ETHEREAL PAINTINGS OF CT NELSON Words : Morgan Febrey
If you were to ask me to describe CT Nelson ’ s style , I ’ d be at a loss for words . I ’ d reach for my phone to show you a photo ; so , hopefully you aren ’ t reading this article on some non-smart flip phone relic . Recently , I visited CT at his studio in Denver to explore this enigmatic quality of his work .
As a default conversation backdrop , I brought beers with me . Let ’ s get the ol ’ conversation machine greased a bit , right ? But when I arrived , the warm-hearted and grateful CT let me know that he doesn ’ t drink during the day .
While this may seem like a pointless detail to recall , it illustrates a point . We ’ re talking artistic style . Often , when something is difficult to describe [ or simply original ] as CT ’ s art is , “ what drugs were they on ?” gets tossed around . I mean , even the pope drinks wine , but not everything with vibrant color is psychedelic or in the visionary category . CT uses color in a very fresh and unique way . Is there a need to slap a name tag on it ?
After the standard pleasantry exchange , we walked back into his studio . It ’ s unassuming and rudimentary . A table with an art supply store ’ s worth of oil paints spread across it and zero distractions from focus or flow . We jumped right into the fire .
Mind if we start out talking about your style ? I ’ m struggling for descriptors . CT : Sure . You can call it non-objective realism . A lot of abstract painters will start with an actual thing : a person , landscape , bowl of fruit , etc . Something in this physical world . I like to use just the feeling of those objects . To paint those feelings as if they were a tangible thing that had light , shadow , and texture . The title of an important transition painting I did , ‘ The Aura of Something That ’ s Actually Nothing At All ,’ opened my eyes to this potential . I ’ ve painted enough real things and don ’ t want to look at a thing . It spoils the visual feel that ’ s in my head . For example , you can communicate ice and how it feels without painting ice . A photo of ice on your computer isn ’ t very interesting . I ’ d be obsessed about copying what I was looking at . I never want to do that again . What helps , too , is sometimes I ’ ll switch direction in the middle of a brush stroke as I ’ m painting “ the feels .” That ’ s my wild card . Helps with distorting my notions and keeps the work honest and fresh . I also layer paint very thick in strategic parts of each piece . It figuratively and literally jumps off the canvas . This creates a feeling you can jump into the painting . I really enjoy the unexpected and that is a very important to my process . It creates an unrealized , then realized energy that allows painting to be fun and not a drag . Expect the unexpected is my motto .
CT has been painting since ’ 96 . He decided it was what he wanted to do and taught himself oils in ’ 06 . Since moving to Denver in 2002 , CT has found a worldwide following .
“ So , Denver . Treating you well ?” CT : “ I wouldn ’ t be the artist I am now if it wasn ’ t for Denver . The West Coast has an established illustrative feel . The East has the conceptual . Denver has a large and growing art community but it hasn ’ t taken on a specific identity yet . It ’ s allowed me to go any direction I want and still be received very well .”
CT went on to explain that he is actually influenced by every artist and every painting he ’ s ever seen . Each of his paintings contain not just the art , but every experience he ’ s ever had . This has helped him grow as an artist . And after speaking with him , his style started making more sense to me . Energy as a subject . The culmination of every moment he ’ s experienced . Whether I think his painting is a nebula birthing a constellation or some quantum phenomenon at CERN , it ’ s all true . It ’ s energy and that ’ s enough of a description .
CT has a show coming up , Sept . 2016 , at Last Rites Gallery in NYC . If you ’ d like to see more of his work , follow him on Facebook : www . Facebook . com / CTNelsonArt or Instagram : @ CTNelsonArtist .
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