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HoboEye Art:
Nolan Salix, Vernal Utah
I create my paintings in plein air, observing the industrial landscapes of the west using traditional oil paints incorporated with materials from the site. These works transcend visual representation communicating through smell and the perception of touch. Many paintings go through the process of alchemy as chemicals applied to the surface age the metal. My own awareness changes as well with the passage of time exposed at the site. These works, like the industrial sites, hold beauty in their altered and often toxic forms, demanding the viewer to contemplate the western landscape beyond its romantic ideals.
My use of non-traditional media and techniques are inspired by the materials and processes present at the site. For example in the painting Izta, an image of a large copper mine, the site is represented by panels of copper covering the entire painting surface. I mimic the practice of mining by violating the integrity of the surface by physically removing part of the copper. Variations in color and implied texture are created through the use of heat and chemicals, creating a patina. In the painting, Cennex, motor oil and roofing tar are used giving the piece attributes of the actual oil refinery.
I often paint in large formats in order to present the materials in a manner that expresses the immensity of the site. Working on such large panels, often six by eight feet in size, demands a large amount of physical effort and skill when working outside in the harsh winter climate of Montana, South Dakota, and Utah. Often, a natural weather pattern, such as wind, rain or snow, creates an effect on my paintings by physically altering my applications during the paintings development.
Both my materials and my naturalistic approach toward painting act to represent the physical essence of the west’s industrial landscape. Though these sites may be seen as dirty, and even ugly to some, there is an aesthetic beauty inherent in these landscapes that compels me to look deeper. The authenticity of the sites, as well as the structures and forms, attract my attention and has inspired this current body of work. I intend these paintings to empower the viewer to see such industrial lands with a more raw realization of what they encompass: the materials, aspects of violence, and inherent beauty.
See more of Nolan Salix's work here >
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