Justin Beard

Justin Beard spoke with my class today - I really love his work. This work, called "Light Roller", was based on his experience of a beam of sunlight bouncing off of his paint roller while painting a small room at work:

The Lifted Brow Issue 6 Out Now

I just got my issue of the Lifted Brow from Australia. Issue No. 6, is a book and two CDs -the theme is that of an atlas of the world, newly observed by a huge list of artists and musicians. I have two ink-wash paintings in the book based on the so-called "battleship island" off the coast of Japan. Both paintings are reproduced as two-page spreads. Order now before they sell out.

Nathan Abels -two ink wash paintings of Hashima Island

Salon style

We reworked our dining room a couple of weeks ago and put up a lot of small pieces to replace some of the large works that are in my show at Rule gallery right now. Here are the labeled works:

Small Rodin Study

A small acrylic ink study of a Rodin sculpture that I painted this afternoon. I'm going to be doing a lot more small watercolor and ink works in the near future.

Bill Amundson's Christoph Heinrich portrait

My good friend Bill Amundson did the above portrait of Christoph Heinrich for this Sunday's Denver Post. Read the accompanying article here.

Examiner: Best art exhibition for February 2010: Nathan Abels at RULE Gallery

Read the article here.

Anthony Farfalla of Examiner dot com writes;

"Nathan Abels’ latest work depicts a solemn and dark figment of nature. The Denver painter's solo show, appropriately titled ‘Natural Causes,’ is a collection of ghostly paintings exploring various landscapes and their inhabitants. Each painting captures a moment of an on-going event that seems to play forward in the viewer’s mind. Intimate portrayals of wildlife and desperate cityscapes compile a beautiful showing.

Of the collection, the piece ‘Lost to Sight,’ seems to capture the talent and creativity of Abels’ work. The painting depicts a startling scene as a mountain lion approaches a young deer. Deep within the woods, the images is set in a fantastic night light, creating a dark sense of solitude.

The show runs through March at RULE Gallery (227 North Broadway, Denver). In conjunction with the exhibit, Nathan Abels has also curated a small group show including the work of Alan Kitchen, Mindy Bray, Eric Lo Presti, Alexander Binder, Jason Stopa, and Yoshitomo Saito."

Opening tonight: The Love Show

From the press release for the show orgaznized by my friend Dana Cain - event planner and art collector extraordinaire:

"More than just an art show, The Love Show is a multi-faceted celebration love, in all of its forms - from beautiful to brutal, heartfelt to hilarious - as translated through the Denver Art Community. Running February 12 - 28, it involves an invitational art exhibition, an open juried exhibition, and a series of events including a contest to "Win a Dream Date with Phil Bender," one of Colorado's most notoriously good-humored and best known artists.

The Invitational show, in which several of Colorado's leading art couples share their artwork, their love stories and vintage scrapbook photos with us, will feature:

• Reed Weimer and Chandler Romeo
• Sushe and Tracy Felix
• Wes Hempel and Jack Balas
• Monica and Tyler Aiello
• Louis Recchia and Zoa Ace

Opening Reception for The Love Show, Friday, Feb. 12th, 6 - 10 pm, will feature several "extras" for attendees:

• The first 100 people through the door will get a valentine card, signed by one of the participating artists.
• A special PDA Photo Booth will be offered by Anthony Camera for couples to have souvenir photos taken while they hug and kiss in front of The Love Show banner.
• At 9:00-ish, Phil Bender and his Dream Date will arrive at the Reception in a limo, greeted by a wall of photographers and flashing cameras.
• Mr. Bender will also be offering signed "Jeff Ball Glamour Shot" photos of himself to a few lucky fans.

Like a relationship, The Love Show will begin with a lot of fun. By the closing weekend, however, we'll be exploring "The Break Up," with an appropriate musical soundtrack and a tear-filled closing reception as the show is dismantled. Kleenex will be provided for the "Break-Up Reception" on Sunday, Feb. 28, 1 - 4 pm.

Mountain Lion in Oklahoma

This mountain lion was captured on Ryan Ritter’s trail camera near Atoka in southeastern Oklahoma- via Cryptomundo. See also, "Some Mystery Left" - a post I wrote about the mountain lion found in Chicago in 2008.

Space Project by Vincent Fournier

Brussels-based photographer Vincent Fournier’s ‘Space Project’ -found via viacomit.net.

Natural Causes pdf catalog

Natural Causes pdf Catalog (click to download pdf)

• The 20 page pdf catalog includes installation images, images of my work, and images of the works in the curated show. The curated group show is made up of site-specific work by Mindy Bray, paintings from New York artists Jason Stopa and Eric LoPresti, photographs by German photographer Alexander Binder, works on paper by Alan Kitchen, and new bronze work by Yoshitomo Saito.
• Also included is a curatorial statement by me, and an introductory essay by Christopher Reiger, and excerpts from the Denver Post article reviewing the curated show.

