Retinal Theory Interview

RETINAL THEORY
Interview with Nathan Spoor
Los Angeles, CA
May 2008

At what point in your artistic development did you discover your signature style?

Well, I'd say the ingredients have always been there, but it all seemed to fall into place around 2000 or so, after I moved to LA. Before I moved here I was working on deconstructing the workings of internal monologues and examining the visual impact of conversational elements. But with more exhibiting experiences, I started realizing the impact that the work could have when people were responding to the paintings and wanting to know more. Like they wanted to be a part of it or wanted to be let in, and I was being selfish my using those insights only to explore my own interests.

So when I moved out here, I refocused things and had a pretty great brainstorm about a body of work that just followed its own narrative and dictated its own interests. Of course that only goes so far, since the work has to be to some great extent colored by my ability to allow it to progress or take shape. It's only slightly biographical or personal, since I have to be the hand that presents the work.

But I think the signature style has grown from that sort of adventure. The willingness to allow the message to be directed through my particular filters and presented in my visual and poetic language of painting. So I guess my style has always been "me", but it's become more potent as I've grown and tried to understand or allow the process to grow as much as either of us can allow. It's based on being flexible and organic with the creative process, and being able to recognize the stronger messages and trying to allow the elegance and power of that to remain.

Your paintings exude a very creative dream-like state. Are there any pieces in particular that are inspired by past dreams or nightmares you may have had?

I have to say yes. But not "yes" that they're completely dream-oriented. The work is heavily based on different techniques that I've become aware of or have stumbled upon out of necessity or natural progression. Mostly, they can be categorized as Suggestivist works, meaning that they are created to lead the viewer to a certain discovery without suppressing the imagination or depict any exact reality. Suggestivism in itself is an art of possibility and inclusion. By merely suggesting an aspect of a possible situation, the artist and painting allow for the magic of participation, and the viewer's imagination becomes the final key to the puzzle.

Some of the works are dream oriented, but the majority are inspired by scenes that I've witnessed by attempting to employ some waking state while meditating and nearing sleep. It's like taking the elevator and being able to see the floors or layers of consciousness without the hinderance of walls or windows. The In-Between is what I call the place where I see most of my inspirations. It's the layer of that consciousness about two layers below a waking state and one layer above the sleep state. So I try to relax myself enough to drift into that place for as long as possible, and it's always a quick trip. The elevator between being awake and traveling into the sleep state is never slow and doesn't stop, so I've just had to accelerate my visual-information-gathering trips and take in what I can.

Specifically speaking though, the ideas being gleaned from that detached reality are all somehow dream oriented. It's just my interpretation or them, or the way they appear because of my personal dialect of visual language can communicate the messages.

Upon looking at your pieces, one's eye is lead on a visual journey constructed by the fluidity of design elements in your subject matter. What goes into the conceptual aspect of creating your imagery before you apply your brush strokes?

Hah, ok, I kind of went ahead before with the dream question. But conceptually speaking, I tend to try to understand what needs to appear next or what's necessary to complete the balance of a scene. The paintings are all a part of a body of work that I began 6 years ago, called The Intimate Parade. The body of work (as it's not really a simple series of works anymore) is a study of progressions. There is a beginning, but I question that there is an end. So my curiosity is in seeing where it folds in on itself or bends or becomes circular. The work is only linear if we allow it to be, so my concept in creating is to allow as much leeway in any direction for the work to expand and realize its greatest potential. Just like any of us, or anyone in my life. We all have to be allowed to grow into our best version of ourselves. Just so, the painting must have that same allowance. And so the study, the curiosity of growth and life and progress, became the process, and the paintings became the vessel or the medium in which to let that grand sort of game play out.

If you could actually step into one of your pieces to visit and explore as a real 3-dimensional landscape to hang out in, which would it be and why?

Good question. The paintings are all connected and come from the same place. I'd enjoy exploring the In Between more and more, but I think the glimpses I'm allowed are for a reason. So I'm fairly content to enjoy the thrill of being able to view what I can and take what remains (the mind acts as a sieve of sorts, and only the most potent parts remain between the "seeing" and "waking" moments) and apply that to a physical plane and see what opportunities arise from that interaction. It's not as though I'm directly representing what I see. It's a game of sorts. To see, apply and then be conscious enough within the moment of creating, or act of painting, to accept different possibilities for the final outcome, the finished painting. I think I'm very satisfied as the painter, and pretty thrilled to be a part of what's going on here. So I think I'd rather see what's next, and to do that I'd have to be happy with seeing that world in small doses and then letting my imagination commune with it to get to the next place.-There are often reoccurring images of spherical bodies/orbs which are floating, scattered through landscapes, contained under glass, or configured into DNA like chains, could you share a bit about their significance in your work?

