Nolan Haan: "Naked"

I won't ask for a show of hands, but I'm sure many of you have asked yourselves, "What does a concrete block look like completely nude?" My latest painting, "Naked," resolves that burning question. Enjoy.

Unadorned. Unapologetic. Fully exposed with all its faults, yet proudly displaying its sculptural beauty. No smooth skim coat. No fancy stucco finish.  Its beauty lies in its imperfections--a lesson, perhaps.

The painting is quite large, 72 x 36 inches, and is painted in acrylic on silk, then mounted on hardboard cut to the shape of the concrete block. It's a trompe l'oeil (fool-the-eye) painting, completely flat. The center holes are cut out, so you see the venue wall through them. The artwork is mounted two inches from the wall, casting beautiful shadows.

My cement block grew from humble beginnings:

As usual, the first step is to block in the shapes, using gesso of various shades. No detail at this stage, only basic shadows and solid planes of color. The hardboard upon which the painting will be affixed is cut later using a common jigsaw. For now, I must paint the image slightly larger, allowing for the wrapping around the edges of the hardboard. 

 

I am adding the final details and getting excited about the grand unveiling (my current and former tenants can attest to how exciting that is!) My studio is a 400 sq. foot room in my historic apartment building in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Each month I hang my most recent painting in the public hallway, under perfect lighting of course! If you're ever in South Florida, please stop by.

UPDATE: "Naked" had its world unveiling at the Boca Raton Museum of Art's "All Florida" exhibition, curated by Valerie Leeds (Flint Institute of Art.) Please see the following post with pictures from the event.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my art blog. Please bookmark this page so you can read the new entry each Sunday. If you have any questions, please ask, and don't forget to check out my website: AddictedToWalls.com. Take care and have a good week.

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Boca Raton Museum of Art's "60th Annual All Florida Juried Competition and Exhibition"

The annual show at the Boca Raton Museum of Art  is always my most anticipated event, if I'm fortunate enough to be chosen. This year's curator was Dr. Valerie Leeds of the Flint Institute of Art, who culled through 1800 submissions to choose 101 for the show. My painting, Naked, which was discussed in an earlier blog, made its public debut.

Nolan Haan                                Naked                                   Mitchell Lambert

What artists appreciate most about this show is that each painting is hung and lit perfectly. The curators carefully transition from one painting to the next, cognizant of how the artwork relates visually to its neighbors. The opening reception was well attended, and the concrete block name tags worn by my friends (as seen in photo above) made quite the impression. Branding efforts were in high gear!

"All Florida Exhibition" at the Boca Raton Museum of Art

Although I did not win an award, my friend Virginia Fifield won the prestigious merit award for her stunning charcoal entitled "Contemplations of Life, Death, and Beauty." Congratulations Virginia.

This concludes my blog for this Sunday. Thank you for taking the time to visit, and please come back often. If you have any questions or comments, I'd love to hear from you. To see more images of my artwork, please visit AddictedToWalls.com. Take care, and have an eventful week.