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Nathan Durfee’s Dreamlike, Painted Narratives

Nathan Durfee, a painter based in the Southeastern U.S., uses multiple techniques to render his pop-surrealist scenes, with their varying textures and narratives. Durfee says that he deals with universal themes in his works, conveyed via vibrant, dreamlike storytelling. Some of his subjects are in panicked states; others are in the middle of a balancing act or sit in more serene states.


Nathan Durfee, a painter based in the Southeastern U.S., uses multiple techniques to render his pop-surrealist scenes, with their varying textures and narratives. Durfee says that he deals with universal themes in his works, conveyed via vibrant, dreamlike storytelling. Some of his subjects are in panicked states; others are in the middle of a balancing act or sit in more serene states.




A statement on the artist’s website explains his process: “Each of Durfee’s paintings begins with an enormous amount of push and pull from the artist, in which ideas are refined and adjusted, until a rough idea starts to form. He then begins rendering the elements of the painting while maintaining a wandering state of mind.”





The artist also makes a point to frequently collaborate with other painters, like Megan Lange, Robert Lange, Patch Whiskey,Ahren Hertel, and others. Durfee’s additions are apparent in each of those collaborations (below), with his signature multi-textured faces and surreal sense of imagery.

Durfee currently resides in Charleston, S.C., where he’s been named the Best Local Visual Artist by Charleston City Paper several times. The Vermont native is a graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design.


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