Sure enough. The elements involved in the works are mostly personal relics, those things that have personal meanings or stand for major life events or larger life influences. There is a lot of underlying narrative about growth, communication, secret places, personal events, etc. So the elements, while personal or ethereal, have a more universal context. Their appearances reach to different people in different ways, so it makes me a little nervous to outright "define" them as one thing or another, you know? Floating orbs generally dictate a moment of realization or divine communion. These are usually universal and genetic materials that exist beyond our understanding, but congregate to serve as messengers, or to produce an event of change. The glass domes represent some sort of special keepsake, something kept safe or preserved for a specific time or purpose. The domes are neutral themselves, but can be used by any being or situation to isolate something. Lately, the domes have appeared as visionary objects, things with messages or visions within them. So I'm open to believing that they're more potent than I'd originally imagined.

That's the beauty of the process too. One must really keep themselves open to the possibilities and opportunities for change at every turn. The meanings of things are as interchangeable or unpredictable as we ourselves are as individuals. So in that way, if a meaning is strong for one person when they commune with a painting, then that's correct for them whether it was my intention in creating it or not.

The DNA represents life, growth, science, human matter and reality. It's a building code and genetic message. They're as important as the flowers or gift-wrapped presents or houses that live in the trees. They're suggestive! That's part of their power, part of their mystique. Their very presence sets the scene off in a different direction at times. The gifts are memories, past and future. She can open them or store them safely away. I say "she", because of the male / female nature of the works. Ah yes, there is that to go into. But let's suffice to say that they're each building their own realities and attempting to discover more and travel further to find their answers in life.

Could you tell us a little bit about your show in Italy this month at the Dorothy Circus Gallery?

" The New Mythology" is a concept exhibition that attempts to show a nice cross-section of visionary artists that I've met since living in LA. Not that the artists are all from LA, because they are from across the US and abroad. The basic premise is that there's a movement of strong narrative painters working out there. Whenever I have the opportunity to curate an exhibition, I like to work with a gallery that promotes that kind of thinking, that kind of work ethic. Italy is an open and unproven ground for our kind of art, as is almost all of Europe. So taking on the exhibit in Rome is a good way of testing the waters in a new place.

To commemorate the exhibition and the gathering of these extremely talented artists, I've been working on an exhibition book as well. I've always like the idea that a person can take the whole show home with them. And the best way to do that would be in book form. So that will be ready by month's end in the form of a 126 page, hardback edition. It has all the images from the exhibit plus some amazing bonus pieces in the back with the artists' bio and contact info. It's all about exposure for the artists, so we're all pretty excited about showing in new places and trying to reach out to new people that might not have even known that our kinds of artworks existed.

Any parting words for young aspiring artists?

Definitely! Not that I'm a reservoir for answers or great advice, but I do hear some of the same questions a lot. Like: How can I start to show in galleries? How should I price my work? How do I live off painting and not have a day job?

Seriously, there's not pat answer for anything. It's all about who you are and where you want to go. The best advise I could give anyone is this: Enjoy your work. Find the enjoyment in making something that is truly yours and then start to question it and help it move toward where you see it being. The moment you start exhibiting and putting your work in the public eye be prepared for anything. Be prepared for the best compliments ever, but mostly be prepared for all the condescending nature of the amateur critic. Take it all in stride and just make the best work you can and push yourself even when no one else will push you. But above all, just don't stop making art. Keep painting if you're a painter. It doesn't matter if you're not well known or don't consider yourself very good at it. If you work at it, it will take shape. If you believe in it, it can happen. But you have to continue believing and pushing and testing and going back and regrouping and doing it again.

Galleries? Oh wow. That's an education all in itself. First, enjoy your work and keep at it. Remember that, because galleries for the most part are not interested in work unless it's going to sell. So you step across the threshold into that world and it all changes. Just remember that they don't know everything, and if your work doesn't work for them don't be too upset. Just keep at it and you'll either find the right fit or your work will undergo some amazing change and then maybe they'll all want it.

Pricing and living off the work? Well, those are things to worry about when there's a demand in place for things. If the work is in demand, someone will be right along to set the prices, talk to collectors and take their percentage. The percentage may seem like a chunk, but imagine if that person wasn't doing the work to promote and sell you? The trick is finding a trustworthy individual to work with. That's the key, be very suspicious, ask around, and see what works for you.

But above all, just enjoy creating, painting, whatever it is that makes you happy about it. Without that, it's just another job!

To view a complete collection of the works in The Intimate Parade so far: http://nathanspoor.com/NS_allworks.html