1. Why are you an artist?
When I was very young, my father worked graveyard shifts for a lumber mill in Idaho. While the rest of the family went to school or work, my father came home and listened to records and drew pictures while eating his “breakfast”. I poured over my father’s sketchbooks often. At the age of 6, I remember seeing a tiny rendition of Van Gogh’s version of “The Sower” my father created using oil pastels and I was mesmerized. My father never really thought of himself as an artist, he cared more about fishing with the kids, riding dirt bikes, roofing houses and things like that, but to me he was the Van Gogh of the Inland Northwest.
Academically, I was an awful student, but I did show promise in drawing and painting classes. I somehow managed to graduate high school, went to the University of Idaho to study art, and decided to move to Portland, Oregon to make art once I graduated. Making art is still the only thing that makes me feel as good as I did when I first laid eyes on my dad’s version of “The Sower”.
2. Is there a concept behind your work? If so, please tell us about it.
I’m constantly inspired by what I am exposed to on a daily basis. If I just finished [reading] a great novel, I want to make a drawing about an aspect of the story. If I chat with a shady character at the bus stop, I want to make a sculpture of him. Don’t get me wrong, I’m also obsessed with the aesthetics of my work and I strive to keep my concepts and techniques in a perfect marriage, but the concept behind my work is simple: I draw and sculpt the things that I see and think about.
3. Why do you use the medium that you use?
I tend to get carried away in art stores and kind of nerd out on fancy art tools which never seem to help my art or my wallet. Now, I keep my mediums simple and use homemade charcoal for my drawings and glue, wire and paper for my sculptures in order to keep me on track with what I am really trying to say with my art.
4. What is the role of the figure in your work?
Since I am interested in people in society, it is natural for my work to be mostly figurative. I listen to people tell me stories, I sit in the street and draw people in my sketchbook, I eavesdrop at grocery stores and I listen to the news while making art. All of these observations are channeled into my art.
5. What is the role of the artist in our society? And in Oregon?
The role of the artist is to be somewhat of a social chameleon. Ideally, an artist should be as comfortable hanging out under a bridge with homeless people as he or she would be at a swanky cocktail party with urbanites. It sounds kind of cheesy, but I believe artists should be cultural ambassadors, silently bridging and abolishing class systems. I think musicians and writers have this ability as well. I will admit that I am frustrated with artists who either: A.) Stick to nothing but folk or street art and have nothing but resentment towards anything different, or B.) Artists who would rather die than bring up the topic of the lower class or “folk art” in a compassionate way.
The majority of Oregon artists are nestled comfortably in the safe, liberal and urban environment of Portland. I hate to say it, but oftentimes the Portland art scene feels more like a circle jerk than a constructive environment for people to discuss art. I would like to see more artists get down to the brass tacks and talk about what people are doing right or wrong with their art. I also think that many artists would benefit from stepping outside of their comfort zone and they should explore some of rural spaces outside of Portland to exhibit work, places that truly need art.
Sparsely populated places like Eastern Oregon really want and need more artists. Last year, I had an art show in a small town called La Grande, Oregon, which is not too far from the Idaho boarder. I read that this town has an unemployment rate that rivals Detroit, and that over 65% of the town voted for Bush in 04’. It might seem that this town is not a safe place for artists, wouldn’t you say? Yet, this is entirely untrue. During my show, it seemed as though people were crawling out of the forest to see my art. My friends and I had fun chatting with a lot of the residents of La Grande and I felt very supported by the community. I think many people assume that small towns do not want culture. The reality is many urban artists would thrive in some of these smaller and more conservative communities, because there is a hunger for art in a way that isn’t present in Portland. These artists would also have the opportunity to make these areas more economically and culturally vibrant.
6. Where do you see yourself as an artist in 5 years?
Drawing pictures somewhere...maybe outside.
7. What are your ultimate goals as an artist?
I want to make art that is better than I made the year before. I want to learn.
8. What does art mean to you?
Everything.
Website for Nate: nateorton.com
