Nosty

ABOUT NOSTY

The name emerged when few years ago a fellow artist and I began to rebel (mostly to amuse ourselves) against the gallery pressure on artists to limit one’s range to a particular style, and decided to declare our own art movement, calling it No-Sty(le). Life is constant flux. Compartmentalization is a nice tool but doesn’t work as a way of life. I support the freedom to explore truthfully and playfully, without locking into a rigid pattern way of working and seeing.

A choice I make in this series is to occasionally combine representational images into my abstracted images. I like to blend the literal with the abstract, finding the relationship between the two. This, too, is an artistic choice generally discouraged by the gallery world, because it makes it harder to pigeonhole an artist and to package their work in an easily marketable way. But I find it a natural and organic way to work, giving myself free range between abstraction and representational images, finding the dance between the two.

Animals, in particular, frequently make an appearance in my otherwise abstract work. I am strongly influenced by Norse, Celtic, and other earth-based native cultures, whose shamanic and artistic traditions freely incorporate animal images as stand-ins and gatekeepers for the mythical and realm. Animals are viewed as representations of the spirit world; each species’ unique traits have specific medicine and wisdom to offer humans. Personally, I am continually inspired, guided, and taught by the animal kingdom. One species or another will often insist on appearing on the canvas, overriding my original plans for the painting, demanding to be incorporated.

I also like the idea of personal, stylistic fingerprint inherent in each artist that leaves its unique mark on every piece of work they make. This means that a personal style can’t help but emerge, without ever having to force it. One’s energetic fingerprint is a bit like a unique gate or speaking style that gives away one’s identity even when that person aims for anonymity or disguise. It ensures the freedom to be wide open to exploration, knowing you can’t lose yourself as long as you stay authentic to your intuition.