Santa Fe, NM
Mark White Fine Art, October 18-November 30
Christopher Owen Nelson, Butterscotch, mixed media, 54 x 48.
This story was featured in the November 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art November 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
BATHED IN incandescent hues ranging from amber to rose to indigo, the reverse-carved plexiglass paintings of Christopher Owen Nelson entice viewers to drift into meditative compositions where bare-branched aspen and cottonwood trees stretch out across the picture plane in a blend of the realistic and surreal. Santa Fe gallery Mark White Fine Art recently welcomed Nelson to its stable, and by way of introduction, the gallery is featuring a large collection of his innovative paintings all month. Ranging in size from 6 by 6 feet to 12 by 16 inches, many pieces depict the Colorado artist’s signature trees, but there are also paintings from his forthcoming series on birds. Nelson attends a gallery reception on Friday, October 18, at 5 p.m.
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- Christopher Owen Nelson, Cabin Fever, mixed media, 18 x 48.
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- Christopher Owen Nelson, Evening’s Embrace, mixed media, 48 x 40.
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- Christopher Owen Nelson, Iris, mixed media, 24 x 18.
An avid explorer of nontraditional mediums since his days as a student at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, Nelson is also a prolific sculptor. His sculptures, however, generally represent what he describes as “cross sections” of nature, from geodes to tree bark, whereas his plexiglass paintings portray more complete pictures of the natural world. Nelson describes his creative process as fluid and intuitive, although he never knows how his completed imagery will look. “I have an idea, but it’s just an idea,” he explains. “Part of my process is surrendering and allowing things to happen the way the materials want to work with each other. It’s very fun for me to have this surprise at the end. It’s like unwrapping a gift.”
The artist reverse-carves into half-inch sheets of plexiglass with a grinder and a router, then applies acrylics and other paint mediums to these fresh grooves, alternating between carving and painting as he works his way through the composition. “Some areas are carved and others are not, so there’s this high level of definition and contrast between background and foreground and between positive and negative space,” he says.
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- Christopher Owen Nelson, Powdered Sugar, mixed media, 36 x 24.
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- Christopher Owen Nelson, Umbrella, mixed media, 48 x 40.
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- Christopher Owen Nelson, Safari, mixed media, 24 x 72.
Viewers see Nelson’s final images from the front side, with the painted relief carvings showing through from the back of his plexiglass canvas-es. Ambient lighting interacts with his three-dimensional creations, creating highlights and shadows that promote an impactful viewing experience. For some, his paintings may summon challenging emotions; for others, happiness. Nelson doesn’t want to control that dialogue with viewers. “I just like the idea of creating some sort of transformation,” he says, “even if it’s just a momentary one.” —Kim Agricola
contact information
505.982.2073
www.markwhitefineart.com
This story was featured in the November 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art November 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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