Threshold by Nathan Nguyen

After Eric Fischl, 2016

Threshold is the title of the first solo exhibition by artist Nathan Nguyen, and speaks of starts and new beginnings. The title is also a reference to the artist's hobby and enjoyment of cycling and the effort it takes to really push one's self to go the limit. Nguyen's style is characteristically rich in texture and vibrant color, and exudes qualities of warm weather and suburban life and, in my opinion, has a very youthful quality to it.

When I first approached the gallery for this exhibition I immediately noticed some similarities to Bay Area figurative art, namely the work and style of David Park. I was eager to ask Nathan, whom I've known for about a year now, about his influence. When I spoke with Nathan he did in fact tell me that he was inspired by the work of David Park and was quite familiar with the well-known artist's work. Nathan himself is a native of Sacramento, but says he has been strongly influenced by the work of Bay Area figurative artists such as Park, as well as the works of Barnett Newman, Agnes Martin, Frank Stella, and Mark Rothko, whom Nathan credits as having the most influence on him. As well, Nathan says that he has drawn influence from the Abstract Expressionist movement, and Color Field painting.

While speaking with Nathan about his exhibition I was quite impressed to find that he is very strong on artistic theory and concept. The first painting shown above is based on a pool theme and is somewhat allegorical. The image itself is a rendition of an original painting by Eric Fischl, of which the artist feels some common shared theme. Nathan's collections of mostly untitled works and style embody a recurring theme of pools, gathering, fun, etc. Included in this collection are a series of paint stick sculptures that are a representation of the rejection of 90-degree angles, untraditional form, 3-D painting, and Abstract Expressionism.

When asked what viewers should see in his paintings Nathan tells me they should see movement in space, unbound gravity, and paint dripping upward.

Detail

Untitled (recession steps), 2019

Paint Block Pile, 2018