowing. To add to the fun, I have invited two of my most talented friends, Cassandra Long and Cai Veil, to hang out in the studio for the day and share their work so, there will be A LOT to see and do in studio 405. Keep reading for the official information and don’t forget to join the event on Facebook (and invite your friends!):
https://www.facebook.com/events/174658536030684/
Every spring, the artists and craftspeople of South Boston open their doors to share their work and their studios with the community. The Distillery is a beautiful mid-nineteenth century converted rum distillery where artists have been setting up shop for more than twenty years. As a hub of creativity and the arts, The Distillery has housed some of Boston’s most talented artists and artisans. Located in the heart of South Boston, it includes two galleries, dozens of artists’ studios and live/work lofts, as well as creative small businesses. As you tour the building, you will notice that it comes alive with all of the creative energy and even the corridors serve as remarkable display spaces. As you explore the various studios, you’ll notice that each one is unique, reflecting each artist’s creative personality.
Come meet the artists and check out what’s new in the local arts scene during South Boston Open Studios on Sunday, June 2nd from noon to 6pm.
Visit www.southbostonopenstudios.org for more information and an evolving list of participants.
I generally hate doing multiple posts in a row about the same show but, this time it is a little different. Sloane Merrill Gallery is one of a small handful of new, commercial galleries that have popped up in Boston recently. Now, while we are no New York, Boston has a pretty solid scene of underground performance spaces and alternative art venues. In other words, there is no shortage of places for artists to hang out on the weekend or try out new ideas. When it comes to making actual sales, it is a different story. There are very few commercial galleries in town so, the emergence of three (I think?) new ones this season is pretty uplifting. That said, obviously times are still shaky for galleries everywhere and many around here seem to have responded by taking less risks and being sticking closer to their proven artists (not that I blame them).
Jeremy Durling, ‘Anika’
With that in mind I am truly excited that Sloane Merrill Gallery has stepped a little outside the traditional commercial gallery comfort zone and partnered with the, more community based, Boston Figurative Artists Center for this show. They put their reputation on the line and did a lot of extra work (I sat in on some of the jury process and there was a considerable amount of entries to sort through) to allow more local artists and talented amateurs to hang in the gallery with their regular roster of artists. Mixing a juried component into the regularly scheduled show is a pretty interesting way to get people excited about a new space and a great way for a gallery to give a little back to the Boston arts community.
Justin Hess, ‘Study of Alicia’
Come out this Friday (the 12th) for the opening reception or, for the next month or so during normal gallery hours to check out the show. I have not seen everything hung yet but, what I have seen looks great. Let the people that run the gallery know that their efforts are appreciated and if you can, maybe even buy a painting. I assume you will know my piece when you see the biggest, brightest thing in the gallery.
