Painting

Jay Nelson’s drawings, paintings and sculptures are created as part of his quest for individual autonomy within the modern American landscape. His work pays homage to the long history of the Western frontier as a destination for a romantic solitary experience.

Through these works I am physically recreating packaging while addressing the packaging of concepts such as nature and wilderness.

I am both interested in how the materials I use move through the consumer economy and how words and concepts like ‘sustainability’, ‘ecological’, ‘recyclable’ , wilderness and ‘nature’ are passed through the information economy.

My work is concerned with impermanence, human frailty - the ephemeral nature of what we call reality, aligned with the dichotomy of enduring hope.

While easing my way into a painting, I find truth in simple objects, using them, as a jumping off point to abstraction.

By reducing the work to its utmost simplicity - an essence - I come closer to the feeling that the object evokes in me - a honing of my own feelings in relation to the object.

As Long as I can remember I've been interested in and inspired by the mysterious qualities of life. As a child when I'd see something that I didn't understand I'd exclaim: "Look, a clue!" These clues I would find only added to my wonderment for things unknown as opposed to helping me solve any mystery. I'm still playing this game of following clues in the studio, where I make primarily oil paintings on canvas. My work is narrative with an interest in questions rather than answers. While working on paintings, I improvise, clues I stumble upon in the process lead me down many narrative pathways. As I go I'm always watching for an image that's ripe with potential. In the end my best work invites the viewer to join me in following a trail of clues that leads to a mystery.

By interfacing with a wide variety of organic and synthetic mediums on canvas and panel, I create abstract landscapes. These topographical worlds invite the viewer to discover a visceral and meditative awareness into the intuitive intellect. I seek to express the energy of playfulness and spontaneity. This quality is crucial to what I feel is one of the most important aspects of being human.