More catching up

photo from the collection of Nathan Abels

After a show is up a lot of artists get what they refer to as the "post-show depression". I've experienced the post-show blues from time to time but in general I feel pretty free - free to do whatever projects or processes I've been delaying because of the emphasis on whether or not it will go with the show. One of the things I've been wanting to do is make a blurb book of my personal collection of photographer's shadows (see above). I'm in the process of that right now and it will be a short, affordable soft-cover open-edition book in the near future.

Simulacra

Nathan Abels, “Without Haste, But Without Rest”, Acrylic and Oil on Panel, 24×36″, 2008

George Morland, "Before a Thunderstorm", 1791, Oil on canvas, 85 x 117 cm

see also:

Sanford Robinson Gifford, "Night on the Hudson River", 1870

Nathan Abels, "Pursuit", Acrylic and Oil on Panel, 24x36" 2008

New Music to Check Out

There have been several exceptional new releases in the last few weeks and days - here are a few you shouldn't miss.

The Onion's A.V. Club said of Midlake's new album "The Courage of Others", "Midlake’s sound is less about its influences than the atmosphere it creates: akin to being stranded in a dark place, unsure whether to search for a way out or get used to the surroundings."



Yeasayer's new album "Odd Blood" is even better than their last:



Broken Bells - made up of James Mercer (of the Shins) and Danger Mouse (I woke up with this song in my head this morning):

BROKEN BELLS, "THE HIGH ROAD" from EJ on Vimeo.

Photo of the Day

, originally uploaded by Trinki Jankapoka.

On a grander scale

photo taken in Rocky Mountain National Park this last weekend.

Henry David Thoreau -February 2, 1852:

Sir Francis Head says that in America “the moon looks larger” than in Europe. Here, then, more moonshine is to be expected. Perhaps the sun looks larger also. Such are the advantages of the New World. The same writer says, “the heavens of America appear infinitely higher,” “the stars are brighter.” These, too, are encouraging facts, symbolical of the height to which the philosophy and poetry and religion of her inhabitants may one day soar. At length, perchance, the immaterial heaven will appear as much higher to the American mind, and the intimations that star it will appear as much brighter. For I believe that climate does thus react on man, and that there is something in the mountain air that feeds the spirit and inspires. We shall be more imaginative; we shall be clearer, as our sky, bluer, fresher; broader and more comprehensive in our understanding, like our plains; our intellect on a grander scale, like our thunder and lightning, our rivers and our lakes, and mountains and forests. Are not these advantages? Will not man grow to greater perfection intellectually as well as physically under these influences? Or is it unimportant how many foggy days there are in his life?

Update

The opening on Friday was a well-attended success. Thanks to everyone who came out. There was a article in Sunday's Denver Post about the part of the exhibition that I curated in which Kyle MacMillan wrote that it was a "welcome burst of freshness" and that I had chosen six artists "who share [my] meticulous attention to detail and fascination with the less obvious, sometimes indistinct aspects of the world around [me]."

Variations on a Theme

Theodor Kittelsen

"Natural Causes"

My solo show “Natural Causes” opens tonight at Rule Gallery -the opening reception is from 6-9 pm. The exhibition will run through March 20th. I have curated a group show to go along with my show - it is made up of Alan Kitchen, Mindy Bray, Eric Lo Presti, Alexander Binder, Jason Stopa, and Yoshitomo Saito.

My statement for the exhibition reads:

The works in “Natural Causes” explore the landscape and its inhabitants with each image depicting a visual pause in an ongoing event. What I am capturing in these paused moments is a sense of “straining at particles of light in the midst of great darkness.” (Keats)

Here are the works in the show - some you may have seen previously and some that I haven't posted until today:

“Wildfire”, Acrylic on Panel, 42×60″

"Half-Seeing", Acrylic on Panel, 36x48"

"Lost to Sight", Ink and Acrylic on Paper, 22x30"

"Passage", Acrylic on Panel, 24x48"

"Kairos",Acrylic on Panel, 36x48"

"Harbinger", Acrylic on Panel, 11x14"

"Sullen Roar", Acrylic on Panel, 36x48"

"Floating", Charcoal, Graphite and Pastel on Paper, 20x24"

"Murmur", Charcoal, Graphite and Pastel on Paper, 20x24"

"Portent", Charcoal, Graphite and Pastel on Paper, 20x24"

A Preview of "Natural Causes"

My work can be seen in the background and in the foreground is a cut felt piece by Mindy Bray - photo by Valerie Santerli

Seen here - Mindy Bray's site-specific wall painting, two small works by Jason Stopa and a painting by Eric LoPresti - photo by Valerie Santerli

Photos of the entire exhibition will be up on Friday. Stay tuned...

Things are falling into place

Here's a photo of things as they were on Saturday. As of yesterday, Mindy Bray's site specific work directly on the wall of the gallery is nearing completion (you can see her working in the background of the above photo) and nine out of ten of my works are installed. We will be laying out the group exhibition for installation this afternoon. It is a real honor to present my work with such a talented and inspiring group of artists.