Art By Nate Austin | I began my journey as an artist at a very young age. My mother would recall noticing that my artistic skills were a bit “advanced “at age six. My love for art was sparked at a young age, doodling on church fans and scrap paper to keep occupied during Sunday services. I attended the Cleveland School of the Arts in high school, then attended The University of Toledo. While art and self-expression seemed to take the backseat for some of my collegiate years, I found my way back to the passion, gift and calling I could no longer run from years after graduation.
Within the space of a blank canvas, my goal is to give voice to a world that is misrepresented, marginalized and often times misunderstood and to magnify the beauty that already exists. What fascinates me about any artistic medium is that it can pull the viewer out of a logical and common world, and place them within a space that is uncomfortable and unfamiliar. For some, my work resonates and confirms, and for others it informs and provokes. My work is mostly dedicated to sharing the realities of the African American experience. Behind the eyes of a melanated people lies the love, joys, sorrows and pains that they (we) commonly inherit.
I often find myself utilizing a variety of mediums in my work ranging from oils, acrylic, acrylic paint pen, charcoal and collages. For me, art is about finding your voice and finding the best way to train that voice to project uniquely and boldly. I am currently in a state of finding my voice within my work and developing my style. The styles of my work may vary, some pieces have expressive and abstract movement and other pieces have a realism approach. All the while, I am experimenting with colors, textures and subject matter. Recently, I have begun to incorporate related literary pieces within the piece and finding that inserting text adds depth to the importance and subject.
While style is a byproduct of an artist’s journey, my work consistently focusses on human emotion. I am always looking to challenge myself, learn and grow with every experience and find the art in every situation knowing that life is merely a series of marked canvases.
Art By Nate Austin
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