"drift", 32" x 48", oil on canvas, 2011
This is the first of the new pieces for my show at Thinkspace next month. It was a fun one to work on, and the first time I’ve messed with color values in flesh tones.
PROGRESS / UPDATE
I’ve two paintings finished for my show next month, with another three in various stages of completion. I hate having so many in progress, but it’s really the only way I can stay on top of this deadline. anyway, I thought I’d post a few sneak peeks and progress shots here. I’ll have final shot of the first of the new pieces up later this week. until then!
UPDATE / LA TRIP
So I have been neglecting the blog big time since my solo in SF, just very much caught up in painting for the next show. due to some scheduling mishaps, I had less than 2.5 months to paint 5 new paintings for my show at Thinkspace (September) from the time of the Shooting Gallery opening — and I’m almost half way through that now. 5 paintings in 2 months is already pushing it, but predictably I was also feeling like changing things up a little, trying some new things, etc. It’s going well I think, albeit a little slowly, but I’m happy with the work and I have some new directions to expand on. (and some new directions that do not work at all…also very good to know).
I’ve been in the studio and generally over-working myself pretty steadily for the last few weeks, but did get a chance to go down to LA at the end of June before I got too far into the new series. I planned the trip around a dinner thrown by Corey Helford Gallery for their 5 year anniversary, and spent a few additional days shooting some new models. Instead of just throwing a party for their own congratulations, Corey Helford Gallery invited something like 150 artists to dinner. It was fantastic and I am hugely thankful to have been invited and to have been present for what seemed pretty unprecedented. Being a Northern California guy who didn’t go to art school, and who isn’t the most social creature in the world, I often feel pretty detached from the art world outside of the fairly insular community here — so it was a huge treat to be able to meet so many artists in such a short period of time, some of whom I’ve been fans of for years. some of the artists in attendance: Kent Williams, Sean Cheatham, Shawn Barber, Kim Saigh, D*Face, Tim Biskup, Sylvia Ji, Natalia Fabia, Gary Baseman, Colin and Sas Christensen, Adam Wallacavage, Dalek, Camille Rose Garcia, Joshua Petkar, and tons more. fun!
late night shoot at Memoir Tattoo
post shoot sink destruction
WARHOLIAN ARTIST PROFILE SERIES
I did an interview with Warholian a few months back for their Artist Profile Series which just went up today. I think this is maybe the first real interview i’ve ever done on video, and watching me yammer does make me cringe quite a bit, but they did a great job with the video. a huge thank you to Mike Cuffe at Waholian for the continuous support.
Artist Aaron Nagel Studio Interview – Warholian Profile Series – Warholian.com from Warholian on Vimeo.
In other news, I’ve spent the last 3 days building and stretching canvas’s for the next show. I’m headed to LA in a few days to shoot some models, and will hopefully be very much into painting the new series soon — my show at Thinkspace in September is already creeping up fast.
more very soon, and thank you as always for checking in!
SHOW REVIEW AND VIDEO WALK-THRU
Creepmachine.com posted a review of ‘a Thin Line’ here along with a fantastic video walk-thru of the entire show (below). thank you!
SHOW COVERAGE FROM WARHOLIAN.COM
Art blog Warholian.com posted some great pictures and a very kind review of the show here. I’ve re-posted the review below, but please check out the rest at Warholian.com. I’ll add some more pictures of the opening to the blog very soon.
Aaron Nagel is one of the most refined, intricate painters in the realm of contemporary realism today. Abstract elements such as black, tar dipped hands – or arrows that penetrate the body, are oft incorporated into his work. To be a female painted by Nagel is of the highest honor, immortalized by oil, captured in the purest form. The artist renders his subjects accurately in technique, but strives to make them icons, if not saints.
It is within this attitude that Nagel has created his latest body of work entitled “A Thin Line” for the Shooting Gallery in San Francisco. His females find themselves laid bare, sometimes adorned and surrounded by Old English style letters, in homage to the very bodies they inhabit. Often people ask if Nagel’s work has religious connotations – which can be understood when looking at many of the elements within the paintings – but after careful examination, it is clear that the spiritual nature of his work is derived from simply making the feminine divine.
“A Thin Line” is a different show than we’ve seen from Nagel in the past – his realism has loosened in technique, but still captures the “tight” painting style for which he has been known. The artist finds himself in a place where he doesn’t necessarily want to be labeled as a “realist”, but also seeks to find the freedom to be “loose” and “painterly”. Thus, this is the “Thin Line” that Nagel finds himself standing within – the crossroads – letting go of realist ideals, and creating something entirely new. We are presented with work that captures all the realist elements we have come to love from Nagel, while incorporating loose brushstrokes that still are placed methodically. It is within these new brushstrokes that we are beginning to see something new: Nagel himself.
Overall, a wonderful new body of work from Nagel… we highly suggest checking it out.
- Michael Cuffe for Warholian
ARRESTED MOTION SHOW COVERAGE
Art blog Arrested Motion covers the opening last weekend. Check it out here. I’m sure more coverage will trickle in this week so I’ll add them as I get ‘em.
“A THIN LINE” PAINTINGS POSTED
All the paintings* from my solo show are now online on the portfolio page. Thank you for being patient! I want to also thank all who made it out to the opening last night at the Shooting Gallery, it was a great turnout and a really good time. I was totally overwhelmed by all the kind things people had to say about the work. thank you again!
I’ll be posting show photos as soon as I have ‘em, but until then, enjoy the new work…and always, thank you so much for the support – this art thing is crazy hard, and would be totally impossible without your help and support.
best, a
*well, almost all. one portrait is still missing (“Royalty V”) as I was working on it up until the last minute and didn’t have a chance to get it professionally shot. I’ll add it as soon as I do. until then, here’s a shot of it before it went up on the wall.
PEEKS AND VALLEYS
I went to sleep at 7am this morning. Not too much later than my usual 4am, but that late, 3 hours makes a huge difference. usually, when I start to hear showers start going on in my building, I need to go to sleep. I was back at the gallery at 1 today though with the rest of the paintings, and surprisingly not too tired or stressed. so now, all the work is at the gallery. finally. I’ve been working on this show for the better part of 6 months. It’s a relief to be done (and I’m really excited to clean my apartment now that I don’t have paintings covering every bit of floor and wall space.
Tomorrow we hang the show.
Q&A w/ Shooting Gallery and more…
had enough of me blabbing yet? if not, I did another short Q&A with Shooting Gallery earlier this week. you can find it here: http://www.shootinggallerysf.com/blog/2011/06/a-converstaion-with-aaron-nagel/
Aside from the blabbings, i’ve been running around all week prepping for the show — lots of varnish, lots of fumes. I took 7 paintings to Shooting Gallery today and will take the rest over tomorrow when we’ll actually start hanging. I like this part, and am very much looking forward to having all the work there and ready to go. I’ll post some pictures of the install. so far, I’m a lot more relaxed than I was leading up to the show last year. that will probably change, but i’m feeling good so far.
As I mentioned in previous posts, the show will consist of a series of portraits in addition to my usual larger work. here’s the second of the series:
"royalty II" ~24" x 30", oil on panel, 2011
Q&A w/ MY LOVE FOR YOU
I had the pleasure of hosting Meighan from the excellent contemporary art blog, “My Love For You” for a studio visit last week. We also did a short Q&A. Super fun visit and she asked some good questions! Check it out here. Thanks Meighan!
Elsewhere