Menu
The New Contemporary Art Magazine

The Humorous, Unsettling Sculptures and Characters of Nathaniel Lewis

It’s no surprise that Saudi Arabia-born, Arizona-based artist/teacher Nathaniel Lewis was once a toy designer. Yet, although some of his newer sculptures have the bright, primary color schemes and wooden textures of old-school toys for children, the themes of series like “Little Terrors” are decidedly more complex. Depicting a TSA line, with workers, equipment, and explosives, Lewis confronts a common source of tension, anxiety, and frustration for adults.

It’s no surprise that Saudi Arabia-born, Arizona-based artist/teacher Nathaniel Lewis was once a toy designer. Yet, although some of his newer sculptures have the bright, primary color schemes and wooden textures of old-school toys for children, the themes of series like “Little Terrors” are decidedly more complex. Depicting a TSA line, with workers, equipment, and explosives, Lewis confronts a common source of tension, anxiety, and frustration for adults.






His “Pin-Ups” are more obvious in their target audience, as he sculpts nude figures that are pinned to walls. These characters can appear submissive, distressed, or a peace with their fate. Though the repeating men inserted into faux-outlets seems to be taking the worst of it.


All are suggestive of the artist’s knack for humor and quirkiness, but perhaps display those notions more than “Untitled Hot Dog in a Deck Chair #1,” which is exactly what it sounds like. From the character’s wild expression to the ketchup bottle-as-sunblock addition, there’s something both hilarious and unsettling at the sight.


Lewis offers several snaps and perspectives on his work on the above linked site, but he also offers shots of works-in-progress on his blog. These include snaps of sketchbook ideas and the gathering of materials to execute future, often-zany works.

Meta
Share
Facebook
Reddit
Pinterest
Email
Related Articles
Athens based artist Adam Martinakis has captured the curiosity of his fans for years with his fragmented digital figures. He describes his imagery as "a connection between the spirit and the material, the living and the absent... I compose scenes of the unborn, the dead and the alive, immersed in the metaphysics of perception." His inspiration is equally other-wordly; mysteries of the universe such as the event horizon. His subjects are shown in various stages of creation in scenes that evade time and space.
Zachary Eastwood-Bloom takes the idea of adding digital-like glitches to traditional sculptures to a visceral level. He created most of these sculptures while he was sculptor-in-residence at Pangolin London. He uses both digital and analogue means to craft the final product, unifying several disciplines for a startling end result.
He teaches digital media at Los Angeles Harbor College, but that doesn't deter sculptor Joshua Abarbanel from appreciating a strong tie to nature. His incredible wood sculptures are a reflection of his dual interests in technology and the natural world. Using mix of digital, mechanical tools and handiwork, he first designs his dynamic pieces on the computer, then crafts them by hand in way that feels organic. Recent works combine influences from Romantic landscape, environmental art, and wabi-sabi.
John Bisbee envisions his sculptures as drawings in which the 12-inch nails he hammers and welds act like lines in three dimensions. Since his serendipitous discovery of nails' sculptural potential 30 years ago, Bisbee has been working with the unusual industrial material. His body of work includes organic shapes and architectural constructions alike. The nails act as uniform building blocks that allow him to create rhythmic patterns that echo through much of his work, whether it's a snake-like floor sculpture, a bird's nest of bent nails, or a precariously high pyramid.

Subscribe to the Hi-Fructose Mailing List