Interview

May 16

Nathaniel Hunter Jr

At 46 years old, Nathaniel Hunter, Jr. is a lifelong resident of Maryland. He embraces a fulfilling life, happily married with one child and a dog, all while navigating the challenge of living well. Nathaniel's journey as an artist began in his early years and deepened during his college experience. While pursuing a business degree, art became both a refuge and a source of inspiration, guiding him through his academic challenges. Although he ultimately completed his business studies, leaving his art degree just a few courses short, his passion for visual arts never waned. In the early stages of his career, Nathaniel found himself immersed in graphic design. This role allowed him to explore his artistic inclinations, but over time, he grew weary of being confined to another's vision, often feeling like merely a tool in someone else's creative process. Seeking a new direction, he transitioned to full-time marketing, aiming to offer a more thoughtful and empathetic approach to creativity and strategy. Now, a decade later, Nathaniel stands at yet another crossroads, contemplating the next chapter of his career. The inner dialogue of what lies ahead stirs within him, igniting the desire to redefine his path and focus anew on his artistic roots. As he navigates these uncertainties, the balance of his professional and personal life remains a priority.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“Transitioning years ago from designer to marketer gave me an idea of what an artist's mindset can bring to different settings and collaborations. This taste of artistic polyamory drove me deeper into my thoughts, esoteric studies, and artistic practice in my spare time. The push and pull relationship I’ve had with art and other fields of study has become a major driver of my work; a constant seeking for orientation and equanimity. Privately, I was creating work touching on an internal philosophy I had gestating in me; mining myself and the world around me for some new insight. I’ve come to call my personal philosophy Mikono Tisa, a phrase in Swahili that means Nine Hands. I won’t dive into that much here, but what I will say is this year marks my first steps into publicly sharing some of what I’ve been working on of late; internally and externally.”

What inspires you?

“I feel that perspective is the only destination in life and that each new perspective we inhabit adds another facet to us, like a well crafted gem. So, in general, I’d say self-cultivation pushes me considerably. My biggest inspirations on this journey are the processes of life itself; nature, attention, and methods of orientation. I’m always inspired by our ability to ingest and metabolize the world around us; finding sustenance in anything. It's simultaneously our greatest asset and liability. Exploring ways to express these inspirations visually is infinitely fascinating to me. I don't feel like I've even really begun yet.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“I love recognizing and playing with contradictions and mergers, or at least what appear to be. For instance, friction can hold you back and produce pain, but it's what allows you to move forward and feel pleasure as well. Or, the way society has conflated money with value. The underlying message in my work is for the need to recognize and navigate the absurd paradox of life and the inventions man has placed upon it. I use the paradigms and polarities around us as both map and compass, abstracting deep, sometimes painful tensions in a visually palatable way—a bitter pill dipped in honey. I want my artwork to be a touchstone for conversations around art, life, and our collaborative place within it.”

How would you describe your work?

“Abstract, textured, layered, vibrant, and painterly. For me, my art is a mirror revealing hidden parts of myself, making them available for appraisal and refinement.”

Which artists influence you most?

“Growing up, I was a comic-head, so Art Adams, Jim Lee, and Todd McFarlane were heroes to me. Later in college, I discovered Wassily Kandinsky, Dale Chihuly, and Lee Bontecou. Those three artists had a huge impact on me for various reasons. Particularly, the art and writing of Kandinsky on line and form. I like merging high and low forms of expression.”

“The underlying message in my work is for the need to recognize and navigate the absurd paradox of life and the inventions man has placed upon it.”

What is your creative process like?

“My creative process seems to always starts with cycles and waves of introspection, further agitated by the pressures of everyday life. I'm rarely making artwork because I'm happy, lol. Often, I'm trying to find beauty; which then makes me happy. My artwork has always been a product of what was close at hand or what had me in it's hands. Early in my career, that was pencil, charcoal, ink, and unrealized potential. However, now it's almost exclusively digital and computer based; subverting my tools of profession for the exact opposite of what I do for money to produce something I truly value.”

What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?

“For me, the artist plays the role of medium, a tuning fork tapping into infinite wavelengths, making the unknown known, and bringing the known into being - no matter the medium. In keeping with that, I feel many artists have abdicated their responsibility and thus their freedom to bend society towards a higher will or way of being. If artists remain unwilling to learn the art of economics, politics, science, marketing, et al, we’ll continue to fall prey to those fluent in the craft. However, I also see many artists growing beyond self-indulgence and into the realization that reality and everything in it can become a medium. As AI continues to destroy the barriers to execute and launch any initiative, creatives everywhere are feeling the seismic shift. What does it mean to be creative and who values the problem framing of life, craft, and output? Artists will need to move from the fear of being replaced by AI to recognizing the possibility of becoming a legion of one with AI. As we have done with every tool before, we will be the ones to breath spirit into it and emancipate it from hegemonic forces. Artists must continue to be physicians, crafting new methods and cures for the ills of society. I don't think it will be enough any longer to merely seek relief and expression for ourselves alone. We have to share our vision and voice at all levels of culture.”